Mahabharata — Volume VII (Dutt edition) — Chapter 119

MBh 7 119.1

भीष्म उवाच एवं गुणयुतान् भृत्यान् स्वे स्वे स्थाने नराधिपः। नियोजयति कृत्येषु स राज्यफलमश्नुते॥ न श्वा स्वं स्थानमुत्क्रम्य प्रमाणमभिसत्कृतः। आरोष्यः श्वा स्वकात्स्थानादुत्क्रम्यान्यत् प्रमाद्यति॥

bhīṣma uvāca evaṃ guṇayutān bhṛtyān sve sve sthāne narādhipaḥ| niyojayati kṛtyeṣu sa rājyaphalamaśnute|| na śvā svaṃ sthānamutkramya pramāṇamabhisatkṛtaḥ| āroṣyaḥ śvā svakātsthānādutkramyānyat pramādyati||

Bhishma said Following the lesson drawn from the story of the dog, that king, who appoints his servants to offices for which each is, competent, enjoys the happiness of sovereignty. A dog should not, with becoming honours, be posted in a position far above that for which he is fit. If a dog be posted above that situation which is fit for him, he becomes inebriate with haughtiness.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 7 119.2

स्वजातिगुणसम्पन्नाः स्वेषु कर्मसु संस्थिताः। प्रकर्तव्या ह्यमात्यास्तु नास्थाने प्रक्रिया क्षमा।॥

svajātiguṇasampannāḥ sveṣu karmasu saṃsthitāḥ| prakartavyā hyamātyāstu nāsthāne prakriyā kṣamā|||

Ministers should be appointed to offices for which they are competent and should possess accomplishments necessary for the same. Appointment of unworthy persons is not at all approved.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 7 119.3

अनुरूपाणि कर्माणि भृत्येभ्यो यः प्रयच्छति। स भृत्यगुणसम्पन्नो राजा फलमुपाश्नुते॥

anurūpāṇi karmāṇi bhṛtyebhyo yaḥ prayacchati| sa bhṛtyaguṇasampanno rājā phalamupāśnute||

That king, who appoints servants to offices for which each is competent, succeeds, for such merit, to enjoy the happiness of sovereignty.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 7 119.4

शरभः शरभस्थाने सिंहः सिंह इवोर्जितः। व्याघ्रो व्याघ्र इव स्थाप्यो द्वीपी द्वीपी यथा तथा॥

śarabhaḥ śarabhasthāne siṃhaḥ siṃha ivorjitaḥ| vyāghro vyāghra iva sthāpyo dvīpī dvīpī yathā tathā||

A Sharabha should occupy the position of Sharabha; a lion should be elated with the power of lion; a tiger; should be placed in the position of a tiger, and a leopard should be placed in that of a leopard.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 7 119.5

कर्मस्विहानुरूपेषु न्यस्या भृत्या यथाविधि। प्रतिलोमं न भृत्यास्ते स्थाप्याः कर्मफलैषिणा॥

karmasvihānurūpeṣu nyasyā bhṛtyā yathāvidhi| pratilomaṃ na bhṛtyāste sthāpyāḥ karmaphalaiṣiṇā||

Servants should according to the scriptural injunction, be appointed to offices for which each is competent. If you wish to achieve success, you should never appoint servants in offices higher than what they deserve.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 7 119.6

यः प्रमाणमतिक्रम्य प्रतिलोमं नराधिपः। भृत्यान् स्थापयतेऽबुद्धिर्न स रञ्जयते प्रजाः॥

yaḥ pramāṇamatikramya pratilomaṃ narādhipaḥ| bhṛtyān sthāpayate'buddhirna sa rañjayate prajāḥ||

That foolish king, who, disregarding precedent, appoints servants to offices for which they are not fit, fails to please his people.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 7 119.7

न बालिशा न च क्षुद्रा नाप्राज्ञा नाजितेन्द्रियाः। नाकुलीना नराः सर्वे स्थाप्या गुणगणैषिणा॥

na bāliśā na ca kṣudrā nāprājñā nājitendriyāḥ| nākulīnā narāḥ sarve sthāpyā guṇagaṇaiṣiṇā||

A king, who wishes to have accomplished servants should never appoint persons who are shorn of intelligence, who are low-minded, who are without wisdom, who are not masters of their senses, and who are not highly born.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 7 119.8

साधवः कुलजाः शूरा ज्ञानवन्तोऽनसूयकाः। अक्षुद्राः शुचयो दक्षाः स्युनरा: पारिपार्श्वकाः॥

sādhavaḥ kulajāḥ śūrā jñānavanto'nasūyakāḥ| akṣudrāḥ śucayo dakṣāḥ syunarā: pāripārśvakāḥ||

Men, who are honest, born in high family, brave, learned, shorn of malice and envy, noble, pure in conduct, and clever in business, deserve to be appointed as minister.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 7 119.9

न्यग्भूतास्तत्पराः शान्ताश्चौक्षाः प्रकृतिजैः शुभाः। स्वस्थानानपक्रुष्टा ये ते स्यू राज्ञा बहिश्चराः॥

nyagbhūtāstatparāḥ śāntāścaukṣāḥ prakṛtijaiḥ śubhāḥ| svasthānānapakruṣṭā ye te syū rājñā bahiścarāḥ||

Persons, who are humble, always ready to perform their duties, of a peaceful nature, pure in mind, adorned with various other gifts of nature, and are never spoken ill of for the offices they hold should be the intimate companions of the king.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 7 119.10

