In the world, harsh words bring only distress and serve no meaningful purpose. For a king, punishment that is not properly applied or lacks due process leads to his own downfall. If a ruler becomes harsh and excessive in his punishments, he unsettles all beings under his care. When people are disturbed in this way, they naturally seek protection from the king’s enemies, turning away from their own sovereign. As these enemies gather strength from the discontented, destruction soon follows. In such times, it is right to abandon those who are corrupt for the sake of the greater good. The wise, well-versed in the principles of governance, recognize that the corruption of wealth is a vice. They know that drinking leads to a loss of judgment, while hunting can cause a ruler to stray from his duties. To ease fatigue, a king may indeed hunt in the forests, but gambling is to be shunned, for it brings about the loss of righteousness, wealth, and even life, and sows the seeds of quarrels. Attachment to women, if unchecked, causes delay and damages both righteousness and wealth; the fault of drinking, too, leads to confusion and even the loss of life itself. Victory over enemies requires skill: one must be adept at arranging camps and interpreting omens. The king’s residence, with its treasury, should be located at the very center of the camp. Around this heart, the main force—comprising guildsmen, friends, enemies, and forest-dwellers—should be stationed in proper order, encircling the royal palace. At night, a section of the army, fully armed and led by its commander, should patrol the crossroads, moving in formation along the perimeter. The king must be vigilant, learning of all happenings from those who move along the borders. Every person who enters or leaves must be carefully observed. To achieve his aims, the king should make use of seven strategies: conciliation, gifts, division, punishment, neglect, illusion, and deceptive means. Conciliation itself is fourfold: it involves reminding others of past favors, speaking of mutual relationships, and using gentle words from the very beginning. When someone arrives, they should be welcomed with kind words and offerings, such as saying, “I am yours.” The giving up of wealth acquired is of three kinds: superior, inferior, and middling. At the right time, reciprocation is important—showing approval for what is received, giving new gifts, and personally initiating the act of acceptance. Giving, release from obligation, and donation are fivefold: they involve removing affection and attachment, and delighting the recipient. Division, as those skilled in policy know, is threefold: causing separation, taking away wealth, and inflicting distress—these are the three forms of punishment. Actions may be open or secret; those hated by the people should be dealt with openly, making the people fear through executions when necessary, and in such cases, rewarding is praised. Enemies, in particular, should be killed by secret means or with weapons. However, a twice-born should never be killed merely for his birth; he is to be subdued through conciliation. Always, words that soothe the mind should be used—gentle, pleasing, as if anointing with nectar. Those who are falsely accused, who desire prosperity, who are summoned but not honored, who hate the king, act unlawfully, or are self-important; those whose righteousness, desires, or wealth have been cut off, who are angry, proud, insulted, abandoned without cause, or have become enemies—all such persons should be conciliated. Those whose property or wives have been taken, or who are worthy of honor but not honored, become anxious and may be divided among the enemy. Those who come should be honored with gifts they desire, and one’s own people should be calmed. Above all, conciliation should be practiced, especially in times of great fear. The main forms of giving, honor, and division have thus been described. A friend who is ruined, like wood eaten by worms, will fall apart. One who knows the three powers, as well as place and time, should subdue his enemies with punishment, but win over the friendly and well-intentioned through conciliation. The greedy and the weak should be won over with gifts. Friends who are suspicious of one another, and the wicked—whether sons or brothers—should be restrained by the threat of punishment or by conciliation. Through gifts and division, chief commanders, warriors, people of the land, border chieftains, and forest-dwellers can be influenced; when they transgress, division and punishment are to be applied. At times, images of deities are worshipped by men in disguise, or a man dressed as a woman may appear at night, creating a wondrous sight. The forms of vetālas, owls, piśācas, and Śiva may be assumed at will, with the power to take on different shapes and to cause showers of weapons, fire, stones, and water. Darkness, wind, fire, and illusion—these forces, not of human origin—were used by Bhīma to slay Kīcaka, having taken the form of a woman. In situations of injustice, calamity, or battle, when one cannot be restrained, indifference is to be shown, as was remembered with the brother, and as was demonstrated by Hiḍimbā. Wondrous sights—clouds, darkness, rain, fire, mountains, the army’s encampment, and the banners—can all be used. The sight of those who are cut, torn, broken, or mingled together is also employed; such magic is used to frighten enemies. At this point, Agni spoke: “The policy spoken by Rāma applies equally to women and men, O king. The characteristics described by Samudra and previously told by Garga are the same.” Then Samudra said: “I will describe the characteristics of men, as well as the auspicious and inauspicious traits of women: one extra, two white, three deep, and so on. There are threefold, three hanging, and that which is spread by three; three lines, three bent, and knowledge of the three times, O virtuous one. A man is well-marked and broad in three places; he bears four marks, and is equal in four ways. There are four thighs, four teeth, seven oils, nine pure, ten lotuses, ten formations, and a circumference like a banyan tree. Six are raised, eight are portions, seven oils, nine pure, ten lotuses, ten formations, and a circumference like a banyan tree. Fourteen equal pairs, sixteen eyes are praised; endowed with righteousness, wealth, and desire, righteousness is considered one extra.” Thus, the wise teachings on conduct, governance, and the marks of auspiciousness were set forth, for the benefit of king and people alike.