Hanuman Instructs Bhima on Dharma and Kingship

Hanuman had finished explaining why he spared Ravana. But he did not send Bhima on his way. Instead, he began to teach. "O son! Do not act out of bravery. Observe your own dharma. Abiding by your own dharma, know and follow the supreme dharma." He spoke of the difficulty of knowing what dharma truly is. Without serving the aged, even the likes of Brihaspati — the preceptor of the gods — are incapable of comprehending dharma and artha (prosperity). One must carefully discriminate among situations where that which is not dharma goes by the name of dharma, and that which is dharma goes by the name of that which is not dharma. Those who are deluded in intelligence cannot distinguish. Dharma, he said, results from conduct. The Vedas are established on dharma. Sacrifices originate from the Vedas. The gods are established in sacrifices. Even men sustain themselves through the ordinances decreed by Brihaspati and Ushanas — buying and selling, mining, trading, agriculture and animal husbandry. Everything is sustained through such vocations and dharma. Then he laid out the duties of the three varnas (social orders). For brahmanas: performing sacrifices, studying and accepting gifts. For kshatriyas: protection. For vaishyas: providing sustenance. For shudras: servitude to the other three varnas. "O Kounteya! Your dharma is that of a kshatriya. Your dharma is protection. Be humble. Control your senses and follow your own dharma." He who has consulted elders, the honest, the intelligent and the learned, and then resorts to punishment by the staff, governs well. But a decadent one suffers. When a king punishes and rewards according to what is needed, it is then that the contours of the world are properly laid out. He spoke of statecraft. Spies must constantly be used to ascertain the state of the nation, the fortifications, the forces of friends and enemies, and their conditions of prosperity and adversity. Kings possess four means that lead to success — wise counsel, valour, punishment and reward, and sagacity. Whether applied together or in isolation, sama (conciliation), dana (gifts), danda (punishment) and bheda (division) can lead to success. He warned against consulting the wrong people. In secret matters, one should not consult with a woman, with a fool, with a child, with one who is greedy, with one who is mean, or with one who is touched by insanity. One should only consult with wise ones and get tasks undertaken by those who are capable. Fools must always be avoided. Those who follow dharma must be engaged in matters related to dharma, learned ones in matters connected to artha, eunuchs in matters connected to women, and cruel ones for the performance of cruel deeds. The nature of action, what should be done and what should not be done, and the reasons behind any particular task — these should be decided on the basis of the relative strengths and weaknesses of one's enemy, as well as one's own. He concluded by telling Bhima how each varna attains heaven. Brahmanas through austerities, control of the self and oblations. Vaishyas through donations, serving guests and rituals. And kshatriyas — through protection and punishments. Without being addicted to desire and hatred, without avarice and controlling their anger, and chastising appropriately, they reach the worlds attained by the virtuous. "This is the difficult and terrible dharma that I have delineated for you. Follow this humbly, in accordance with what has been prescribed as your own dharma."