wledge, and the science of morals are
efficacious. Service (of the other three orders) hath been ordained to be
the duty of the Sudra. Agriculture hath been ordained for the Vaisyas,
and fighting for the Kshatriyas, while the practice of the Brahmacharya
vow, asceticism, recitation of mantras, and truthfulness have been
ordained for the Brahmanas. Over subjects adhering to their proper
duties, the king should rule virtuously; while he should set those
thereto that have fallen away from the duties of their order. Kings
should ever be feared, because they are the lords of their subjects. They
restrain those subjects of theirs that fall away from their duties as
they restrain the motions of the deer by means of their shafts. O
regenerate Rishi, there existeth not in the kingdom of Janaka a single
subject that followeth not the duties of his birth. O thou best of the
Brahmanas, all the four orders here rigidly adhere to their respective
duties. King Janaka punisheth him that is wicked, even if he be his own
son; but never doth he inflict pain on him that is virtuous. With good
and able spies employed under him, he looketh upon all with impartial
eyes. Prosperity, and kingdom, and capacity to punish, belong, O thou
best of Brahmanas, to the Kshatriyas. Kings desire high prosperity
through practice of the duties that belong to them. The king is the
protector of all the four orders. As regards myself, O Brahmana, I always
sell pork and buffalo meat without slaying those animals myself. I sell
meat of animals, O regenerate Rishi, that have been slain by others. I
never eat meat myself; never go to my wife except in her season; I always
fast during the day, and eat, O regenerate one, in the night. Even though
the behaviour of his order is bad, a person may yet be himself of good
behaviour. So also a person may become virtuous, although he may be
slayer of animals by profession. It is in consequence of the sinful acts
of kings that virtue decreaseth greatly, and sin beginneth to prosper.
And when all this taketh place the subjects of the kingdom begin to
decay. And it is then, O Brahmana, that ill-looking monsters, and dwarfs,
and hunch-backed and large-headed wights, and men that are blind or deaf
or those that have paralysed eyes or are destitute of the power of
procreation, begin to take their birth. It is from the sinfulness of
kings that their subjects suffer numerous mischiefs. But this our king
Janaka casteth his eyes upon a