in view.  One should always mistrust that person who would, upon one’s desire, obtain one’s wealth.  The wise declare such a person to be one’s enemy.  A person whose joy knows no bounds upon beholding the aggrandisement of the king and who feels miserable upon seeing the king’s decay, furnishes the indications of one of the best friends of the king.  He whose fall would be brought about by thy fall, should be trusted by thee completely even as thou shouldst trust thy sire.  Thou shouldst, to the best of thy power, aggrandise him as thou winnest aggrandisement for thyself.  One who, in even thy religious rites, seeks to rescue thee from harm, would seek to rescue thee from harm’s way in every other business.  Such a one should be regarded as thy best friend.  They, on the other hand, that wish one harm are one’s foes.  That friend is said to be like thy own self who is inspired with fear when calamity overtakes thee and with joy when prosperity shines on thee.  A person possessed of beauty, fair complexion, excellent voice, liberality, benevolence, and good birth, cannot be such a friend.  That person who is possessed of intelligence and memory, who is clever in the transaction of business, who is naturally averse from cruelty, who never indulges in wrath, and who, whether regarded or disregarded is never dissatisfied, be he thy priest or preceptor or honoured friend should always receive thy worship if he accepts the office of thy counsellor and resides in thy abode.  Such a person may be informed of thy most secret counsels and the true state of all thy affairs religious or pertaining to matters of profit.  Thou mayst confide in him as in thy own sire.  One person should be appointed to one task, and not two or three.  Those may not tolerate each other.  It is always seen that several persons, if set to one task, disagree with one another.  That person who achieves celebrity, who observes all restraints, who never feels jealous of others that are able and competent, who never does any evil act, who never abandons righteousness from lust or fear or covetousness or wrath, who is clever in the transaction of business, and who is possessed of wise and weighty speech, should be thy foremost of ministers.  Persons possessed of good birth and good behaviour, who are liberal and who never indulge in brag, who are brave and respectable, and learned and full of resources, should be appointed as ministers for supervising all thy affairs.  Honoured by thee and gratified with wealth, they would act for thy good and be of great help to thee.  Appointed to offices connected with profit and other important matters they always bring about great prosperity.  Moved by a feeling of healthy rivalry, they discharge all duties connected with profit, holding consultations with one another when necessary.  Thou shouldst fear thy kinsmen as thou shouldst death itself.  A kinsman can never bear a kinsman’s prosperity even as a feudatory chief cannot bear to see the prosperity of