The Mahabharata
Book 1: Adi Parva
Kisari Mohan Ganguli, tr.
[1883-1896]
SECTION CXLII
(Sambhava Parva continued)
"Vaisampayana continued, 'On hearing that the heroic sons of Pandu endued with
excess of energy had become so mighty, king Dhritarashtra became very miserable
with anxiety. Then summoning unto his side Kanika, that foremost of minister,
well-versed in the science of politics and an expert in counsels the king said,
'O best of Brahmanas, the Pandavas are daily overshadowing the earth. I am exceedingly
jealous of them. Should I have peace or war with them? O Kanika, advise me truly,
for I shall do as thou biddest.
"Vaisampayana continued, 'That best of Brahmanas, thus addressed by the king,
freely answered him in these pointed words well-agreeing with the import of political
science."
"Listen to me, O sinless king, as I answer thee. And, O best of Kuru kings,
it behoveth thee not to be angry with me after hearing all I say. Kings should
ever be ready with uplifted maces (to strike when necessary), and they should
ever increase their prowess. Carefully avoiding all faults themselves they should
ceaselessly watch over the faults of their foes and take advantage of them. If
the king is always ready to strike, everybody feareth him. Therefore the king
should ever have recourse to chastisement in all he doeth. He should so conduct
himself that, his foe may not detect any weak side in him. But by means of the
weakness he detecteth in his foe he should pursue him (to destruction). He should
always conceal, like the tortoise concealing its body, his means and ends, and
he should always keep back his own weakness from, the sight of others. And having
begun a particular act, he should ever accomplish it thoroughly. Behold, a thorn,
if not extracted wholly, produceth a festering sore. The slaughter of a foe who
doeth thee evil is always praiseworthy. If the foe be one of great prowess, one
should always watch for the hour of his disaster and then kill him without any
scruples. If he should happen to be a great warrior, his hour of disaster also
should be watched and he should then be induced to fly. O sire, an enemy should
never be scorned, however contemptible. A spark of fire is capable of consuming
an extensive forest if only it can spread from one object to another in proximity.
Kings should sometimes feign blindness and deafness, for if impotent to chastise,
they should pretend not to notice the faults that call for chastisement. On occasions,
such as these, let them regard their bows as made of straw. But they should be
always on the alert like a herd of deer sleeping in the woods. When thy foe is
in thy power, destroy him by every means open or secret. Do not show him any mercy,
although he seeketh thy protection. A foe, or one that hath once injured thee,
should be destroyed by lavishing money, if necessary, for by killing him thou
mayest be at thy ease. The dead can never inspire fear. Thou must destroy the
three, five and seven (resources) of thy foes. Thou must destroy thy foes root
and branch. Then shouldst thou destroy their allies and partisans. The allies
and partisans can never exist if the principal be destroyed. If the root of the
tree is torn up, the branches and twigs can never exist as before. Carefully concealing
thy own means and ends, thou shouldst always watch thy foes, always seeking their
flaws. Thou shouldst, O king, rule thy kingdom, always anxiously watching thy
foes. By maintaining the perpetual fire by sacrifices, by brown cloths, by matted
locks, and by hides of animals for thy bedding, shouldst thou at first gain the
confidence of thy foes, and when thou has gained it thou shouldst then spring
upon them like a wolf. For it hath been said that in the acquisition of wealth
even the garb of holiness might be employed as a hooked staff to bend down a branch
in order to pluck the fruits that are ripe. The method followed in the plucking
of fruits should be the method in destroying foes, for thou shouldst proceed on
the principle of selection. Bear thy foe upon thy shoulders till the time cometh
when thou canst throw him down, breaking him into pieces like an earthen pot thrown
down with violence upon a stony surface. The foe must never be let off even though
he addresseth thee most piteously. No pity shouldst thou show him but slay him
at once. By the arts of conciliation or the expenditure of money should the foe
be slain. By creating disunion amongst his allies, or by the employment of force,
indeed by every means in thy power shouldst thou destroy thy foe.'
