Mahabharata — Volume VII (Dutt edition) — Chapter 85
MBh 7 85.1
युधिष्ठिर उवाच कथं स्विदिह राजेन्द्र पालयन् पार्थिवः प्रजाः। प्रीतिं धर्मविशेषेण कीर्तिमानोति शाश्वतीम्॥
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca kathaṃ svidiha rājendra pālayan pārthivaḥ prajāḥ| prītiṃ dharmaviśeṣeṇa kīrtimānoti śāśvatīm||
Yudhishthira said O foremost of kings, what is that method by which a king governing his subjects may, thereby, acquire great blessedness and eternal fame?
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 7 85.2
भीष्म उवाच व्यवहारेण शुद्धेन प्रजापालनतत्परः। प्राप्य धर्मं च कीर्तिं च लोकानाप्नोत्युभौ शुचिः॥
bhīṣma uvāca vyavahāreṇa śuddhena prajāpālanatatparaḥ| prāpya dharmaṃ ca kīrtiṃ ca lokānāpnotyubhau śuciḥ||
Bhishma said A king of pure soul and devoted to the duty of protecting his subjects acquires merit and fame, both here and hereafter, by acting righteously.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 7 85.3
युधिष्ठिर उवाच कीदृशैर्व्यवहारैस्तु कैश्च व्यवहरेन्नृपः। एतत्पृष्टो महाप्राज्ञ यथावद् वक्तुमर्हसि॥
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca kīdṛśairvyavahāraistu kaiśca vyavaharennṛpaḥ| etatpṛṣṭo mahāprājña yathāvad vaktumarhasi||
Yudhishthira said What should attitude of the king with regard to the treatment of others. Asked by me, O you of great wisdom, you should tell me everything duly!
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 7 85.4
ये चैव पूर्वं कथिता गुणास्ते पुरुषं प्रति। नैकस्मिन् पुरुषे ह्येते विद्यन्त इति मे मतिः॥
ye caiva pūrvaṃ kathitā guṇāste puruṣaṃ prati| naikasmin puruṣe hyete vidyanta iti me matiḥ||
The virtues of men, which you have described, cannot be found to exist in any single individual. Bhishma said-
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 7 85.5
भीष्म उवाच एवमेतन्महाप्राज्ञ यथा वदसि बुद्धिमन्। दुर्लभः पुरुषः कश्चिदेभिर्युक्तो गुणैः शुभैः॥
bhīṣma uvāca evametanmahāprājña yathā vadasi buddhiman| durlabhaḥ puruṣaḥ kaścidebhiryukto guṇaiḥ śubhaiḥ||
You are highly intelligent, O Yudhishthira! It is what you say. The person is very rare who is endued with all those good qualities.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 7 85.6
किंतु संक्षेपत: शीलं प्रयत्नेनेह दुर्लभम्। वक्ष्यामि तु यथामात्यान् यादृशांश्च करिष्यसि॥
kiṃtu saṃkṣepata: śīlaṃ prayatneneha durlabham| vakṣyāmi tu yathāmātyān yādṛśāṃśca kariṣyasi||
In short, such a one, [who is possessed of all those virtues) is very difficult to be seen even upon careful search. I shall, however, tell you what kinds of ministers should be appointed by you.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 7 85.7
चतुरो ब्राह्मणान् वैद्यान् प्रगल्भान् स्नातकाशुचीन्। क्षत्रियांश्च तथा चाष्टौ बलिनः शस्त्रपाणिनः॥ वैश्यान् वित्तेन सम्पन्नानेकविंशतिसंख्यया। त्रींश्च शूद्रान् विनीतांश्च शुचीन् कर्मणि पूर्वके॥ अष्टाभिश्च गुणैर्युक्तं सूतं पौराणिकं तथा। पञ्चाशद्वर्षवयसं प्रगल्भमनसूयकम्॥ श्रुतिस्मृतिसमायुक्तं विनीतं समदर्शिनम्। कार्ये विवदमानानां शक्तमर्थेष्वलोलुपम्॥ वर्जितं चैव व्यसनैः सुघोरैः सप्तभि शम्। अशनां मन्त्रिणां मध्ये मन्त्रं राजोपधारयेत्॥
caturo brāhmaṇān vaidyān pragalbhān snātakāśucīn| kṣatriyāṃśca tathā cāṣṭau balinaḥ śastrapāṇinaḥ|| vaiśyān vittena sampannānekaviṃśatisaṃkhyayā| trīṃśca śūdrān vinītāṃśca śucīn karmaṇi pūrvake|| aṣṭābhiśca guṇairyuktaṃ sūtaṃ paurāṇikaṃ tathā| pañcāśadvarṣavayasaṃ pragalbhamanasūyakam|| śrutismṛtisamāyuktaṃ vinītaṃ samadarśinam| kārye vivadamānānāṃ śaktamartheṣvalolupam|| varjitaṃ caiva vyasanaiḥ sughoraiḥ saptabhi śam| aśanāṃ mantriṇāṃ madhye mantraṃ rājopadhārayet||
