नाट्यशास्त्रम् (प्रथम भाग - अभिनवभारती एवं हिन्दी टीका सहित)

536 THE NATYASASTRA [ XXXIV. 78-

(sabhāstāra)³. I shall speak of their characteristics, please listen about them.

The king

78-82. A king should be [physically] strong, intelligent, truthful, master of the senses, clever, eloquent, high-minded, honest, far-sighted, greatly energetic, grateful, sweet-tongued, skillful; and he should take a vow of proctecting his subjects and must know how to divide duties [amongst his officers]; and he should be always ready to act, alert, advanced in age and be an adept in the Smṛti and the Arthaśāstra literature, expert in detecting enemy’s weakness and the must understand one’s mind from his appearance, he should be magnanimous, well-protected, capable of taking logical view of anything, and a patron of various arts and crafts, and an expert in the Nīti literature.

The leader of the army

82-83. One who is truthful and possesses a good character, is always active (lit. has given up idleness), sweet-tongued, knows the rules regarding the weakness of the enemy, and the proper time for marching against him, has a knowledge of the Arthaśāstra and everything about wealth, is devoted [to the king], honoured in the society and has a knowledge of the time and place, should be made the leader of the army (senāpati)¹.

Councillors

84-85. Those who are intelligent, full of policy, heroic, sweet in speech, well-versed in the Arthaśāstra, attached to the subjects [of the king] and are followers of laws (dharma) should be appointed Councillors (amātya) by the king¹.

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³ Read sabhāstārāḥ, K. for mānyā jñeyā, C.

78-82 (C.69b-73a). ¹ K. XXIV.62-66 seems to read the passage with some significant variation. On this see the Introduction.

82-83 (C.XXIV.67-68). ¹ The def. of the chaplain (purodhas) and the minister (mantrin) expected here seems to be lost. See above 76-77 note.

84-85 (C.73b-74). ¹ (K.XXIV.69-70a) reads the passage differently and in trans, it will be as follows: The councillors (amātya) and the ministers (mantrin) are to be characterised by the [following] qualities: they should besides being follow-countrymen [of the king] and devoted [to him], high-born, intelligent, honest, virtuous and well-versed in the Vedas (śruti) as well as in polity.