ers from others,
and thy own from thy own, do thou always cherish thy people. Protecting
his own self first from every one, the king should protect the earth. Men
of knowledge have said that everything has its root in self. The king
should always reflect upon these, viz., What are his laches, to what evil
habits he is addicted, what are the sources of his weakness, and what are
the sources of his faults. The king should cause secret and trusted
agents to wander through the kingdom for ascertaining whether his conduct
as displayed on the previous day has or has not met with the approbation
of the people. Indeed, he should ascertain whether his conduct is or is
not generally praised, or, is or is not acceptable to the people of the
provinces, and whether he has or has not succeeded in earning a good name
in his kingdom. Amongst those that are virtuous and possessed of wisdom,
those that never retreat from battle, and those that do not reside in thy
kingdom, those that are dependent on thee, and those that are thy
ministers, as well as those that are independent of party, they that
praise or blame thee should never be objects of disregard with thee, O
Yudhishthira![263] No man, O sire, can succeed in earning the good
opinion of all persons in the world. All persons have friends, foes, and
neutrals, O Bharata!"

"'Yudhishthira said, "Among persons all of whom are equal in might of arms
and accomplishments, whence does one acquire superiority over all the
rest, and whence does that one succeed in ruling over them?"

"'Bhishma said, "Creatures that are mobile devour things that are
immobile; animals again that have teeth devour those that have no teeth;
wrathful snakes of virulent poison devour smaller ones of their own
species. (Upon this principle), among human beings also, the king, who is
strong, preys upon those that are weak. The king, O Yudhishthira, should
always be heedful of his subjects as also of his foes. If he becomes
heedless, they fall upon him like vultures (on carrion). Take care, O
king, that the traders in thy kingdom who purchase articles at prices
high and low (for sale), and who in course of their journeys have to
sleep or take rest in forest and inaccessible regions,[264] be not
afflicted by the imposition of heavy taxes. Let not the agriculturists in
thy kingdom leave it through oppression; they, who bear the burthens of
the king, support the other residents also of the kingdom.[265] The gifts
made b