6 must suffer such corporal punishment as will dis- CHAP. figure them; 292. But the most pernicious of all deceivers is ' a goldsmith, who commits frauds: the king shall order him to be cut peacemeal with razors. 293. FOR stealing implements of husbandry, weapons, and prepared medicines, let the king award punishment according to the time and according to their use. 294. THE king, and his council, his metropolis, his realm, his treasure, and his army, together with his ally, are the seven members of his kingdom; whence it is called Septánga : 295. Among those seven members of a kingdom, let him consider the ruin of the first, and so forth in order, as the greatest calamity; 296. Yet, in a seven-parted kingdom here below, 'there is no supremacy among the several parts, 'from any pre-eminence in useful qualities: but all the parts must reciprocally support each other, like 'the three staves of a holy mendicant: 297. In these and those acts, indeed, this and that member may be distinguished; and the member by which any affair is transacted, has the pre' eminence in that particular affair. 6 298. WHEN the king employs emissaries, when he exerts power, when he regulates publick business, IX. 'let CHAP. let him invariably know both his own strength and that of his enemy, IX. 299. With all their several distresses and vices: let him then begin his operations, having maturely 'considered the greater and less importance of particular acts: 300. Let him, though frequently disappointed, renew his operations, how fatigued soever, again and ' again; since fortune always attends the man, who, having begun well, strenuously renews his efforts. 301. ALL the ages, called Satya, Trétá, Dwápara, 6 and Cali, depend on the conduct of the king; who is declared in turn to represent each of those 6 ages: 302. Sleeping, he is the Cali age; waking, the Dwápara; exerting himself in action, the Trétá; 'living virtuously, the Satya. 303. Of INDRA, of SU'RYA, of PAVANA, of YAMA, of VARUNA, of CHANDRA, of AGNI, and of PRIT'HIVì, let 'the king emulate the power and attributes. 304. AS INDRA sheds plentiful showers during the 'four rainy months, thus let him, acting like the regent of clouds, rain just gratifications over his kingdom: As 305. AS SURYA with strong rays draws up the 'water during eight months, thus let him, perform ing the function of the sun, gradually draw from his realm the legal revenue: 306. As 306. AS PAVANA, when he moves, pervades all CHAP. creatures, thus let him, wind, pervade all places 'saries : imitating the regent of 307. 'As YAMA, at the appointed time, punishes 'friends and foes, or those who revere, and those who 'contemn, him, thus let the king, resembling the 'judge of departed spirits, punish offending subjects: 6 308. AS VARUNA most assuredly binds the guilty in fatal cords, thus let him, representing the genius ' of water, keep offenders in close confinement : 309. When the people are no less delighted on seeing the king, than on seeing the full moon, he appears in the character of CHANDRA: 310. Against criminals let him ever be ardent in wrath, let him be splendid in glory, let him consume wicked ministers, thus emulating the functions ' of AGNI, regent of fire. 6 311. AS PRIT'HIVì supports all creatures equally, thus a king, sustaining all subjects, resembles in his office the goddess of earth. 312. Engaged in these duties and in others, with 'continual activity, let the king, above all things ' restrain robbers, both in his own territories and in those of other princes, from which they come, or in which they seek refuge. 313. LET him not, although in the greatest distress IX. 'for CHAP. IX. for money, provoke Bráhmens to anger by taking their property; for they, once enraged, could immediately by sacrifices and imprecations destroy him with his troops, elephants, horses and cars. 314. Who, without perishing, could provoke those holy men, by whom, that is, by whose ancestors, under BRAHMA', the all-devouring fire was created, 'the sea with waters not drinkable, and the moon ' with its wane and increase? 315. What prince could gain wealth by oppressing those, who, if angry, could frame other worlds ' and regents of worlds, could give being to new gods and mortals? 316. What man, desirous of life, would injure those, by the aid of whom, that is, by whose obla tions, worlds and gods perpetually subsist; those, who are rich in the learning of the Véda? 317. A Bráhmen, whether learned or ignorant, is a powerful divinity; even as fire is a powerful divinity, whether consecrated or popular. 318. Even in places for burning the dead, the bright fire is undefiled; and, when presented with ' clarified butter at subsequent sacrifices, blazes again ' with extreme splendour: 319. Thus, although Bráhmens employ themselves in 'all sorts of mean occupation, they must invariably 'be honoured; for they are something transcendently 'divine. 320. Of a military man, who raises his arm vio- CHAP. lently on all occasions against the priestly class, the IX. priest himself shall be the chastiser; since the 'soldier originally proceeded from the Bráhmen. 321. From the waters arose fire; from the priest, the soldier; from stone, iron: their all-penetrating 'force is ineffectual in the place, whence they respectively sprang. 322. The military class cannot prosper without the sacerdotal, nor can the sacerdotal be raised without the military: both classes, by cordial union, are 'exalted in this world and in the next. 6 323. SHOULD the king be near his end through some incurable disease, he must bestow on the priests 'all his riches accumulated from legal fines; and, having duly committed his kingdom to his son, let him seek death in battle, or, if there be no war, by abstaining from food. 324. Thus conducting himself, and ever firm in 'discharging his royal duties, let the king employ all his ministers in acts beneficial to his people. 325. These rules for the conduct of a military man having been propounded, let mankind next hear the rules for the commercial and servile classes in ' due order. 326. LET the Vaisya, having been girt with his |