of making presents and of storing requisite things,
feeding the unfed and supervision over those that
have been fed, gifts of wealth in season, freedom
from the vices called Vyasanas, the attributes of kings,
the qualifications of military officers, the sources
of the aggregate of three and its merits and faults,
the diverse kinds of evil intents, the behaviour of
dependents, suspicion against every one, the avoidance
of heedlessness, the acquisition of objects unattained,
the improving of objects already acquired, gifts to
deserving persons of what has thus been improved,
expenditure of wealth for pious purposes, for acquiring
objects of desire, and for dispelling danger and distress,
were all treated in that work. The fierce vices,
O chief of the Kurus, born of temper, and those born
of lust, in all of ten kinds, were mentioned in that
treatise. The four kinds of vices which the learned
say are born of lust, viz., hunting, gambling,
drinking, and sexual indulgence, were mentioned by
the Self-born in that work. Rudeness of speech,
fierceness, severity of chastisement, infliction of
pain on the body, suicide, and frustrating one’s
own objects, these are the six kinds of faults born
of wrath, that have also been mentioned. Diverse
kinds of machines and their actions have been described
there. Devastation of the enemy’s territories,
attacks upon foes, the destruction and removal of landmarks
and other indications, the cutting down of large trees
(for depriving the enemy and the enemy’s subjects
of their refreshing shade), siege of forts, supervision
of agriculture and other useful operations, the storage
of necessaries, robes and attire (of troops), and the
best means of manufacturing them, were all described.
The characteristics and uses of Panavas, Anakas, conchs,
and drums. O Yudhishthira, the six kinds of articles
(viz., gems, animals, lands, robes, female slaves,
and gold) and the means of acquiring them (for one’s
one self) and of destroying them (for injuring the
foe), pacification of newly acquired territories,
honouring the good, cultivating friendship with the
learned, knowledge of the rules in respect of gifts
and religious rites such as homa, the touch of auspicious
articles, attention to the adornment of the body, the
manner of preparing and using food, piety of behaviour,
the attainment of prosperity by following in one path,
truthfulness of speech, sweetness of speech, observance
of acts done on occasions of festivity and social
gatherings and those done within the household, the
open and secret acts of persons in all places of meeting,
the constant supervision of the behaviour of men,
the immunity of Brahmanas from punishment, the reasonable
infliction of punishment, honours paid to dependants
in consideration of kinship and merit, the protection
of subjects and the means of extending the kingdom,
the counsels that a king who lives in the midst of
a dozen of kings, should pursue in respect of the four
kinds of foes, the four kinds of allies, and the four