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ADMINISTRATION AND STATECRAFT
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order to satisfy the citizen folk.' He further exclaims that he had innate proneness to become an inordinate favourite of the subjects much in excess in comparison of his predeceasing kings.2 That is why clung fast in that way to the pleasures of the enjoyment of sense objects, knowing well the alertness (lit. wakefulness) of the counsellors, aware fully of the effectiveness of his errands, being apprised daily of the loyalty of the subjects unto him by the secret emissaries, the group of principal functionaries of the state (departments) being very close to him on account of their extremely faithful promises and skilfulness in performing their duties, he used to rove about every house in the capital on the opening of the nocturnal hours, having got out of his own accord with 'weapon forming his second (companion) like the flower weaponed (God Cupid) moving incognito (lit. unobserved by anybody) in order to obtain the idea of weal as well as woe among (the subjects)3. He even fathomed the consemblies of the dignitaries sitting here and there in order to have a desire for listening to the rumours (taking airs promiscuously). Pratiśraya is an expression denoting the Sabha or Assembly used by Dhanapala. (as per Paragatikā L. 19 Hemacandra in Abhidha Cintamani IV. 66. p 247) He used to visit the wattle huts where visitors come from different quarters used to assemble (in order to attend the assembly session). During the course of talks about the affairs of the state he used to proclaim the shortcomings of the functionaries, minister, the king, having fabricated them as far as possible, in order to understand the intentions of the citizens and felt extremely pleased being censured by them in harsh words under the pretext of not being recognised, with ire roused in them on account of their listening to the false opprobrium, of the Heads of the state, ministers and the king and feeling happy always on account of the entire host of catastrophes brought to a cease or quelled down."
His counsellors, too, took to the affairs of the state removing all the difficulties of the subjects in conformity with their recognition of the attitude of mind of the king, in conformity with their legacies inherited from their predecessors and in accordance with the dicta of the law codes."
1. पौरलोकपरितोषहेतोश्च वसन्तादिषु सविशेषप्रवृत्तोत्सवां निर्गत्य नगरीमपश्यत् । TM Vol. I p. 77. 2. निसर्गत एवास्य पूर्वपार्थिवातिशायिनी प्रजासु पक्षपातपरवशा वृत्तिरासीत् । Ibid Vol. I p. 77.
3. Ibid. Vol. I p. 77.
4. Ibid. Vol. I p. 77.
5. Ibid. Vol. I p. 77.
6 Ibid. Vol. I p. 77.
7. TM. Vol. I p. 78.