Section CV

"The sage said, 'If, on the other hand, O Kshatriya, you think that you have any prowess still, I shall discourse to you about that line of policy which you mayst adopt for recovering your kingdom. If you canst follow that line of policy and seek to exert thyself, you canst still recover your prosperity. Listen attentively to all that I say unto you in detail. If you canst act according to those counsels, you mayst yet obtain vast wealth, indeed, your kingdom and kingly power and great prosperity. If you likest it, O king, tell me, for then I shall speak to you of that policy.'

"The king said, 'Tell me, O holy one, what you wishest to say. I am willing to hear and act according to your counsels. Let this my meeting with you today be fruitful of consequences (to myself).'

"The sage said, 'Renouncing pride and desire and ire and joy and fear, wait upon your very foes, humbling thyself and joining your hands. Do you serve Janaka the ruler of Mithila, always performing good and pure deeds. Firmly devoted to truth, the king of Videha will certainly give you great wealth. You shalt then become the right arm of that king and obtain the trust of all persons. As a consequence of this, you shalt then succeed in obtaining many allies possessed of courage and perseverance, pure in behaviour, and free from the seven principal faults. A person of restrained soul and having his senses under control, by adhering to his duties, succeeds in raising himself and gladdening others. Honoured by Janaka possessed of intelligence and prosperity, you shalt certainly become the right arm of that ruler and enjoy the confidence of all. Having then mustered a large force and held consultations with good ministers, do you cause disunion among your foes and, setting them against one another, break them all like a person breaking a vilva with a vilva. Or, making peace with the foes of your foe, destroy the latter’s power.^[1] You shalt then cause your foe to be attached to such good things as are not easily attainable, to beautiful women and cloths, beds and seats and vehicles, all of very costly kinds, and houses, and birds and animals of diverse species, and juices and perfumes and fruits, so that your foe may be ruined of himself.^[2] If one’s foe be thus managed, or if indifference is to be shown towards him, one that is desirous of acting according to good policy, should never suffer that foe to know it at all. Following the behaviour that is approved by the wise, do you enjoy every kind of pleasure in the dominions of your foe, and imitating the conduct of the dog, the deer, and the crow, behave, with apparent friendship, towards your enemies. Cause them to undertake achievements that are mighty and difficult to accomplish. See also that they engage in hostilities with powerful enemies. Drawing their attention to pleasant gardens and costly beds and seats, do you, by offering such objects of enjoyment, drain your enemy’s treasury. Advising your enemy to perform sacrifices and make gifts, do you gratify the Brahmanas. The latter, (having received those presents through your hands), will do good to you in return (by performing penances and Vedic rites), and devour your enemy like wolves. Without doubt, a person of righteous deeds obtains a high end. By such deeds men succeed in earning regions of the most felicity in heaven. If the treasury of your foes be exhausted (by either righteous or unrighteous deeds), every one of them, O prince of Kosala, may be reduced to subjection. The treasury is the root of felicity in heaven and victory on earth. It is in consequence of their treasuries that the foes enjoy such happiness. The treasury, therefore, should by every means be drained. Do not applaud Exertion in the presence of your foe but speak highly of Destiny. Without doubt, the man who relies too much on acts appertaining to the worship of the gods soon meets with destruction. Cause your enemy to perform the great sacrifice called Visvajit and divest him by that means of all his possessions. Through this your object will be fulfilled. You mayst then inform your enemy of the fact that the best men in his kingdom are being oppressed (with exactions for refilling the exhausted treasury), and indicate some eminent ascetic conversant with the duties of Yoga (who will wean your foe from all earthly possessions). The enemy will then desire to adopt renunciation and retire into the woods, solicitous of salvation. You shall then, with the aid of drugs prepared by boiling highly efficacious herbs and plants, and of artificial salts, destroy the elephants and steeds and men (of your enemy’s dominions). These and many other well-devised schemes are available, all connected with fraud. An intelligent person can thus destroy the population of a hostile kingdom with poison.'"