138.1 Kanika speaks
Thus addressed by the king, Kanika freely answered him in these pointed words well-agreeing with the import of political science.
"Listen to me, O sinless king, as I answer you. It behoveth you not to be angry with me after hearing all I say. Kings should ever be ready with uplifted maces to strike when necessary, and they should ever increase their prowess. Carefully avoiding all faults themselves they should ceaselessly watch over the faults of their foes and take advantage of them. If the king is always ready to strike, everybody fears him. Therefore the king should ever have recourse to chastisement in all he does. He should so conduct himself that, his foe may not detect any weak side in him. But by means of the weakness he detects in his foe he should pursue him to destruction. He should always conceal, like the tortoise concealing its body, his means and ends, and he should always keep back his own weakness from, the sight of others. And having begun a particular act, he should ever accomplish it thoroughly. Behold, a thorn, if not extracted wholly, produceth a festering sore. The slaughter of a foe who does you evil is always praiseworth your. If the foe be one of great prowess, one should always watch for the hour of his disaster and then kill him without any scruples. If he should happen to be a great warrior, his hour of disaster also should be watched and he should then be induced to fly. O sire, an enemy should never be scorned, however contemptible. A spark of fire is capable of consuming an extensive forest if only it can spread from one object to another in proximity. Kings should sometimes feign blindness and deafness, for if impotent to chastise, they should pretend not to notice the faults that call for chastisement. On occasions, such as these, let them regard their bows as made of straw. But they should be always on the alert like a herd of deer sleeping in the woods. When your foe is in your power, destroy him by every means open or secret. Do not show him any mercy, although he seeks your protection. A foe, or one that has once injured thee, should be destroyed by lavishing money, if necessary, for by killing him you may be at your ease. The dead can never inspire fear. You must destroy the three, five and seven resources of your foes. You must destroy your foes root and branch. Then you should destroy their allies and partisans. The allies and partisans can never exist if the principal be destroyed. If the root of the tree is torn up, the branches and twigs can never exist as before. Carefully concealing your own means and ends, you should always watch your foes, always seeking their flaws. You should, O king, rule your kingdom, always anxiously watching your foes. By maintaining the perpetual fire by sacrifices, by brown cloths, by matted locks, and by hides of animals for your bedding, should you at first gain the confidence of your foes, and when you has gained it you should then spring upon them like a wolf. For it has been said that in the acquisition of wealth even the garb of holiness might be employed as a hooked staff to bend down a branch in order to pluck the fruits that are ripe. The method followed in the plucking of fruits should be the method in destroying foes, for you should proceed on the principle of selection. Bear your foe upon your shoulders till the time comes when you can throw him down, breaking him into pieces like an earthen pot thrown down with violence upon a stony surface. The foe must never be let off even though he addresses you most piteously. No pity should you show him but slay him at once. By the arts of conciliation or the expenditure of money should the foe be slain. By creating disunion amongst his allies, or by the employment of force, indeed by every means in your power should you destroy your foe.'
Dhritarashtra said, 'Tell me truly how a foe can be destroyed by the arts of conciliation or the expenditure of money, or by producing disunion or by the employment of force.'
"Listen to me, O sinless king, as I answer you. It behoveth you not to be angry with me after hearing all I say. Kings should ever be ready with uplifted maces to strike when necessary, and they should ever increase their prowess. Carefully avoiding all faults themselves they should ceaselessly watch over the faults of their foes and take advantage of them. If the king is always ready to strike, everybody fears him. Therefore the king should ever have recourse to chastisement in all he does. He should so conduct himself that, his foe may not detect any weak side in him. But by means of the weakness he detects in his foe he should pursue him to destruction. He should always conceal, like the tortoise concealing its body, his means and ends, and he should always keep back his own weakness from, the sight of others. And having begun a particular act, he should ever accomplish it thoroughly. Behold, a thorn, if not extracted wholly, produceth a festering sore. The slaughter of a foe who does you evil is always praiseworth your. If the foe be one of great prowess, one should always watch for the hour of his disaster and then kill him without any scruples. If he should happen to be a great warrior, his hour of disaster also should be watched and he should then be induced to fly. O sire, an enemy should never be scorned, however contemptible. A spark of fire is capable of consuming an extensive forest if only it can spread from one object to another in proximity. Kings should sometimes feign blindness and deafness, for if impotent to chastise, they should pretend not to notice the faults that call for chastisement. On occasions, such as these, let them regard their bows as made of straw. But they should be always on the alert like a herd of deer sleeping in the woods. When your foe is in your power, destroy him by every means open or secret. Do not show him any mercy, although he seeks your protection. A foe, or one that has once injured thee, should be destroyed by lavishing money, if necessary, for by killing him you may be at your ease. The dead can never inspire fear. You must destroy the three, five and seven resources of your foes. You must destroy your foes root and branch. Then you should destroy their allies and partisans. The allies and partisans can never exist if the principal be destroyed. If the root of the tree is torn up, the branches and twigs can never exist as before. Carefully concealing your own means and ends, you should always watch your foes, always seeking their flaws. You should, O king, rule your kingdom, always anxiously watching your foes. By maintaining the perpetual fire by sacrifices, by brown cloths, by matted locks, and by hides of animals for your bedding, should you at first gain the confidence of your foes, and when you has gained it you should then spring upon them like a wolf. For it has been said that in the acquisition of wealth even the garb of holiness might be employed as a hooked staff to bend down a branch in order to pluck the fruits that are ripe. The method followed in the plucking of fruits should be the method in destroying foes, for you should proceed on the principle of selection. Bear your foe upon your shoulders till the time comes when you can throw him down, breaking him into pieces like an earthen pot thrown down with violence upon a stony surface. The foe must never be let off even though he addresses you most piteously. No pity should you show him but slay him at once. By the arts of conciliation or the expenditure of money should the foe be slain. By creating disunion amongst his allies, or by the employment of force, indeed by every means in your power should you destroy your foe.'
Dhritarashtra said, 'Tell me truly how a foe can be destroyed by the arts of conciliation or the expenditure of money, or by producing disunion or by the employment of force.'