SECTION C.
Then Rāma cast his eyes on (Bharata) as clad in bark and wearing matted locks he lay on the earth with joined hands, incapable of being gazed at, like the Sun at the time of the universal dissolution. Then recognizing him a little, he took by the hand his brother Bharata, lean, with a pallid countenance. And smelling the crown of his head, and embracing that descendant of Raghu, Rāma took Bharata on his lap and asked him affectionately, "Where was thy father, child, that thou hast come to the forest? It certainly behoves thee not to come unto the forest while he is living. Ah! I see thee come from far after a long time. Why, my child, hast thou come unto this gloomy forest? Is the king alive, my child, seeing that thou hast come hither; or, afficted with grief, hath he suddenly gone to the other world? And, O mild one, child that thou art, thy kingdom ever thine hath not been wrested from thee? And, O thou having truth for prowess, dost thou, my child, minister unto our sire? And is that truthful one, that performer of Rajasuya and Açwamedha, ever devoted to righteousness, king Daçarātha, well? And, my child, is that exceedingly effulgent and learned Brāhmana ever steady in morality, the priest of the Ikshwākus, duly honored? And, my child, are Kauçalyā, and Sumitrā having a son, in happiness? And is the noble Kaikeyi in spirits? And is that one, sprung from a mighty line, humble and versed in various lore, thy priest, who performeth every ceremony, who beareth no ill will, and whose gaze is ever fixed upon our welfare,—honored? And do intelligent and sincere people cognizant of the rules, look after the sacrificial fire? And do they regularly inform thee of the proper seasons for performing the fire-sacrifice? A dost thou regard the deities, the ancestral manes, the preceptors like unto predecessors, the physicians, the Brāhmanas, and the servants? And dost not disregard the preceptor Sudhanwā, versed in excellent arms whether inspired with mantras or not, and accomplished in the knowledge of polity? And, my child, hast thou employed as thy concillors, persons, heroic, learned, self-controlled, well-born, and understanding signs, who are like thy own self? O descendant of Raghu, counsel well kept by clever councillors versed in lore, is the root of victory with kings. And thou hast not come under the sway of sleep? And thou awakest at the proper hour? And dost thou during the short hours revolve the means of acquiring wealth? And thou dost not take counsel either with thyself alone, or (on the other hand) with a multiplicity of counsellors? And thy counsel doth not range the kingdom (i. e. doth not take air)? And, O descendant of Raghu, having determined upon a course costing small effort but fraught with a mighty result, thou setst about it sharply and delayest not? And do the (auxiliary) kings know only those acts of thine that have been accomplished or those that are well nigh so, and not those that thou intendest to set thine hand to? And do others through inference or appearances come at a knowledge of thy counsels, although undivulged to others by thyself or thy counsellors; and (do thou and thy ministers) attain to a knowledge of others' counsels? And passing by a thousand dunces, dost thou set thy heart on having a single wise man? In times of pecuniary stress, a wise man stands in excellent stead. And although a king might be surrounded by a thousand or ten thousand fools, yet he can count upon no assistance (at their hands). And a single able counsellor, intelligent, heroic, and sagacious, bringeth great prosperity upon a king or a prince. And, my child, dost thou employ the best servants upon the best offices, the middling upon middling, and the worst upon the worst? And dost thou employ upon the most worthy offices counsellors who are above bribery, who have served thy father and grand-father, and who are pure? And do the subjects visited with condign punishment, as well as the ministers, disregard thee, O son of Kaikeyi? And do the priests scorn thee like a fallen one, even as females do those lascivious folks who use force towards the former? He that doth not slay a physician skilled in ways and means, a servant given to enlisting the sympathies of his fellow-servants against his master, or a hero that covets riches, is slain (by them). And hast thou chosen for thy general one that is confident, is endowed with intelligence and fortitude, sprung in a respectable race, and attached and able? And dost thou practically honor thy foremost warriors possessed of prowess, who have already given evidence of their manliness? And dost thou at the proper time grant thy soldiers what thou shouldst—provision and pay; and dost not delay in doing this? If the proper time for granting provision and pay be passed, the servants get wroth with their master and tax him; and great is the evil that springs herefrom. And are the principal descendants of our race attached unto thee; and are they, when enlisted on thy side with concentrated minds, ready to lay down their lives? And, O Bharata, are thy spies persons coming from the provinces, and learned, upright, endowed with presence of mind, representing the truth, and possessed of wisdom? And dost thou acquire intelligence of the expedients, eighteen[176] in respect of others, and fifteen in respect of thy own self,—by means of every three spies appointed in connection with each of these expedients—men quite ignorant of each other's counsels? And dost thou not contemn those weak ones that, O destroyer of thy foes, having been expelled, have come again (unto thee)? And, my child, thou dost not minister unto atheistical Brāhmanas? These childish persons proud of their learning are only fit for bringing evils upon others. While there are excellent