specially
to the defences of citadels. Having listened to me, thou shouldst make
the arrangements required and conduct thyself attentively as directed.
Keeping his eye on the six different kinds of citadels, the king should
build his cities containing every kind of affluence and every other
article of use in abundance. Those six varieties are water-citadels,
earth-citadels, hill-citadels, human-citadels, mud-citadels, and
forest-citadels.[247] The king, with his ministers and the army
thoroughly loyal to him, should reside in that city which is defended by
a citadel which contains an abundant stock of rice and weapons,--which is
protected with impenetrable walls and a trench, which teems with
elephants and steeds and cars, which is inhabited by men possessed of
learning and versed in the mechanical arts, where provisions of every
kind have been well stored, whose population is virtuous in conduct and
clever in business and consists of strong and energetic men and animals,
which is adorned with many open squares and rows of shops, where the
behaviour of all persons is righteous, where peace prevails, where no
danger exists, which blazes with beauty and resounds with music and
songs, where the houses are all spacious, where the residents number among
them many brave and wealthy individuals, which echoes with the chant of
Vedic hymns, where festivities and rejoicings frequently take place, and
where the deities are always worshipped.[248] Residing there, the king
should be employed in filling his treasury, increasing his forces,
enhancing the number of his friends, and establishing courts of justice.
He should check all abuses and evils in both his cities and his
provinces. He should be employed in collecting provisions of every kind
and in filling his arsenals with care. He should also increase his stores
of rice and other grain, and strengthen his counsels (with wisdom). He
should further, enhance his stores of fuel, iron, chaff, charcoal,
timber, horns, bones, bamboos, marrow, oils and ghee, fat, honey,
medicines, flax, resinous exudations, rice, weapons, shafts, leather
catgut (for bow-strings), caries, and strings and cords made of munja
grass and other plants and creepers. He should also increase the number
of tanks and wells containing large quantities of water, and should
protect all juicy trees.[249] He should entertain with honour and
attention preceptors (of different sciences), Ritwijas, and priests,
mighty bowm