the Vedas the sacrifices flow. Sacrifices gratify
the deities. The deities, being gratified, commend
the denizens of the earth to Indra. For benefiting
the denizens of the earth, Indra gives them food (in
the form of rain without which crops and vegetation
would fail). The life of all creatures depends
upon food. From food creatures derive their support
and growth. Chastisement (in the form of the
Kshatriya ruler) remains wakeful amongst them.
For serving this object, Chastisement assumes the
form of a Kshatriya among men. Protecting men,
he remains awake, always heedful and never decaying.
Chastisement has again these other eight names, viz.,
God, Man, Life, Power, Heart, the Lord of all creatures,
the Soul of all things, and the Living creature.
God gave both affluence and the rod of chastisement
to the king who is possessed of strength (in the form
of military forces) and who is a combination of five
ingredients.[364] Nobility of blood, ministers of
great wealth, knowledge, the different kinds of forces
(such as strength of body, energy of mind, etc.),
with the eight objects mentioned below, and the other
force (viz., that which depends upon a well-filled
treasury), should be sought for the king, O Yudhishthira.
Those eight objects are elephants, horses, cars, foot
soldiers, boats, impressed labourers (for following
the camp and doing other work), increase of population,
and cattle (such as sheep, etc.). Of the
army equipped in mail and with other accoutrements,
car-warriors, elephant-warriors, cavalry, Infantry,
officers, and surgeons constitute the limbs.
Beggars, principal judges, astrologers, performers
of propitiatory and Atharvan rites, treasury, allies,
grain, and all other requisites, constitute the body,
composed of seven attributes and eight limbs, of a
kingdom. Chastisement is another powerful limb
of a kingdom. Chastisement (in the form of an
army) is the author of a kingdom. God himself
has, with great care, sent Chastisement for the use
of the Kshatriya. This eternal universe is impartial
Chastisement’s self. There is nothing more
worthy of respect by kings than Chastisement by which
the ways of Righteousness are pointed out. Brahman
himself, for the protection of the world and for establishing
the duties of different individuals, sent down (or
created) Chastisement. There is another kind
of Vyavahara arising out of the dispute of litigants
which also has sprung from Brahman. Principally
characterised by a belief in either of the two parties,
that Vyavahara is seen to be productive of good.
There is another kind of Vyavahara which has the Veda
for its soul. It is also said to have the Veda
for its cause. There is, O tiger, among kings,
a (third) kind of Vyavahara which is connected with
family customs but which is consistent with the scriptures.[365]
That Vyavahara which has, as above, been said to be
characterised by a belief in either of two litigant
parties, should be known by us as inhering in the king.