Four Brahmanas, learned in the Vedas, endued with a sense of dignity, belonging to the Sanataka order, and of pure conduct, and eight Kshatriyas, all of whom should have physical strength and be capable of wielding weapons, and one and twenty Vaishyas, all of whom should be rich, and three Shudras, every one of whom should be humble and of pure conduct and devoted to his daily duties, and one man of the Suta caste, possessing of the knowledge of the Puranas and the eight principal virtues, should be your ministers. Every one of them should be fifty years old endued with sense of dignity, free from envy, masters of the Shrutis and the Smritis humble, impartial, capable of deciding then and there in the midst of disputants pointing out various courses of action, free from covetousness, and from the seven terrible vices called Vyasanas. The king should consult with those eight ministers and lead them.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 7 85.8
ततः सम्प्रेषयेद्राष्टे राष्ट्रीयाय च दर्शयेत्। अनेन व्यवहारेण द्रष्टव्यास्ते प्रजा: सदा॥
tataḥ sampreṣayedrāṣṭe rāṣṭrīyāya ca darśayet| anena vyavahāreṇa draṣṭavyāste prajā: sadā||
He should then announce in his kingdom, for the information of his subjects, the results of such consultations. You should always, following such a conduct, watch over your people.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 7 85.9
न चापि गूढं द्रव्यं ते ग्राह्यं कार्योपघातकम्। कार्ये खलु विपन्ने त्वां सोधर्मस्तांश्च पॆदयेत्॥ विद्रवेच्चैव राष्ट्रं ते श्येनात् पक्षिगणा इव। परिस्नवेच्च सततं नौर्विशीर्णेव सागरे॥
na cāpi gūḍhaṃ dravyaṃ te grāhyaṃ kāryopaghātakam| kārye khalu vipanne tvāṃ sodharmastāṃśca pèdayet|| vidraveccaiva rāṣṭraṃ te śyenāt pakṣigaṇā iva| parisnavecca satataṃ naurviśīrṇeva sāgare||
You should never confiscate what is deposited with you or appropriate the thing whose ownership is disputed by two persons. Such a conduct would spoil the administration of justice. If the administration of justice be thus spoiled will assail you, and afflict your kingdom as well and strike your people with fear as little birds on seeing the hawk. Your kingdom will then vanish like a boat wrecked on the sea.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 7 85.10
प्रजाः पालयतोऽसभ्यगधर्मेणेह भूपतेः। हार्द भयं सम्भवति स्वर्गश्चास्य विरुद्ध्यते॥
prajāḥ pālayato'sabhyagadharmeṇeha bhūpateḥ| hārda bhayaṃ sambhavati svargaścāsya viruddhyate||
If a king governs his subjects unfairly, fear takes possession of his heart and the door of heaven is shut against him.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 7 85.11
अथयोऽधर्मतः पाति राजामात्योऽथ वाऽऽत्मजः। धर्मासने संनियुक्तो धर्ममूले नरर्षभ॥ कार्येष्वधिकृताः सम्यगकुर्वन्तो नृपानुगाः। आत्मानं पुरतः कृत्वा यान्त्यधः सहपार्थिवाः॥
athayo'dharmataḥ pāti rājāmātyo'tha vā''tmajaḥ| dharmāsane saṃniyukto dharmamūle nararṣabha|| kāryeṣvadhikṛtāḥ samyagakurvanto nṛpānugāḥ| ātmānaṃ purataḥ kṛtvā yāntyadhaḥ sahapārthivāḥ||
A kingdom, O foremost of men, depends upon righteousness. That minister, or king's son, who acts unfairly, holding the seat of justice, and those officers who, having accepted responsible offices, act unjustly, actuated by self-interest, all sink in hell along with the king himself.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 7 85.12
बलात्कृतानां बलिभिः कृपणं बहु जल्पताम्। नाथो वै भूमिपो नित्यमनाथानां नृणां भवेत्॥
