uld be devoted to thy amusements and sports. At all
times, however thou shouldst think of the means for accomplishing thy
purposes. At the proper time, adorning thy person, thou shouldst sit
prepared to make gifts in profusion. The turns for different acts, O son,
ceaselessly revolve like wheels. Thou shouldst always exert thyself to
fill thy treasuries of various kinds by lawful means. Thou shouldst avoid
all unlawful means towards that end. Ascertaining through thy spies who
thy foes are that are bent on finding out thy laches, thou shouldst,
through trusted agents, cause them to be destroyed from a distance.
Examining their conduct, thou shouldst O perpetuator of Kuru's race,
appoint thy servants. Thou shouldst cause all thy acts to be accomplished
through thy servitors: whether they are appointed for those acts or not.
The commandant of thy forces should be of firm conduct, courageous,
capable of bearing hardships, loyal, and devoted to thy good. Artisans
and mechanics, O son of Pandu, dwelling in thy provinces, should always
do thy acts like kine and asses.[11] Thou shouldst always, O
Yudhishthira, be careful to ascertain thy own laches as also those of thy
foes. The laches also of thy own men as also of the men of thy foes
should equally be ascertained. Those men of thy kingdom, that are well
skilled in their respective vocations, and are devoted to thy good,
should be favoured by thee with adequate means of support. A wise king, O
ruler of men, should always see that the accomplishments of his
accomplished subjects might be kept up. They would then be firmly devoted
to thee, seeing that they did not fall away from their skill."'"

SECTION VI

"'Dhritarashtra said, "Thou shouldst always ascertain the Mandalas that
belong to thee, to thy foes, to neutrals, and to those that are disposed
equally towards thee and thy foes, O Bharata.[12] The Mandalas also of
the four kinds of foes, of these called Atatayins, and of allies, and the
allies of foes, should be distinguished by thee, O crusher of foes.[13]
The ministers of state, the people of the provinces, the garrisons of
forts, and the forces, O foremost one of Kuru's race, may or may not be
tampered with. (Thou shouldst, therefore, behave in such a manner that
these may not be tampered with by thy foes). The twelve (enumerated
above), O son of Kunti, constitute the principal concerns of kings. These
twelve, as also sixty, having Ministers for their foremost, shou