264. i.e., they who have to undergo such privations in carrying on their useful occupation should not be taxed heavily.

265.  The correct reading is bharanti.  Taranti also may give the same meaning.  K. P. Singh has erroneously rendered the second line.

266. i.e., goes to heaven.

267.  Bhishma says that this discourse is very old.  Probably this verse has reference to the writer’s idea of the motives that impelled the Rishis of Brahmavarta when they devised for their Indian colony the kingly form of government.

268.  This verse gives the etymology of the word Rajan and Vrishala.  He in whom righteousness, shines (rajate) is a Rajan; and he in whom righteousness, called Vrisha, disappear, is a Vrishala.  Vide next verse.

269.  The address Bharatarshabha is misplaced, seeing that it is Utathya who is speaking and Mandhatri who is listening.  The sense of the verse is that it is the king who causes the age, for if he acts righteously, the age that sets in is Krita; if, on the other hand, he acts sinfully, he causes the Kali age to set in; etc. etc.

270.  He who protects Weakness wins heaven, while he who persecutes it goes to bell.  Weakness, thus, is a great thing.  Its power, so to say, is such that it can lead to heaven and hell everyone with whom it may come into contact.

271.  The keeper of a cow has to wait, till it calves, for milk.

272.  The sense is, I suppose, that if the king be overtaken by destruction, his officers also do not escape.

273.  Rajnah, Nilakantha thinks, is an accusative plural.

274.  Some texts read Saranikan, meaning traders that make journeys and voyages.

275.  The king is God (incarnate) unto all righteous men, because they may expect everything from him.  As regards the second line, the meaning depends upon bharati, which as the commentator explains means, “obtains affluence or prosperity.”  For Patukah some texts read Pavakah.  The meaning then would be “becomes as a fire,” i.e., destroys his own roots, or, probably, becomes destructive to others.”

276.  K.P.  Singh, I think, translates this verse erroneously.  The Burdwan version is correct.  The speaker, in this verse, desires to illustrate the force of righteous conduct.  Transcribers’ note:  There was no corresponding footnote reference in the text, so I have assigned this footnote to an arbitrary location on the page—­JBH.

277.  Teshu i.e., unto the ministers already spoken of.

278.  The sense of the passage is that the king should not ride vicious elephants and horses, should guard himself against poisonous reptiles and the arts of women, and should take particular care while ascending mountains or entering inaccessible regions such as forests and woody valleys.

279.  The sense is that although it is laid down that kings should fight with those only that are of the kingly order, yet when the Kshatriyas do not arm themselves for resisting an invader, or other orders may fight for putting down those that so arm themselves against the kings.