CHAPTER THE SEVENTH.

On Government, and Publick Law; or, on the Military Class.

1. ‘I WILL fully declare the duty of kings; and 'fhow how a ruler of men fhould conduct him

felf, in what manner he was framed, and how his ultimate reward may be attained by him.

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2. By a man of the military class, who has ' received in due form the investiture, which the • Véda prescribes, great care must be used to 'maintain the whole affemblage of laws."

3. 'Since, if the world had no king, it would quake on all fides through fear, the ruler of this universe, therefore, created a king, for the maintenance of this fyftem, both religious and civil,

4. Forming him of eternal particles drawn 'from the fubftance of INDRA, PAVANA, YAMA, SURYA, of AGNI and VARUNA, of 'CHANDRA and CUVE'RA:

5. And fince a king was compofed of par'ticles drawn from thofe chief guardian deities, he confequently furpaffes all mortals in glory.

6. Like the fun, he burns eyes and hearts; human creature on earth even gaze

6 nor can any • on him.

7. He is fire and air; he, both fun and moon; he, the god of criminal juftice; he, the genius ' of wealth; he, the regent of waters; he, the lord of the firmament.

8. A king, even though a child, must not 'be treated lightly, from an idea that he is a 'mere mortal: no; he is a powerful divinity, 'who appears in a human shape.

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9. Fire burns only one perfon, who carelessly

goes too near it; but the fire of a king in wrath 'burns a whole family, with all their cattle and goods. 10.

Fully confidering the business before ' him, his own force, and the place, and the time, 'he affumes in fucceffion all forts of forms, for the fake of advancing justice.

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11. He, fure, must be the perfect effence of majefty, by whose favour Abundance rises on ' her lotos, in whofe valour dwells conqueft; in 'whofe anger, death.

12. He, who fhows hatred of the king; through delufion of mind, will certainly perish; for speedily will the king apply his heart to 'that man's perdition.

13.

LET the king prepare a juft compenfa'tion for the good, and a just punishment for the

bad: the rule of strict justice let him never tranfgrefs.

14. For his use BRAHMA' formed in the beginning of time the genius of punishment, with a body of pure light, his own fon, even abstract • criminal justice, the protector of all created things:

15. Through fear of that genius all sentient beings, whether fixed or locomotive, are fitted for natural enjoyments and fwerve not from • duty.

16. When the king, therefore, has fully confidered place and time, and his own strength, ⚫ and the divine ordinance, let him justly inflict punishment on all those, who act unjustly.

17. ' Punishment is an active ruler; he is the true manager of publick affairs; he is the dif penfer of laws; and wife men call him the fponfor of all the four orders for the discharge of their several duties.

18.. Punishment governs all mankind; punifhment alone preferves them; punishment wakes, while their guards are asleep; the wife confider punishment as the perfection of justice. 19. When rightly and confiderately inflicted, it makes all the people happy; but, inflicted 'without full confideration, it wholly destroys them all.

20. If the king were not, without indolence,

to punish the guilty, the ftronger would roaft • the weaker, like fifh, on a fpit; (or, according 'to one reading, the ftronger would opprefs the 'weaker, like fish in their element;)

21. 'The crow would peck the confecrated offering of rice; the dog would lick the clarified 'butter; ownership would remain with none; 'the loweft would overfet the highest.

22. The whole race of men is kept in order 'by punishment; for a guiltlefs man is hard to 'be found: through fear of punishment, indeed, this universe is enabled to enjoy its bleffings;

23. Deities and demons, heavenly songsters ⚫ and cruel giants, birds and ferpents, are made capable, by just correction, of their several en'joyments.

24.. All claffes would become corrupt; all barriers would be deftroyed, there would be 'total confufion among men, if punishment ' either were not inflicted, or were inflicted unduly:

25. But where punishment, with a black hue and a red eye, advances to destroy fin, 'there, if the judge difcern well, the people are • undisturbed.

26. 'Holy fages confider as a fit dispenser of 'criminal justice, that king, who invariably fpeaks truth, who duly confiders all cafes, 'who understands the facred books, who knows 'the distinctions of virtue, pleasure, and riches;

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27. 'Such a king, if he justly inflict legal punishments, greatly increases those three means ‹ of happiness; but punishment itself shall destroy a king, who is crafty, voluptuous, and • wrathful:

28. Criminal justice, the bright effence of majefty, and hard to be supported by men with unimproved minds, eradicates a king, who 'fwerves from his duty, together with all his

'race:

29.

'Punishment fhall overtake his caftles, ' his territories, his peopled land with all fixed ' and all moveable things, that exift on it: even the gods and the fages, who lofe their oblations,

⚫ will be afflicted and ascend to the sky.

30. ‘Just punishment cannot be inflicted by an ignorant and covetous king, who has no wife and virtuous affiftant, whofe understand'ing has not been improved, and whose heart is • addicted to fenfuality:

31. 'By a king, wholly pure, faithful to his 'promise, observant of the fcriptures, with good 'affiftants and found understanding, may punishment be justly inflicted.

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32. Let him in his own domains act with justice, chaftife foreign foes with rigour, behave without duplicity to his affectionate 'friends, and with lenity to Bráhmens.

33. "Of a king thus difpofed, even though he fubfift by gleaning, or, be his treasure ever