History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v4.c62.490

v4.c62.490

Manu inculcates the necessity of making friends in VII. 208 and cites the qualities of a good friend (for a king) 'a king does not prosper by the acquisition of gold and land so much as by securing a firm friend who would be powerful in future, though he may be of depleted resources at the time. That friend, though a weak one, is commended, who is righteous, grateful, whose subjects (or ministers) are contented, who is attached and who pursues (to the end) work undertaken'. According to Manu VII. 206 land, gold and ally are the three fruits of royal endeavour or policy. Yāj I. 352 is similar to Manu VII. 208. In VII. 9 Kauṭilya in opposition to the above holds that the acquisition of land is better than that of gold and friend and the acquisition of gold is superior to that of a friend²⁸⁴. The Mahābhārata (Śānti 138.110) states 'no one is the friend or enemy of any one else; friends or enemies are made by wealth (or objects pursued by a person)'²⁸⁵. Kām. VIII. 52 says the same. Śukra. (IV. 1. 8–10) opines 'in the case of a brave, energetic, strong and politic king all others, though outwardly friendly, secretly cherish enmity to him and only wait for (the proper) time (to strike). There is no wonder in this. Are they not themselves greedy of conquering territories? A king has no friend and he is the friend of none'. Śānti (80. 3) says²⁸⁶ that a friend is of four kinds, one who has the same goal, one who comes for protection or security, one who is naturally so and one who is acquired. Karṇaparva 88. 28 gives the four kinds somewhat differently viz. natural (*sahaja*), acquired by conciliatory words, won by wealth and one drawn by one's prowess. Kām. (IV. 74) says that a mitra is of four kinds viz. by birth (such as one's father's father, mother &c.), made by relationship (i. e. marriage), hereditary (one's father's friend), one who is saved from calamities.²⁸⁷ According to Kām. (IV. 75–76) the qualities of a friendly king are purity (of heart), liberality, bravery, sharing happiness and sorrow, affection, vigilance (to carry out one's friend's object), truth; and briefly the characteristic of a true friend is devotion to the objects desired by his friend. The purpose for which a friend is made is to secure one of the three puruṣārthas, dharma, artha and kāma (Kām. IV. 72).