"Dhritarashtra said, 'Tell me truly how a foe can be destroyed by the arts
of conciliation or the expenditure of money, or by producing disunion or by the
employment of force.'
"Kanika replied, 'Listen, O monarch, to the history of a jackal dwelling in
days of yore in the forest and fully acquainted with the science of politics.
There was a wise jackal, mindful of his own interests who lived in the company
of four friends, viz., a tiger, a mouse, a wolf, and a mongoose. One day they
saw in the woods a strong deer, the leader of a herd, whom, however, they could
not seize for his fleetness and strength. They thereupon called a council for
consultation. The jackal opening the proceedings said, 'O tiger, thou hast made
many an effort to seize this deer, but all in vain simply because this deer is
young, fleet and very intelligent. Let now the mouse go and eat into its feet
when it lieth asleep. And when this is done, let the tiger approach and seize
it. Then shall we all, with great pleasure feast on it.' Hearing these words of
the jackal, they all set to work very cautiously as he directed. And the mouse
ate into the feet of the deer and the tiger killed it as anticipated. And beholding
the body of the deer lying motionless on the ground, the jackal said unto his
companions, 'Blessed be ye! Go and perform your ablutions. In the meantime I will
look after the deer.' Hearing what the jackal said, they all went into a stream.
And the jackal waited there, deeply meditating upon what he should do. The tiger
endued with great strength, returned first of all to the spot after having performed
his ablutions. And he saw the jackal there plunged in meditation. The tiger said,
'Why art thou so sorrowful, O wise one! Thou art the foremost of all intelligent
beings. Let us enjoy ourselves today by feasting on this carcass.' The jackal
said, 'Hear, O mighty-armed one, what the mouse hath said. He hath even said,
O, fie on the strength of the king of the beasts! This deer hath been slain by
me. By might of my arm he will today gratify his hunger.' When he hath boasted
in such a language, I, for my part, do not wish to touch this food.' The tiger
replied, 'If, indeed, the mouse hath said so, my sense is now awakened. I shall,
from this day, slay with the might of my own arms, creatures ranging the forest
and then feast on their flesh.' Having said this, the tiger went away.
"And after the tiger had left the spot, the mouse came. And seeing the mouse
come, the jackal addressed him and said, 'Blest be thou, O mouse, but listen to
what the mongoose hath said. He hath even said, The carcass of this deer is poison
(the tiger having touched it with his claws). I will not eat of it. On the other
hand, if thou, O jackal, permittest it, I will even slay the mouse and feast on
him.' Hearing this the mouse became alarmed and quickly entered his hole. And
after the mouse had gone, the wolf, O king, came there having performed his ablutions.
And seeing the wolf come, the jackal said unto him, 'The king of the beasts hath
been angry with thee. Evil is certain to overtake thee. He is expected here with
his wife. Do as thou pleasest.' Thus was the wolf also, fond of animal flesh,
got rid of by the jackal. And the wolf fled, contracting his body into the smallest
dimensions. It was then that the mongoose came. And, O king, the jackal, seeing
him come, said, 'By the might of my arm have I defeated the others who have already
fled. Fight with me first and then eat of this flesh as you please.' The mongoose
replied, 'When, indeed, the tiger, the wolf, and the intelligent mouse have all
been defeated by thee, heroes as they are, thou seemest to be a greater hero still.
I do not desire to fight with thee.' Saying this, the mongoose also went away.
"Kanika continued, 'When they all had thus left the place, the jackal, well-pleased
with the success of his policy, alone ate up that flesh. If kings always act in
this way, they can be happy. Thus should the timid by exciting their fears, the
courageous by the arts of conciliation, the covetous by gift of wealth, and equals
and inferiors by exhibition of prowess be brought under thy sway. Besides all
this, O king, that I have said, listen now to something else that I say.'
"Kanika continued, 'If thy son, friend, brother, father, or even the spiritual
preceptor, anyone becometh thy foe, thou shouldst, if desirous of prosperity,
slay him without scruples. By curses and incantations, by gift of wealth, by poison,
or by deception, the foe should be slain. He should never be neglected from disdain.
