Simhasanadvatrimshika f5.p7

f5.p7

Moreover: kingdom without a minister, a fortress without stores of grain and the like, good fortune without youth, detachment without knowledge, calmness in the wicked, wisdom in heretics, love in courtesans, friendship in villains, independence for one under another's control, anger in a pauper, wrath in a servant, affection in a master, the home of a miser, a promiscuous woman's devotion to her man, the contrivance of thieves, and the course of fools—all these endeavors should be known to be fruitless. Moreover: a king must serve the great, listen to the counsel of trusted advisers, protect gods and brahmins, and walk in the path of justice. Furthermore: O King, all the virtues mentioned in the marks of a king are found in you; you are the highest of all sovereigns. Moreover, a minister must also be weighted with such virtues: one who has inherited the post through family lineage, who knows all the treatises on worldly wisdom such as Kāmandaki, Cāṇakya, and the Pañcatantra; and likewise the qualities: exertion for the master's business, fear of sin, protection of the subjects, surrounding them [with care], uniting them, conforming to the inclinations of the king's mind, understanding what suits the occasion, and keeping the king away from dangerous action. A minister endowed with such qualities is worthy of the office of minister, just as King Nanda was restrained from the murder of a brahmin by his minister Bahuśruta.” King Bhoja said: “And how was that?”