KANIKA'S ADVICE TO DURYODHANA PART V He who has never faced any difficulty or calamity can never have prosperity. Those who are in sorrow should be consoled by telling the tales of Nala and Rama. They should be consoled with hopes and future prosperity. The learned and wise people should be given promotion (these advises are to the King and to those who hold Kingly positions in an organization). Just because one has concluded a treaty with an enemy does not mean that a King can rest in peace. He has to be cautious and alert always. A King should have numerous spies to have a watch over his friends and foes alike. He should know what is in their mind. But he should never let others find out what is in his mind. A person approaches the other for a favor, not because of love and affection. For the fulfillment of a want he approaches the other. when that want is fulfilled he never visits the other again. So a King should see to that he does not fulfill the wants of the others fully. Because only if something is left unfulfilled will anybody come to him again and again. A King should keep his friends and foes guessing. He should never give an inkling of what he is going to do before he has started to do it or after he has done it. You should act before the danger has arrived as though one is afraid. But when you are face to face with danger you should not be afraid and act boldly to come out of danger. Like a little fire that can be made into a blazing fire by adding little twigs and other woods in time so a person can become powerful by obtaining friends and alliances little by little. You may have to give hopes to your enemies during the process of ruling. Don't fulfill those hopes immediately. Delay implementing them as long as possible. Even at the time of implementing invent some reasons as why it cannot be done. Let that reason lead to some other reason and see to it those hopes or words given by are not implemented or honored altogether, if possible. Or if they have to be implemented see some changes that can be made into them before implementation or altogether see to it they are not implemented. The King should act like a razor while destroying his enemies. A razor blade is kept in a leather concealment before it is taken to shave off the hair from the face and chin. It is sharp. So a King has to be sharp while acting against his foes. When he goes for the sweep of killing his enemies he should do it in one sweep to kill his enemies along with his allies and friends et al. Thus concludes the Kanika his advices to the King Dritarashtra and Duryodhana.