A wise king, intent on righteous rule and the welfare of his realm, must carefully appoint the officers who serve him. Tireless and skilled, the master of elephants should be adept in their ways, while the superintendent of horses must possess both expertise and understanding of their care. The superintendent of forts should be both beneficial and wise, and the chief architect must excel in the art of construction. Those entrusted with the kingdom’s defenses must be skilled in machines, proficient in both armed and unarmed combat, and able to teach the arts of war. The weapons master, especially, should be an expert in battle, ever loyal and advantageous to the king. Within the palace, the superintendent of the inner apartments should be an elderly person, and the women serving there ought to be at least fifty years of age. Men up to the age of seventy may be employed in all duties, their experience valued. In the armory, a vigilant person must always be stationed. After discerning the character and abilities of each, the king must assign duties accordingly, distinguishing the best, the worst, and those of middling quality. The king should appoint his servants to superior, intermediate, and lesser tasks as appropriate, always seeking to secure loyal allies in his quest to rule the earth. The righteous should be given righteous duties, the brave entrusted with the tasks of battle, the skilled assigned to matters of wealth, and the pure to all such responsibilities. Among women, eunuchs should be appointed to suitable roles; those who are harsh should be set to harsh tasks. Wherever a man’s purity is known to the king, he should be placed accordingly. In matters of righteousness, wealth, and desire, those of lower merit should be assigned lesser tasks, and the king should test his servants with stratagems before making appointments. With his ministers, and in accordance with justice, he should appoint those who dwell in forests and those who handle elephants, setting diligent overseers to track their movements. Each person should be assigned to the task that suits his skill, and hereditary servants should be employed in all duties. Whether a servant is wicked or not, the king should be cautious, taking refuge in their abilities but never placing trust in the wicked, keeping their conduct under control. Those who come from other lands should be honored only after being thoroughly investigated by spies, for enemies may come in many forms—fire, poison, serpents, and swords. Unfaithful and bad servants must be recognized in the same way; the king should always employ spies as his eyes. Among the people, those who act improperly or are unknown to each other, merchants skilled in counsel, and physicians who have practiced for a year, as well as those who appear as ascetics and discern strength and weakness, should not be trusted immediately. The king should never trust just one person, but rather, he should trust those who speak much and whose words are proven. He must discern the attachments and aversions of his servants, and the virtues and faults of his people, knowing both the good and the bad, so that each may be placed appropriately. Actions that inspire affection should be performed, and those that cause aversion should be abandoned. By winning the people’s affection, the king attains prosperity through their delight. Puṣkara teaches that a servant should carry out the king’s commands with the devotion of a disciple, always speaking what is agreeable and pleasing, and never disregarding the king’s word. What is unpleasant but beneficial should be spoken to the king privately. A servant should not take the king’s wealth without order, nor neglect the king’s honor. A servant must never act in a way unbefitting the king, nor use vulgar speech or gestures. The superintendent of the inner apartments should not associate with those who are hostile. Servants should not form close associations, must keep the king’s secrets, and should always display skill and distinguish themselves before the king. Whatever secret the king has revealed should never be disclosed, and when ordered about something else, the servant should simply ask, “What shall I do?” He should not enter a door unbidden, nor go to places unfit for the king’s sight. Deceit, greed, slander, atheism, and baseness must be avoided, and frivolity abandoned. Instead, one should unite with learning, knowledge, and skill. The king’s beloved ministers should always be shown respect, as if they were one’s own sons. Yet, a servant should not place full trust in the king’s counselors, but rather act in a way that pleases the king. The disaffected should be shunned, and one’s livelihood sought from those favored by the king. Without being asked, a servant should not speak, but in emergencies, may act as needed. When the king is pleased, the servant should be careful with his words, and in private, should not be suspicious. When the king inquires after his welfare and offers him a seat, the servant is emboldened and rejoices even in difficult matters. He accepts even a small gift and remembers it gratefully, avoiding service to others, for this is the conduct of one favored by the king. Puṣkara further describes the acquisition of fortresses. A king should dwell in a fortified region, one primarily inhabited by Vaiśyas and Śūdras, and not easily accessible to outsiders. Such a region is praised when it contains some Brāhmaṇas, many workers of pure descent, devoted to service, and abundant in water. It should not be accessible to enemy armies, nor troubled by wild beasts or thieves. Of the six types of fortresses—a fortress of bows, earth, men, trees, water, or mountains—the powerful king should build and dwell in one. Among these, the mountain fortress is the best, unassailable and able to break others. The finest fortress has a town, market, shrines, and other such places, equipped with machines and weapons, and supplied with water. For the king’s protection, especially against poison, the fivefold antidote is recommended: śirīṣa, mūtrapiṣṭa, and vipārddana, as well as śatāvarī, chinnaruhā, viṣaghnī, taṇḍulīyaka, koṣātakī, kalhārī, brāhmī, citrapaṭolikā, mandukaparni, varāhī, dhātrī, ānanda, unmadinī, somarāji, viṣaghna, and ratna. Dwelling in a fortress adorned with auspicious marks, the king should worship the gods, protect his people, subdue the wicked, and ensure that gifts are given, thus upholding dharma and securing the prosperity of his realm.