Vedic Wisdom Talks

The Power to lead with responsibility! Maharaj Yudhisthira asked Bhisma: Dear Grandfather, how is it that the king became known as nara-deva (earthly god)? In reply Bhima related the following conversation that took place long ago between Vasumän, the King of Kosala, and Brhaspati. After circumambulating Brhaspati and bowing down before him, Vasumãn inquired: O Preceptor of the demigods, by what means can human society become very prosperous and happy? Brhaspati replied: The root of the performance of all kinds of duties is the king. It is only due to fear of the king that the citizens do not devour one another. In the animal kingdom it is seen that the different species eat one another, according to their natural inclinations. They fight with each other over food and females simply on the basis of brute strength. Similarly, if it were not restrained by a king, human society would be dominated by the strong, because the more powerful would take by force whatever they liked from the...

An Acarya! Bhisma said to Yudhisthira: My dear King, when a Kshatriya strictly executes his duties, he is rewarded with the goals of life that are attainable by members of all other Varnas & ashramas. For example, the merit earned by a king who protects his subjects is equal to that obtained by performing as many sacrifices as persons he has protected. You should not hesitate to take responsibility for ruling the world. The merit that a king earns simply by protecting his subjects is 100 times more than which is attained by ascetics living in their forest asramas   In this regard Bhisma related an ancient history: Once, long ago, anarchy prevailed over the earth, so that the stronger devoured the weaker, just like fish in the ocean. The condition of life was so wretched that even thieves could not enjoy their stolen wealth, fearing that another band of plunderers might snatch it. Finally, a great number of men assembled & worked out a system whereby they hoped to atta...

The Social Order! Maharaj Yudhisthira asked Bhisma: Dear grandfather, pls describe me in detail the duties of a Kshatriya & also explain the activities of other three orders as well   Bhisma replied: There are 9 qualities to be cultivated by all four social orders–suppression of anger, truthfulness, justice, forgiveness, begetting children only with one’s wedded wife, cleanliness, avoiding quarrels, simplicity & maintenance of one’s dependents   The foremost duty of a brahmana is to control his senses. If he does that, even if he does nothing else but study the Vedas, he is to be considered qualified & the best friend of all living entities. But if, due to pride of learning, a brahmana tries to use his acquired knowledge to destroy the good reputation of another, he becomes fallen & cannot achieve a high destination after death   If a king simply protects his subjects, he is considered to have fulfilled his duties as a Kshatriya. The primary ...

Why is a King needed? Bhisma asked Yudhisthira if he wanted to enquire further. Yudhisthira asked: How is it that one man becomes the emperor of the world & rules innumerable other men? Actually, there is no difference between the ruler and the ruled, because both of them have the same kind of arms, legs, brain, hair, aspirations and so on Bhisma replied: Dear son, during initial Satya yuga there was no government, no king, no chastiser & no chastised. Everyone lived righteously & protected one another so that there was no need for institutionalized government. Then in the course of time, conditions deteriorated as man’s perceptions and understanding became clouded Virtue began to wane as people became greedier for material possessions. Due to an increase in the influence of the Rajo-guna (the mode of passion), people became very lusty & concomitantly, anger also became prominent. Due to anger people gradually lost all conception of what should be done & w...

A King’s duty! Bhisma further continued to lecture Yudhisthira: A King should be careful not to make the slightest distinction between his confidential servants & himself in terms of facilities, treatment, or objects of enjoyment, with the exception of the use of the royal umbrella and the possession of the power to order others A King should be so straightforward that he deals with his men in the same way behind their backs as when they are in his presence. A King that is always suspicious of others & who taxes his citizens too heavily, soon meets with destruction A Kind should not be overly proud & thus indulge in boasting. Once having started a project, he should diligently continue working on it until its completion. The best king is the one in whose kingdom the citizens live without fear & without need of hiding their wealth. The subjects of an ideal king know very well the distinction between right and wrong, and they are very attentive in the matter of ...

Softer than rose & harder than a thunderbolt! Bhisma said to Maharaja Yudhisthira: To follow the vow of truthfulness is the next great qualification of a king, for nothing else can inspire the citizens to have confidence in him. Indeed, simply by adhering to truthfulness of speech, one becomes very eloquent & achieves tangible fame A king should be humble & should exhibit good behaviour. His passions should be subdued & he should not be too meddlesome. A king should be very straightforward in his dealings, but he should be very careful to conceal his weaknesses. If a king is too mild, people will treat him very casually. On the other hand, if he is too fierce, the citizens will be put into unnecessary anxiety   The most valuable assets of a king are his properly selected servants & the respect and spontaneous service attitude of his subjects. Therefore, the citizens should always be dealt with fairly & compassionately, although if a king is too mil...