balātkṛtānāṃ balibhiḥ kṛpaṇaṃ bahu jalpatām| nātho vai bhūmipo nityamanāthānāṃ nṛṇāṃ bhavet||
Helpless inen, who are oppressed by the strong and who consequently bewail piteously, have the king for their protector.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 7 85.13
ततः साक्षिबलं साधु द्वैधवादकृतं भवेत्। असाक्षिकमनाथं वा परीक्ष्यं तद् विशेषतः॥
tataḥ sākṣibalaṃ sādhu dvaidhavādakṛtaṃ bhavet| asākṣikamanāthaṃ vā parīkṣyaṃ tad viśeṣataḥ||
In cases of dispute between two parties, the decision should depend upon the evidence of witness. If one of the parties has no witness and is helpless, the king should give the case his best consideration.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 7 85.14
अपराधानुरूपं च दण्डं पापेषु धारयेत्। वियोजयेद् धनैर्ऋदानधनानथ बन्धनैः॥
aparādhānurūpaṃ ca daṇḍaṃ pāpeṣu dhārayet| viyojayed dhanairṛdānadhanānatha bandhanaiḥ||
The king should punish the offenders according to their offences. The wealthy should be punished with fines and confiscations; the poor, with loss of liberty.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 7 85.15
विनयेच्चापि दुर्वृत्तान् प्रहारैरपि पार्थिवः। सान्त्वेनोपप्रदानेन शिष्टांश्च परिपालयेत्॥
vinayeccāpi durvṛttān prahārairapi pārthivaḥ| sāntvenopapradānena śiṣṭāṃśca paripālayet||
The wicked should be punished by the king with corporal punishments. The king should maintain all good men with sweet speeches and presents of riches.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 7 85.16
राज्ञो वधं चिकीर्षेद् यस्तस्य चित्रो वधो भवेत्। आदीपकस्य स्तेनस्य वर्णसंकरिकस्य च॥
rājño vadhaṃ cikīrṣed yastasya citro vadho bhavet| ādīpakasya stenasya varṇasaṃkarikasya ca||
He who tries to bring about the death of the king should be punished with death to be effected by various means. One who becomes guilty of arson or theft or such co-habitation with women as may lead to an intermixture of castes, should be punished with death.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 7 85.17
सम्यक् प्रणयतो दण्डं भूमिपस्य विशाम्पते। युक्तस्य वा नास्त्यधर्मो धर्म एव हि शाश्वतः॥
samyak praṇayato daṇḍaṃ bhūmipasya viśāmpate| yuktasya vā nāstyadharmo dharma eva hi śāśvataḥ||
A king, O monarch, who inflicts punishments duly and according to the dictates of the science of punishment, commits no sin by the act. On the other hand, he acquires eternal merit.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 7 85.18
कामकारेण दण्डं तु यः कुर्यादविचक्षणः। स इहाकीर्तिसंयुक्तो मृतो नरकमृच्छति॥
kāmakāreṇa daṇḍaṃ tu yaḥ kuryādavicakṣaṇaḥ| sa ihākīrtisaṃyukto mṛto narakamṛcchati||
That foolish king who inflicts punishments whimsically, earns infamy here and sinks into hell hereafter.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 7 85.19
न परस्य प्रवादेन परेषां दण्डमर्पयेत्। आगमानुगमं कृत्वा बघ्नीयान्मोक्षयीत वा॥
na parasya pravādena pareṣāṃ daṇḍamarpayet| āgamānugamaṃ kṛtvā baghnīyānmokṣayīta vā||
One should not be punished for the fault of another. Bestowing sufficient thought upon the code, a person should be convicted or acquitted.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 7 85.20
न तु हन्यान्नृपो जातु दूतं कस्याञ्चिदापदि। दूतस्य हन्ता निरयमाविशेत् सचिवैः सह।॥
na tu hanyānnṛpo jātu dūtaṃ kasyāñcidāpadi| dūtasya hantā nirayamāviśet sacivaiḥ saha|||
A king should never kill a messenger under any circumstances. That king who kills a messenger sinks into hell with all his ministers.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 7 85.21