If both the parties be equal and success uncertain, then he that acteth with diligence
groweth in prosperity. If the spiritual preceptor himself be vain, ignorant of
what should be done and what left undone, and vicious in his ways, even he should
be chastised. If thou art angry, show thyself as if thou art not so, speaking
even then with a smile on thy lips. Never reEvidence any one with indications of
anger (in thy speech). And O Bharata, speak soft words before thou smitest and
even while thou art smiting! After the smiting is over, pity the victim, and grieve
for him, and even shed tears. Comforting thy foe by conciliation, by gift of wealth,
and smooth behaviour, thou must smite him when he walketh not aright. Thou shouldst
equally smile the heinous offender who liveth by the practice of virtue, for the
garb of virtue simply covereth his offences like black clouds covering the mountains.
Thou shouldst burn the house of that person whom thou punishest with death. And
thou shouldst never permit beggars and atheists and thieves to dwell in thy kingdom.
By a sudden sally or pitched battle by poison or by corrupting his allies, by
gift of wealth, by any means in thy power, thou shouldst destroy thy foe. Thou
mayest act with the greatest cruelty. Thou shouldst make thy teeth sharp to give
a fatal bite. And thou should ever smite so effectually that thy foe may not again
raise his head. Thou shouldst ever stand in fear of even one from whom there is
no fear, not to speak of him from whom there is such. For if the first be ever
powerful he may destroy thee to the root (for thy unpreparedness). Thou shouldst
never trust the faithless, nor trust too much those that are faithful, for if
those in whom thou confidest Evidence thy foes, thou art certain to be annihilated.
After testing their faithfulness thou shouldst employ spies in thy own kingdom
and in the kingdoms of others. Thy spies in foreign kingdoms should be apt deceivers
and persons in the garb of ascetics. Thy spies should be placed in gardens, places
of amusement, temples and other holy places, drinking halls, streets, and with
the (eighteen) tirthas (viz., the minister, the chief priest, the heir-presumptive,
the commander-in-chief, the gate-keepers of the court, persons in the inner apartments,
the jailor, the chief surveyor, the head of the treasury, the general executant
of orders, the chief of the town police, the chief architect, the chief justice,
the president of the council, the chief of the punitive department, the commander
of the fort, the chief of the arsenal, the chief of the frontier guards, and the
keeper of the forests), and in places of sacrifice, near wells, on mountains and
in rivers, in forests, and in all places where people congregate. In speech thou
shouldst ever be humble, but let thy heart be ever sharp as razor. And when thou
art engaged in doing even a very cruel and terrible act, thou shouldst talk with
smiles on thy lips. If desirous of prosperity, thou shouldst adopt all arts--humility,
oath, conciliation. Worshipping the feet of others by lowering thy head, inspiring
hope, and the like. And, a person conversant with the rules of policy is like
a tree decked with flowers but bearing no fruit; or, if bearing fruit, these must
be at a great height not easily attainable from the ground; and if any of these
fruits seem to be ripe care must be taken to make it appear raw. Conducting himself
in such a way, he shall never fade. Virtue, wealth and pleasure have both their
evil and good effects closely knit together. While extracting the effects that
are good, those that are evil should be avoided. Those that practise virtue (incessantly)
are made unhappy for want of wealth and the neglect of pleasure. Those again in
pursuit of wealth are made unhappy for the neglect of two others. And so those
who pursue pleasure suffer for their inattention to virtue and wealth. Therefore,
thou shouldst pursue virtue, wealth and pleasure, in such a way that thou mayest
not have to suffer therefrom. With humiliation and attention, without jealousy
and solicitous of accomplishing thy purpose, shouldst thou, in all sincerity,
consult with the Brahmanas. When thou art fallen, thou shouldst raise thyself
by any means, gentle or violent; and after thou hast thus raised thyself thou
shouldst practise virtue. He that hath never been afflicted with calamity can
never have prosperity. This may be seen in the life of one who surviveth his calamities.
