Dhammapada 2.3.p19

2.3.p19

Tadā bārāṇasirājā ‘‘atthi nu kho me kāyakammādīsu koci doso’’ti paccavekkhanto attano aruccanakaṃ kiñci kammaṃ adisvā ‘‘attano vajjaṃ nāma attano na paññāyati, paresaṃ paññāyati, nāgarānaṃ pariggaṇhissāmī’’ti cintetvā sāyaṃ aññātakavesena nikkhamitvā, ‘‘sāyamāsaṃ bhuñjitvā nisinnamanussānaṃ kathāsallāpo nāma nānappakārako hoti, ‘sacāhaṃ adhammena rajjaṃ kāremi, pāpena adhammikena raññā daṇḍabaliādīhi hatamhā’ti vakkhanti. ‘Sace dhammena rajjaṃ kāremi, dīghāyuko hotu no rājā’tiādīni vatvā mama guṇaṃ kathessantī’’ti tesaṃ tesaṃ gehānaṃ bhittianusāreneva vicarati.

It happened just at this time that the king of Benāres made a careful examination of his thoughts, words, and deeds for the purpose of discovering whether he had been guilty of any fault. So far as he could see, he had been guilty of no impropriety. But he reflected, "A person never sees his own faults; it takes other persons to see them. I will make a tour of the city and listen to what others say about me. When people have eaten supper and have sat down, they gossip and talk about all sorts of things. If I am ruling unjustly, they will say, 'We are utterly ruined by the punishments, taxes, and other oppressions of our wicked king.' If, on the other hand, I am ruling justly, they will comment on my good qualities, paying me many compliments and saying, 'Long life to our king!'" So at nightfall he put on a disguise and went about the city, walking close to the walls of their houses.