सिंहस्य सततं पार्वे सिंह एवानुगो भवेत्। असिंहः सिंहसहितः सिंहवल्लभते फलम्॥

siṃhasya satataṃ pārve siṃha evānugo bhavet| asiṃhaḥ siṃhasahitaḥ siṃhavallabhate phalam||

A lion should always associate with a lion, If one that is not a lion associates with a lion, it acquires all the advantages that belong to a lion.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 7 119.11

यस्य सिंहः श्रुभिः कीर्णः सिंहकर्मफले रतः। न स सिंहफलं भोक्तुं शक्तः श्वभिरुपासितः॥

yasya siṃhaḥ śrubhiḥ kīrṇaḥ siṃhakarmaphale rataḥ| na sa siṃhaphalaṃ bhoktuṃ śaktaḥ śvabhirupāsitaḥ||

That lion, however who while performing the duties of a lion, has a pack of dogs only for his companions, never succeeds for such companionship, in performing those duties.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 7 119.12

एवमेतन्मनुष्येन्द्र शूरैः प्राज्ञैर्बहुश्रुतैः। कुलीनैः सह शक्येत कृत्स्ना जेतुं वसुन्धरा॥

evametanmanuṣyendra śūraiḥ prājñairbahuśrutaiḥ| kulīnaiḥ saha śakyeta kṛtsnā jetuṃ vasundharā||

Thus, O monarch, a king may succeed in subjugating the entire Earth if he has for his ministers men endued with courage, wisdom, great learning, and high-birth.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 7 119.13

नाविद्यो नानृजुः पार्श्वे नाप्राज्ञो नामहाधनः। संग्राह्यो वसुधापालै त्यो भृत्यवतां वर॥

nāvidyo nānṛjuḥ pārśve nāprājño nāmahādhanaḥ| saṃgrāhyo vasudhāpālai tyo bhṛtyavatāṃ vara||

O foremost of kings, kings should never keep a servant who is shorn of learning, sincerity, wisdom and great wealth.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 7 119.14

बाणवद्विसृता यान्ति स्वामिकार्यपरा नराः। ये भृत्याः पार्थिवहितास्तेषां सान्त्वं प्रयोजयेत्॥

bāṇavadvisṛtā yānti svāmikāryaparā narāḥ| ye bhṛtyāḥ pārthivahitāsteṣāṃ sāntvaṃ prayojayet||

Those men who are devoted to the master proceed unimpeded like arrows. Kings should always speak sweet words to those servants who are always busy with doing good to their masters.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 7 119.15

कोशश्च सततं रक्ष्यो यत्नमास्थाय राजभिः। कोशमूला हि राजानः कोशो वृद्धिकरो भवेत्॥

kośaśca satataṃ rakṣyo yatnamāsthāya rājabhiḥ| kośamūlā hi rājānaḥ kośo vṛddhikaro bhavet||

Kings, should, always, diligently look after their treasuries. Indeed, kings depend on their treasuries A king should, always, try to swell his treasures.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 7 119.16

कोष्ठागारं च ते नित्यं ज्ञफीतैर्धान्यैःसुसंवृतम्। सदास्तु सत्सु संन्यस्तं धनधान्यपरो भव॥

koṣṭhāgāraṃ ca te nityaṃ jñaphītairdhānyaiḥsusaṃvṛtam| sadāstu satsu saṃnyastaṃ dhanadhānyaparo bhava||

Let your barns, O king, be filled with corn. And let them be entrusted to honest servants. Do your try to increase your wealth and corn.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 7 119.17

नित्ययुक्ताश्च ते भृत्या भवन्तु रणकोविदाः। वाजिनां च प्रयोगेषु वैशारद्यमिहेष्यते॥

nityayuktāśca te bhṛtyā bhavantu raṇakovidāḥ| vājināṃ ca prayogeṣu vaiśāradyamiheṣyate||

Let your servants, skilled in battle, always attend to their duties. It is desirable that they should be skilful in the management of horses.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 7 119.18

ज्ञातिबन्धुजनावेक्षी मित्रसम्बन्धिसंवृतः। पौरकार्यहितान्वेषी भव कौरवनन्दन॥

jñātibandhujanāvekṣī mitrasambandhisaṃvṛtaḥ| paurakāryahitānveṣī bhava kauravanandana||

O delighter of the Kurus, Look to the wants of your kinsmen and friends. Be encircled by friends and relatives. Seek the good of your city.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 7 119.19

एषा ते नैष्ठिकी बुद्धिः प्रजास्वभिहिता मया। शुनो निदर्शनं तात किं भूयः श्रोतुमिच्छसि।॥

eṣā te naiṣṭhikī buddhiḥ prajāsvabhihitā mayā| śuno nidarśanaṃ tāta kiṃ bhūyaḥ śrotumicchasi|||

By mentioning the example of the dog I have instructed you about the duties you should adopt towards your subjects. What further do you wish to hear?' O delighter of the Kurus, Look to the wants of your kinsmen and friends. Be encircled by friends and relatives. Seek the good of your city.

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)

MBh 7 119.20

एषा ते नैष्ठिकी बुद्धिः प्रजास्वभिहिता मया। शुनो निदर्शनं तात किं भूयः श्रोतुमिच्छसि।॥

eṣā te naiṣṭhikī buddhiḥ prajāsvabhihitā mayā| śuno nidarśanaṃ tāta kiṃ bhūyaḥ śrotumicchasi|||

By mentioning the example of the dog I have instructed you about the duties you should adopt towards your subjects. What further do you wish to hear?'

— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)