Sambodhi 1978 Vol 07

Author(s): Dalsukh Malvania, H C Bhayani, Nagin J Shah
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 53

Samrajyalaksmīpithika
6) War
If an enemy cannot be tamed by peaceful means, one should try to make him friendly by means of gifts. If he is still antagonistic, ones hould divide his side and rule. But if this strategy is also not successful, one has to declare war against him (Patala 137). One should attack on the enemy for the sake of protecting one's own country or getting victory over him. Before starting a war one should perform a worship of weapons and pray them to give victory. Similarly one should worship Durga, Gaṇeśa and the lord of that direction towards which one intends to invade. Then the king should come out of the palace while Brähmaņas are reciting hymns, and the bards are singing his praise-songs. At that time the king should be wearing an helmet, armour and all kinds of ornaments (Patala 128). A king who prepares in this manner before the invasion gets victory (Patala 129). Elsewhere it is said that the king should worship the war-drum and then march on while the drum is being beaten. At that time he should be accompained by warriors holding all sorts of weapons. He should have good stores of weapons, grains, grass, salt, etc. at the time of invasion. Before an invasion, the military-chiefs should be honoured and gods should be worshipped. The king should pay obeisence to Brāhmaṇas and teachers. The army should be arranged in the form of an eagle. There, the chariots and horses should stand at the place of the back; elephants at the place of the breast, infantry at the place of the tail and the king at the place of the belly. The army may be arranged in the form of a lotus or a wheel also. In that case the infantry should be at the outer side, inside it the horees, inside them the elephants, inside them the chariots and the king should stand at the centre. If a king conducts the whole war in accordance with the Religion, then he gets good worlds after A king may get performed black megical rites for the sake of defeating the other side (Patala 137).
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Those who die while fighting in a battle go to good worlds. Thus a fighter on chariot goes to the world of India; one who is cut into pieces as small as sesams (tila) goes to heaven and plays with Tilottama (a heavenly damsel) (Patala 138).
General observations
While taking a general survey of Samrajyalakṣmipuhika we can note that it is a Tantra-like encylopaedic text containing information on various topics with the view to expand and maintain empire. Other encyclopaedic texts in Sanskrit like Manasollasa or Śivatattvaratnakara also contain information on various subjects useful for a king. But there are two special features which differentiate the present work from the others. Firstly it