ery day. With
honey and flesh and fruits and roots and other kinds of excellent food,
he hospitably entertained all persons deserving of honour and did them
many good offices. He showed great respect for those Brahmanas that had
retired from the world for taking up their residence in the woods.
Killing the deer, he often took flesh to them. As regards those that were
unwilling, from fear of others, to accept gifts from him because of the
profession he followed, he used to go to their abodes before dawn and
leave flesh at their doors.[406] One day many thousands of robbers,
destitute of compassion in their conduct and regardless of all
restraints, desired to elect him as their leader.

"'"The robbers said, 'Thou art acquainted with the requirements of place
and time. Thou hast wisdom and courage. Thy firmness also is great in
everything thou undertakest. Be thou our foremost of leaders, respected
by us all. We will do as thou wilt direct. Protect us duly, even as a
father or mother.'

"'"Kayavya said, 'Never kill ye a woman, or one that from fear keeps away
from the fight, or one that is a child, or one that is an ascetic. One
that abstains from fight should never be slain, nor should women be
seized or brought away with force. None of you should ever slay a woman
amongst all creatures. Let Brahmanas be always blessed and you should
always fight for their good. Truth should never be sacrificed. The
marriages of men should never be obstructed. No injury should be
inflicted on those houses in which the deities, the Pitris, and guests
are worshipped. Amongst creatures, Brahmanas deserve to be exempted by
you in your plundering excursions. By giving away even your all, you
should worship them. He who incurs the wrath of the Brahmanas, he for
whose discomfiture they wish, fails to find a rescuer in the three
worlds. He who speaks ill of the Brahmanas and wishes for their
destruction, himself meets with destruction like darkness at sunrise.
Residing here, ye shall acquire the fruits of your valour. Troops shall
be sent against those that will refuse to give us our dues. The rod of
chastisement is intended for the wicked. It is not intended for
self-aggrandisement. They who oppress the god deserve death, it is said.
They who seek to aggrandise their fortunes by afflicting kingdoms in
unscrupulous ways, very soon come to be regarded as vermin in a dead
body. Those robbers again that would conduct themselves by conforming to
th