Association & delegation!

Bhisma said to Maharaj Yudhisthira: There are 4 kinds of sympathetic persons that the king can employ to assist him-those related by birth, those having same objectives, those naturally devoted to him, and those that have been won over by kind behavior & gifts. There is also fifth class of sympathizers. He is the virtuous person that is naturally inclined to act for the cause of righteousness. Such persons should only be utilized for virtuous undertakings, however, for they will never cooperate in the execution of the unrighteous dealings that kings are often forced to engage in


Of the other four, those who are naturally devoted & those that are related by birth can be trusted more, whereas those who share common goal & those that are won over by gifts must always be regarded by suspicion. The minds of men are always subject to change. At any time, a friend can become an enemy & vice versa. For this reason, no one should be completely trusted. At the same time, one should not be overly suspicious. Every sympathizer must be simultaneously trusted & mistrusted


A king should always carefully watch his friends, and certain delicate matters should be done by him personally. If a person is seen to be genuinely pleased when a king is glorified & truly miserable when he meets with defeat, he can be understood to be a real friend. If a person is in a position where he would be ruined if the king met with destruction, then he can be highly trusted. A king should assign each particular task to one person & not more, because people will always disagree with one another


The best qualities to be found in a friend are intelligence, good memory, nonviolence, freedom from anger, indifference to blame & praise, and expertise in business transactions. Such persons should appointed as one’s ministers. Relatives should be feared as much as death itself, for they cannot bear to see one’s prosperity. On the other hand, kinsmen are great refuge when outsider’s attack, for they consider this to be a personal affront. Thus, one should carefully honor relatives, but at the same time regard them with healthy mistrust


Indra had once asked Brihaspati: My dear Preceptor, what should one do to become well-liked by everyone?


Brihaspati replied: Pleasing speech is the one practice that endears a person to all others. One who speaks rudely or harshly becomes an object of hatred, whereas a man that greets others with a smiling face & agreeable words pleases everyone. Even gifts, if they are not accompanied by a pleasing speech, are not gratifying to the receiver


Sri Krsna has said that after the departure of Bhisma, much knowledge will be lost to the people of earth. We should all take these words of wisdom seriously. These instructions are filled with such great wisdom both for our personal & professional lives. We should assimilate these wonderful instructions again & again and be wise in our daily interactions

 

Thoughts? #gameoflife

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