Sage Nārada, the celestial wanderer and master of wisdom, thus addressed the righteous king Dharmaja on the art of governance and the hidden science of wealth and order. “O son of Dharma,” said he, “a ruler must guard the treasury as he would the very pulse of his realm. Of the kingdom’s income, let but a fourth be spent for daily needs, and at the most a half; for any excess beyond this measure foretells a decline in the health of the exchequer. The chief of the horse-stables must be one well-versed in the noble breed of steeds, their training and temper, their customary ways upon the field, their diet, and their strength. He should himself be skilled in the craft of cavalry and in the subtleties of their care. Likewise, the keeper of royal ornaments and weapons must understand the fashioning of arms, the worth of each, and the manner of their use; he shall inspect their fitness and record with precision the stores of gold and gems, the supply and the need. He must measure the rate of their consumption and see that no want arises, for the faintest failure here may unseat a king’s very power. Only one of spotless loyalty and tireless devotion is worthy of such a charge.
“The master of elephants, too, must be of sturdy frame and disciplined mind, acquainted with the moods of those mighty beasts—their feeding and bathing, their wanderings, their health and their schooling. He should know when and how to marshal them at the call of the commander. In these and like offices, none but the faithful and steadfast may be placed, for on their justice, skill, and unfailing responsibility rests the strength of the realm. The chief of the treasury must be both keen of intellect and firm of virtue, a recorder of every coin and jewel, with separate tallies for each kind of wealth. Even the whisper of corruption in this sacred trust must be struck down without mercy, for if once a precedent of laxity is set, the stain will darken all.
“Sit thou in council daily,” continued Narada, “with scholars, ministers, princes and the captains of the army. Let no matter of the day remain unsettled; if need be, extend the sitting till all depart satisfied. Watch with vigilance the secret movements of enemy kings; let thy spies be thine eyes and thy princes thine ears. Deal with foes, within and without, with unflinching hand. When thou dispense justice, stand beyond favors or hatred, giving judgment in pure equality and in the light of present truth. For the flow of true information is the lifeblood of a kingdom; if falsehood or distortion arises, strike it as a willful crime.
“The fruits of life,” said the sage, “are appointed by the Veda: a wife for solace and the continuance of the line; righteousness for noble conduct; wealth for charity and the maintenance of sacred rites, that the fires of the Vedas may never fail. Therefore, let thy fortresses be ever stored with rice and grain, pulses and ghee, bows and arrows, weapons and warriors, cattle and grass, salt and spices, tamarind and drinks, water and firewood, and let the walls be strongly guarded. Beware the pride of strength and the pride of wealth; beware the whisperers of slander, the stirrers of war, the frivolous and wanton princes; such men may be allies or enemies, but ever to be suspected. When the time comes to conquer, use first the fourfold path of statecraft—conciliation, the gift, the sowing of dissension, and, at the last, the force of arms; and measure each step before advancing to the next. Hold no counsel with those given to atheism, falsehood, idleness or folly; entrust no charge to the over-anxious, the indolent, the slow of understanding, or those who cannot keep a secret or walk in piety. Cast away the fourteen royal faults: lust of sense, slackness of spirit, delay of duty, and all that follows in their train.
“Thus, should a king reign.” Dharmaja, bowing low, replied, “O divine sage, as far as lies in my power, I will shun the crooked path and walk by thy counsel and the examples of the mighty kings of old. But tell me, thou who hast roamed the worlds—hast thou anywhere beheld a marvel like this hall of Maya?” And he showed Narada the enchanted Sabha, with all its wondrous corners.
The sage gazed in awe. “O son of Dharma,” he said, “this hall is without peer—transcendent, decked with gem-like pictures such as mortal eye has never seen. I have wandered through the palaces of Indra, of Yama, of Varuna and of Kubera, and even in those celestial abodes there is naught to surpass this Maya-sabha. Yet hear me while I tell of those divine dwellings. The house of mighty Indra shines with a splendour beyond imagining; its wealth of sculpture and painting defies the praise of a thousand tongues of the serpent Adiśeṣa. Its halls stretch without end; its height is beyond measure; it rides the sky immune to heat and cold and rain. Trees of unending bloom bear fruit in every season. Indra himself, by the force of his penance, built it, and there he dwells adorned in glory with Sachi, his queen, visited by gods and heavenly nymphs, worshipped by warriors of eternal youth, by the keepers of truth, by kings who have won the higher worlds. Brihaspati and Śukra, Agni and Chandra, the twin Aśvins, the Viśvadevas, Dhata, Manmatha, Harichara the royal sage—all move within those radiant halls.
“The mansion of Yama, Lord of Justice, gleams with gold and gems, built by the craft of Viśvakarma. Vast as the horizon, it may appear wherever Yama wills. There dwell the seers Agastya and Matanga, the silent perfected ones, and kings of spotless virtue—Kritavirya, Janamejaya, Janaka, and many another. Thy father Pandu too abides there, with rajarshis who serve the Judge of all deeds.
“The house of Varuna, lord of the waters, is famed through the three worlds; its walls are bright as milk-white pearl, its gems twinkle like waves in moonlight. There Varuna dwells with his queen Varunani, served by the four oceans, by the sacred rivers Kalindi, Narmada, Godavari and Kaveri, by streams and mountains, and the earth herself in divine form. There also wait upon him the serpent kings Vasuki and Airavata, and among the daityas and danavas—Prahlada and Virochana, Bali and Naraka, Namuchi and Viprachitti, Kalakanta, Kaitabha, Ghatodara, Dasagreeva, Viswarupa, and Virupaksha.
“Kubera’s palace rivals the Sabha of Indra. Built by his own unfailing power, it glows with rarest gems, its golden trees and silver-crested vines shining like lightning in the sky. There Kubera sits amidst perfumes of celestial flowers, attended by Yakshas and Kinneras—Nalakubara, Urvasi, Tilottama and the heavenly nymphs—while Lord Śiva himself, friend of Kubera and master of the universe, is often present with his hosts.
“Thus,” said Nārada, his voice flowing like the music of the spheres, “are the dwellings of the gods and the gathering-places of sages, hermits and royal seers, the luminous abodes of virtue and cosmic power.”
