Vikram and the Vampire | Page 8

he is the
god of criminal justice; he is the genius of wealth; he is the regent of
water; he is the lord of the firmament; he is a powerful divinity who
appears in human shape." He reflected with some satisfaction that the
scriptures had made him absolute, had left the lives and properties of
all his subjects to his arbitrary will, had pronounced him to be an
incarnate deity, and had threatened to punish with death even ideas
derogatory to his honour.
He punctually observed all the ordinances laid down by the author of
the Niti, or institutes of government. His night and day were divided
into sixteen pahars or portions, each one hour and a half, and they were
disposed of as follows:--
Before dawn Vikram was awakened by a servant appointed to this
special duty. He swallowed-- a thing allowed only to a khshatriya or
warrior-- Mithridatic every morning on the saliva[FN#19], and he made
the cooks taste every dish before he ate of it. As soon as he had risen,
the pages in waiting repeated his splendid qualities, and as he left his
sleeping-room in full dress, several Brahmans rehearsed the praises of
the gods. Presently he bathed, worshipped his guardian deity, again
heard hymns, drank a little water, and saw alms distributed to the poor.

He ended this watch by auditing his accounts.
Next entering his court, he placed himself amidst the assembly. He was
always armed when he received strangers, and he caused even women
to be searched for concealed weapons. He was surrounded by so many
spies and so artful, that of a thousand, no two ever told the same tale.
At the levee, on his right sat his relations, the Brahmans, and men of
distinguished birth. The other castes were on the left, and close to him
stood the ministers and those whom he delighted to consult. Afar in
front gathered the bards chanting the praises of the gods and of the king;
also the charioteers, elephanteers, horsemen, and soldiers of valour.
Amongst the learned men in those assemblies there were ever some
who were well instructed in all the scriptures, and others who had
studied in one particular school of philosophy, and were acquainted
only with the works on divine wisdom, or with those on justice, civil
and criminal, on the arts, mineralogy or the practice of physic; also
persons cunning in all kinds of customs; riding-masters, dancing-
masters, teachers of good behaviour, examiners, tasters, mimics,
mountebanks, and others, who all attended the court and awaited the
king's commands. He here pronounced judgment in suits of appeal. His
poets wrote about him:
The lord of lone splendour an instant suspends His course at mid~noon,
ere he westward descends; And brief are the moments our young
monarch knows, Devoted to pleasure or paid to repose!
Before the second sandhya,[FN#20] or noon, about the beginning of the
third watch, he recited the names of the gods, bathed, and broke his fast
in his private room; then rising from food, he was amused by singers
and dancing girls. The labours of the day now became lighter. After
eating he retired, repeating the name of his guardian deity, visited the
temples, saluted the gods conversed with the priests, and proceeded to
receive and to distribute presents. Fifthly, he discussed political
questions with his ministers and councillors.
On the announcement of the herald that it was the sixth watch-- about 2
or 3 P.M.--Vikram allowed himself to follow his own inclinations, to
regulate his family, and to transact business of a private and personal
nature.
After gaining strength by rest, he proceeded to review his troops,
examining the men, saluting the officers, and holding military councils.

At sunset he bathed a third time and performed the five sacraments of
listening to a prelection of the Veda; making oblations to the manes;
sacrificing to Fire in honour of the deities; giving rice to dumb
creatures; and receiving guests with due ceremonies. He spent the
evening amidst a select company of wise, learned, and pious men,
conversing on different subjects, and reviewing the business of the day.
The night was distributed with equal care. During the first portion
Vikram received the reports which his spies and envoys, dressed in
every disguise, brought to him about his enemies. Against the latter he
ceased not to use the five arts, namely--dividing the kingdom, bribes,
mischief-making, negotiations, and brute-force-- especially preferring
the first two and the last. His forethought and prudence taught him to
regard all his nearest neighbours and their allies as hostile. The powers
beyond those natural enemies he considered friendly because they were
the foes of his foes. And all the remoter nations he looked upon as
neutrals, in a transitional or provisional state as it were, till they became