thy kingdom consisting of seven limbs, should be slain.[164] There is an ancient Sloka sung by king Marutta, agreeable to Vrihaspati’s opinion, O monarch, about the duty of kings.  According to the eternal provision, there is punishment for even the preceptor if he becomes haughty and disregardful of what should be done and what should not, and if he transgresses all restraints.  Jadu’s son, king Sagara, of great intelligence, from desire of doing good to the citizens, exiled his own eldest son Asamanjas.  Asamanjas, O king, used to drown the children of the citizens in the Sarayu.  His sire, therefore, rebuked him and sent him to exile.  The Rishi Uddalaka cast off his favourite son Swetaketu (afterwards) of rigid penances, because the latter used to invite Brahmanas with deceptive promises of entertainment.  The happiness of their subjects, observance of truth, and sincerity of behaviour are the eternal duty of kings.  The king should not covet the wealth of others.  He should in time give what should be given, If the king becomes possessed of prowess, truthful in speech, and forgiving in temper, he would never fall away from prosperity.  With soul cleansed of vices, the king should be able to govern his wrath, and all his conclusions should be conformable to the scriptures.  He should also always pursue morality and profit and pleasure and salvation (judiciously).  The king should always conceal his counsels in respect of these three, (viz., morality, profit, and pleasure).  No greater evil can befall the king than the disclosure of his counsels.  Kings should protect the four orders in the discharge of their duties.  It is the eternal duty of kings to prevent a confusion of duties in respect of the different orders.  The king should not repose confidence (on others than his own servants), nor should he repose full confidence (on even his servants).  He should, by his own intelligence, took after the merits and defects of the six essential requisites of sovereignty.[165] The king who is observant of the laches of his foes, and judicious in the pursuit of morality, profit, and pleasure, who sets clever spies for ascertaining secrets and seeks to wean away the officers of his enemies by presents of wealth, deserves applause.  The king should administer justice like Yama and amass wealth like Kuvera.  He should also be observant of the merits and defects of his own acquisitions and losses and of his own dominions.  He should feed those that have not been fed, and enquire after those that have been fed.  Possessed of sweet speech, he could speak with a smiling (and not with a sour) countenance.  He should always wait upon those that are old in years and repress procrastination.  He should never covet what belongs to others.  He should firmly follow the behaviour of the righteous and, therefore, observe that behaviour carefully.  He should never take wealth from those that are righteous.  Taking the wealth of those that are not righteous he should give it unto them that are righteous.