यथोक्तवादिनं दूतं क्षत्रधर्मरतो नृपः। यो हन्यात् पितरस्तस्य भ्रूणहत्यामवाप्नुयुः॥
yathoktavādinaṃ dūtaṃ kṣatradharmarato nṛpaḥ| yo hanyāt pitarastasya bhrūṇahatyāmavāpnuyuḥ||
That king, mindful of Kshatriya practices, who kills a messenger faithfully speaking out his message, causes his departed manes to be stained with the sin of killing a foetus.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 7 85.22
कुलीन: शीलसम्पन्नो वाग्मी दक्षः प्रियंवदः। यथोक्तवादी स्मृतिमान् दूतः स्यात् सप्तभिर्गुणैः॥
kulīna: śīlasampanno vāgmī dakṣaḥ priyaṃvadaḥ| yathoktavādī smṛtimān dūtaḥ syāt saptabhirguṇaiḥ||
A messenger should have these seven accomplishments, viz., he should be of high descent, of a good family, eloquent, clever, sweet-speeched, faithful in delivering the message with which he is sent, and possessed of good memory.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 7 85.23
एतैरेव गुणैर्युक्तः प्रतिहारोऽस्य रक्षिता। शिरोरक्षश्च भवति गुणैरेतैः समन्वितः॥
etaireva guṇairyuktaḥ pratihāro'sya rakṣitā| śirorakṣaśca bhavati guṇairetaiḥ samanvitaḥ||
The aid-de-camp of the king, who guards his persons, should also possess similar qualities. The officer also that guards his capital or citadel should possess the same qualities.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 7 85.24
धर्मशास्त्रार्थतत्त्वज्ञः सांधिविग्रहिको भवेत्। मतिमान् धृतिमान् ह्रीमान् रहस्यविनिगूहिता॥
dharmaśāstrārthatattvajñaḥ sāṃdhivigrahiko bhavet| matimān dhṛtimān hrīmān rahasyavinigūhitā||
The king's minister should be well-read in the scriptures and capable in directing wars and making treaties. He should also be intelligent, courageous, modest, and capable of keeping secrets.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 7 85.25
कुलीनः सत्त्वसम्पन्नः शुक्लोऽमात्यः प्रशस्यते। एतैरेव गुणैर्युक्तस्तथा सेनापतिर्भवेत्॥
kulīnaḥ sattvasampannaḥ śuklo'mātyaḥ praśasyate| etaireva guṇairyuktastathā senāpatirbhavet||
He should also be of high birth, have strength of mind, and be pure in conduct. If endued with these qualities, he should be regarded worthy. The commander of the king's forces should have also the same qualities.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 7 85.26
व्यूहयन्त्रायुधानां च तत्त्वज्ञो विक्रमान्वितः वर्षशीतोष्णवातानां सहिष्णुः पररन्ध्रवित्॥
vyūhayantrāyudhānāṃ ca tattvajño vikramānvitaḥ varṣaśītoṣṇavātānāṃ sahiṣṇuḥ pararandhravit||
He should also be master of the various sorts of battle array and with the uses of engines and weapons. He should be able to bear exposure to rain, cold, heat, and wind, and watchful of the shortcomings of foes.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 7 85.27
विश्वासयेत् परांश्चैव विश्वसेच्च न कस्यचित्। पुत्रेष्वपि हि राजेन्द्र विश्वासो न प्रशस्यते॥
viśvāsayet parāṃścaiva viśvasecca na kasyacit| putreṣvapi hi rājendra viśvāso na praśasyate||
The king, O monarch, should, be able to make his enemies sleep under a sense of security. He should not, however, himself trust any one. The reposing of confidence on even his own son is not good.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 7 85.28
एतच्छास्त्रार्थतत्त्वं तु मयाऽऽख्यातं तवानघ। अविश्वासो नरेन्द्राणां गुह्यं परममुच्यते॥
etacchāstrārthatattvaṃ tu mayā''khyātaṃ tavānagha| aviśvāso narendrāṇāṃ guhyaṃ paramamucyate||
I have now, O sinless one, described to you what are the injunctions of the scriptures. Not to trust any one has been regarded one of the greatest mysteries of king-craft?
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)