He that is afflicted with sorrow should be consoled by the recitation of the history
of persons of former times (like those of Nala and Rama). He whose heart hath
been unstrung by sorrow should be consoled with hopes of future prosperity. He
again who is learned and wise should be consoled by pleasing offices presently
rendered unto him. He who, haying concluded a treaty with an enemy, reposeth at
ease as if he hath nothing more to do, is very like a person who awaketh, fallen
down from the top of a tree whereon he had slept. A king should ever keep to himself
his counsels without fear of calumny, and while beholding everything with the
eyes of his spies, he should take care to conceal his own emotions before the
spies of his enemies. Like a fisherman who becometh prosperous by catching and
killing fish, a king can never grow prosperous without tearing the vitals of his
enemy and without doing some violent deeds. The might of thy foe, as represented
by his armed force, should ever be completely destroyed, by ploughing it up (like
weeds) and mowing it down and otherwise afflicting it by disease, starvation,
and want of drink. A person in want never approacheth (from love) one in affluence;
and when one's purpose hath been accomplished, one hath no need to approach him
whom he had hitherto looked to for its accomplishment. Therefore, when thou doest
anything never do it completely, but ever leave something to be desired for by
others (whose services thou mayest need). One who is desirous of prosperity should
with diligence seek allies and means, and carefully conduct his wars. His exertions
in these respects should always be guided by prudence. A prudent king should ever
act in such a way that friends and foes may never know his motive before the commencement
of his acts. Let them know all when the act hath been commenced or ended, and
as long as danger doth not come, so long only shall thou act as if thou art afraid.
But when it hath overtaken thee, thou must grapple with it courageously. He who
trusteth in a foe who hath been brought under subjection by force, summoneth his
own death as a crab by her act of conception. Thou shouldst always reckon the
future act as already arrived (and concert measures for meeting it), else, from
want of calmness caused by haste, thou mayest overlook an important point in meeting
it when it is before thee. A person desirous of prosperity should always exert
with prudence, adopting his measures to time and place. He should also act with
an eye to destiny as capable of being regulated by mantras and sacrificial rites;
and to virtue, wealth, and pleasure. It is well-known that time and place (if
taken into consideration) always produce the greatest good. If the foe is insignificant,
he should not yet be despised, for he may soon grow like a palmyra tree extending
its roots or like a spark of fire in the deep woods that may soon burst into an
extensive conflagration. As a little fire gradually fed with faggots soon becometh
capable of consuming even the biggest blocks, so the person who increaseth his
power by making alliances and friendships soon becometh capable of subjugating
even the most formidable foe. The hope thou givest unto thy foe should be long
deferred before it is fulfilled; and when the time cometh for its fulfilment,
invent some pretext for deferring it still. Let that pretext be shown as founded
upon some reason, and let that reason itself be made to appear as founded on some
other reason. Kings should, in the matter of destroying their foes, ever resemble
razors in every particular; unpitying as these are sharp, hiding their intents
as these are concealed in their leathern cases, striking when the opportunity
cometh as these are used on proper occasions, sweeping off their foes with all
their allies and dependants as these shave the head or the chin without leaving
a single hair. O supporter of the dignity of the Kurus, bearing thyself towards
the Pandavas and others also as policy dictateth, act in such a way that thou
mayest not have to grieve in future. Well do I know that thou art endued with
every blessing, and possessed of every mark of good fortune. Therefore, O king,
protect thyself from the sons of Pandu! O king, the sons of Pandu are stronger
than their cousins (thy sons); therefore, O chastiser of foes, I tell thee plainly
what thou shouldst do. Listen to it, O king, with thy children, and having listened
to it, exert yourselves (to do the needful). O king, act in such a way that there
may not be any fear for thee from the Pandavas. Indeed, adopt such measures consonant
with the science of policy that thou mayest not have to grieve in the future.'
"Vaisampayana continued, 'Having delivered himself thus Kanika returned to
his abode, while the Kuru king Dhritarashtra became pensive and melancholy.'"