scriptures, these people of subtle intellects, having acquired a knowledge of dialectics, speak vanities. And, my child, dost thou protect the prosperous and renowned Ayodhyā, inhabited formerly by our heroic predecessors; bearing a true name; having strong gates; filled with elephants, steeds, and cars; thronged by thousands; with noble Brāhmanas, Kshatriyas and Vaiçyas breathing high spirits, and with their senses controlled, each engaged in his own task; abounding in people learned in the Veda; and surrounded with palatial mansions of various shapes? And, O descendant of Raghu, are the flourishing provinces marked with hundreds of Chaityas, filled with prosperous people, graced with abodes of deities, places for distributing water, and tanks, with men and women in happy mood, gay with meetings and festivities, having their outskirts well furrowed, provided with beasts, void of ill feelings, depending on tanks for their water supply, charming, renounced by fierce animals, free from all kinds of fear, decked with mines, left by unrighteous people, and well governed by my predecessors,— having a good time of it? And do agriculturists and cowherds find favor in thy sight? And remaining in their respective vocations, do they enjoy happiness? And dost thou maintain them by securing unto them what they wish for and removing from them what they wish away? All the dwellers in his dominions should be protected by the king. And dost thou conciliate the females; and are they well protected by thee? And dost thou not regard them; and dost thou not open unto them thy mind? And are the woods where elephants breed, kept by thee; and hast thou kine? And dost thou not foster mares and female-elephants? And dost thou show thyself daily in the court, well robed? And rising in the morning, dost thou show thyself in the high-ways? And do thy servants boldly present themselves before thee; or do they all keep away? A middle course contributes to their good fortune. And are all the forts furnished with wealth, corn, arms, water, machines, artizans, and bowmen? And are thy incomings great and outgoings slender? And, Raghu's descendant, thou dost not give away thy coffers unto the undeserving? And dost thou spend thy wealth in the interests of the deities, or the pitrtis, or the Brāhmanas who have come unto thee, or warriors, or friends? If any respectable, pure-spirited and clean person happen to be accused by some one of theft or other crimes, dost thou from covetuousness punish him without first having him tried by persons versed in scripture? And, O best of men, is a thief, that hath been caught, interrogated (as to his guilt), and found with the stolen property on his person, set free (by thy men) from motives of gain? And do thy counsellors, O descendant of Raghu, accomplished in various lore, uninfluenced by greed, consider the conduct of both the rich and the poor involved in peril? O son of the Raghu race, the tears of those who have been falsely charged with any offence, (and who have failed to obtain justice), dropping, destroy the sons as well as the beasts of the ruler that minds his own comfort only. And dost thou with these three—gifts, mind and word—try to win over aged people, boys, physicians, and the principal ones? And dost thou salute spiritual preceptors, aged persons, ascetics, gods, guests, Chaityas, emancipated ones, and Brāhmanas? And thou dost not oppose righteousness by interest, or interest by virtue, or both by desire, intent on gratifying the senses? And, O foremost of conquerors, dost thou, O thou cognisant of time, in season resorting to interest, desire, and virtue respectively, attain them, O bestower of boons? And do Brāhmanas versed in all religious lore and knowing interest, together with the citizens and the inhabitants of the provinces wish for thy happiness, O highly wise one? Atheism, untruthfulness, inattention, anger, procrastination, companionship with evil persons, indolence, gratification of the senses, consultation with a single person concerning the needs of a kingdom, taking counsel with those that are cognisant of evils alone, omission to take in hand a task that hath been decided upon, divulgence of counsel, noncommencement of a course in the morning, and marching against all the foes at one and the same time,— hast thou eschewed these ten and four faults? And, O descendant of Raghu, truly understanding the tenth,[177] fifth,[178] fourth[179] and seventh[180] classes as well as the eighth,[181] and third ones,[182] and the three kinds of learning,[183] and victory over the senses, and the evils human and superhuman, six attributes,[184] and the (peculiar) duties (of royalty), and the twenty classes,[185] and the kinds of Prakritis[186] and Mandala,[187] and Yatrā,[188] chastisement, and war and peace having each two sources; dost thou with due order observe all these? And, O wise one, dost thou, as laid down in the ordinance, take counsel, severally and in a body with three or four men? And dost thou observe the Vedas? And dost thou perceive the fruit of thy acts? And have thy wives borne children? And has thy knowledge of scripture borne fruit? And, descendant of Raghu, is thy intellect going the way that I have indicated above? This course is conducive to long life, and fame; and virtue, desire and interest. And, O child, art thou following the course that was followed by our ancestors? And art thou maintaining the conduct that is excellent and passes along pious ways? And, O son of Raghu, thou dost not alone partake of sapid meats thyself alone? And dost thou share them with those friends who expect it? The learned king ruling (all) righteously—that chastiser of the subjects—the monarch attaining duly the entire earth, going away from hence, acquires the celestial regions."