paying tribute to
him. He should show hospitality towards and bestow honours upon them and
assign them the means of sustenance. He should behave towards the
ascetics dwelling in the kingdoms of foes and in the forests in the same
way as towards those that reside in his own kingdom. Engaged in penances
and of rigid vows they would, if calamity overtakes the king and if he
solicits protection, grant him what he wants. I have now told thee in
brief the indications of the city in which the king should reside."'"

SECTION LXXXVII

"'Yudhishthira said, "How, O king, may a kingdom be consolidated, and how
should it be protected? I desire to know this. Tell me all this, O bull
of Bharata's race!"

"'Bhishma said, "Listen to me with concentrated attention. I shall tell
thee how a kingdom may be consolidated, and how also it may be protected.
A headman should be selected for each village. Over ten villages (or ten
headmen) there should be one superintendent. Over two such
superintendents there should be one officer (having the control,
therefore, of twenty villages). Above the latter should be appointed
persons under each of whom should be a century of villages; and above the
last kind of officers, should be appointed men each of whom should have a
thousand villages under his control. The headman should ascertain the
characteristics of every person in the village and all the faults also
that need correction. He should report everything to the officer (who is
above him and is) in charge of ten villages. The latter, again, should
report the same to the officer (who is above him and is) in charge of
twenty villages. The latter, in his turn, should report the conduct of
all the persons within his dominion to the officer (who is above him and
is) in charge of a hundred villages. The village headman should have
control over all the produce and the possessions of the village. Every
headman should contribute his share for maintaining the lord of ten
villages, and the latter should do the same for supporting the lord of
twenty villages. The lord of a hundred villages should receive every
honour from the king and should have for his support a large village, O
chief of the Bharatas, populous and teeming with wealth. Such a village,
so assigned to a lord of hundred villages, should be, however, within the
control of the lord of a thousand villages. That high officer, again,
viz., the lord of a thousand villages, should have a minor to