The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa (4 vols., libros 1–18) · 3 · 86

389. i.e., by ingenious contrivances a king may succeed in filling his treasury, or his best ingenuity and calculations may fail.

390. i.e., with a pure heart.

391. i.e., when the season of distress is over.

392. i.e., under ordinary situations of circumstances.

393. i.e., he should perform expiations and do good to them whom he has injured, so that these may not remain discontented with him.

394. He should not seek to rescue the merit of other or of himself, i.e., he should not, at such times, refrain from any act that may injure his own merit or that of others; in other words, he may disregard all considerations about the religious merits of others and of himself His sole concern at such a time should be to save himself, that is, his life.

395. Sankhalikhitam, i.e., that which is written on the forehead by the Ordainer.

396. Literally, "cause to be removed."

397. The army and the criminal courts.

398. The commentator explains it in the following way. The ordinary texts, without exceptions of any kind, laid down for seasons of distress, permit a king to fill his treasury by levying heavy contributions on both his own subjects and those of hostile kingdoms. An ordinary king, at such a time, acts in this way. A king, however, that is endued with intelligence, while levying such contributions, takes care to levy them upon those that are wicked and punishable among his own subjects and among the subjects of other kingdoms, and refrains from molesting the good. Compare the conduct of Warren Hastings in exacting a heavy tribute, when his own treasury was empty, from Cheyt Singh, whose unfriendliness for the British power was a matter of notoriety.

399. The sense seems to be that there are persons who hold that priests and Brahmanas should never be punished or taxed. This is the eternal usage, and, therefore, this is morality. Others who approve of the conduct of Sankha towards his brother Likhita on the occasion of the latter's appropriating a few fruits belonging to the former, are of a different opinion. The latter class of persons Bhishma says, are as sincere as the former in their opinion. They cannot be blamed for holding that even priests and Brahmanas may be punished when offending.

400. Duty depending on all the four foundations, i.e., as laid down in the Vedas; as laid down in the Smritis; as sanctioned by ancient usages and customs; and as approved by the heart or one's own conscience.

401. i.e., yield with ease.

402. Grammatically, the last line may mean,—'The very robbers dread a king destitute of compassion.'

403. Their wives and children ought to be saved, and their habitations and wearing apparel and domestic utensils, etc., should not be destroyed.

404. i.e., 'he that has wealth and forces.'

405. The sense seems to be that a poor man can have only a little of all earthly things. That little, however, is like the remnant of a strong man's dinner.

406. It is always reproachful to accept gifts from persons of questionable character.

407. The king should similarly, by punishing the wicked, cherish the good.

408. The sense seems to be that sacrifice proceeds more from an internal desire than from a large sum of money lying in the treasury. If the desire exists, money comes gradually for accomplishing it. The force of the simile consists in the fact that ants (probably white ants) are seen to gather and multiply from no ostensible cause.

409. The meaning is that as regards good men, they become friends in no time. By taking only seven steps in a walk together, two such men become friends.

410. Virtue prolongs life, and sin and wickedness always shorten it. This is laid down almost everywhere in the Hindu scriptures.

411. i.e., if ex-casted for irreligious practices.

412. The correct reading is Jatakilwishat.

413. The sense, of course, is that such a man, when filled with fear, becomes unable to ward off his dangers and calamities. Prudence requires that one should fear as long as the cause of fear is not at hand. When, however, that cause has actually presented itself, one should put forth one's courage.

414. The hostility between Krishna and Sisupala was due to the first of these causes; that between the Kurus and the Pandavas to the second; that between Drona and Drupada to the third; that between the cat and the mouse to the fourth; and that between the bird and the king (in the present story) to the fifth.

415. The sense seems to be that the act which has led to the hostility should be calmly considered by the enemy before he gives way to anger.

416. If it is Time that does all acts, there can be no individual responsibility.

417. i.e., they are indifferent to other people's sorrow.

418. Honey-seekers direct their steps through hill and dale by marking intently the course of the flight of bees. Hence they meet with frequent falls.