Mahabharata — Volume IX (Dutt edition) — Chapter 266
MBh 9 266.1
धृतराष्ट्र उवाच मण्डलानि च बुध्येथाः परेषामात्मनस्तथा। उदासीनगणानां च मध्यस्थानां च भारत॥
dhṛtarāṣṭra uvāca maṇḍalāni ca budhyethāḥ pareṣāmātmanastathā| udāsīnagaṇānāṃ ca madhyasthānāṃ ca bhārata||
Dhritarashtra said You should always ascertain the Mandalas which belong to you, to your enemies, to neutrals, and to those who are disposed equally towards you and your eneinies, O Bharata.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 9 266.2
चतुर्णां शत्रुजातानां सर्वेषामाततायिनाम्। मित्रं चामित्रमित्रं च बोद्धव्यं तेऽरिकर्शन॥
caturṇāṃ śatrujātānāṃ sarveṣāmātatāyinām| mitraṃ cāmitramitraṃ ca boddhavyaṃ te'rikarśana||
The Mandalas also of the four kinds of enemies, of those called Atatayins, and of allies, and the allies of enemies, should be distinguished by you, O crusher of enemies.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 9 266.3
तथामात्या जनपदा दुर्गाणि विविधानि च। बलानि च कुरुश्रेष्ठ भवत्येषां यथेच्छकम्॥
tathāmātyā janapadā durgāṇi vividhāni ca| balāni ca kuruśreṣṭha bhavatyeṣāṃ yathecchakam||
You should sec that the ministers of state, the pcople of the provinces, the garrisons of forts, and the forces, O foremost one of Kuru's race, are not tampered with.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 9 266.4
ते च द्वादश कौन्तेय राज्ञां वै विषयात्मकाः मन्त्रिप्रधानाश्च गुणाः षष्टिादश च प्रभो॥
te ca dvādaśa kaunteya rājñāṃ vai viṣayātmakāḥ mantripradhānāśca guṇāḥ ṣaṣṭiādaśa ca prabho||
The twelve (enumerated above), O son of Kunti, form the principal concerns of kings. These twelve, as also the sixty, having Ministers for their foremost, should be looked after by the king.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 9 266.5
एतन्मण्डलमित्याहुराचार्या नीतिकोविदाः। अत्र षाड्गुण्यमायत्तं युधिष्ठिर निबोध तत्॥
etanmaṇḍalamityāhurācāryā nītikovidāḥ| atra ṣāḍguṇyamāyattaṃ yudhiṣṭhira nibodha tat||
Politicians call these by the name of Mandala. Understand, O Yudhishthira, that the six incidents (of peace, war, march, halt, sowing dissension's, and conciliation) depend upon these.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 9 266.6
वृद्धिक्षयौ च विज्ञेयौ स्थानं च कुरुसत्तम। द्विसप्तत्यां महाबाहो ततः षाड्गुण्यजा गुणाः॥
vṛddhikṣayau ca vijñeyau sthānaṃ ca kurusattama| dvisaptatyāṃ mahābāho tataḥ ṣāḍguṇyajā guṇāḥ||
Growth and diminution should also be understood, as also the condition of being stationary. The attributes of the six fold incidents, O you of mighty arms, as resting on the seventy-two (already enumerated), should also be, carefully understood.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 9 266.7
थदा स्वपक्षो बलवान् परपक्षस्तथाऽबलः। विगृह्य शत्रून् कौन्तेय जेयः क्षितिपतिस्तदा॥
thadā svapakṣo balavān parapakṣastathā'balaḥ| vigṛhya śatrūn kaunteya jeyaḥ kṣitipatistadā||
When one's own side has vecome strong and the side of the enemy has become weak, it is them, O son of Kunti, that the king should fight against the enemy and try to acquire victory.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 9 266.8
यदा परे च बलिन: स्वपक्षश्चैव दुर्बलः। सार्धं विद्वांस्तदा क्षीणः परैः संधि समाश्रयेत्॥
yadā pare ca balina: svapakṣaścaiva durbalaḥ| sārdhaṃ vidvāṃstadā kṣīṇaḥ paraiḥ saṃdhi samāśrayet||
When the enemy is strong and one's own side is weak, then the weak king, if he has intelligence, should try to make peace with the enemy.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 9 266.9
द्रव्याणां संचयश्चैव कर्तव्यः सुभहांस्तथा। यदा समर्थो यानाय नचिरेणैव भारत।॥
dravyāṇāṃ saṃcayaścaiva kartavyaḥ subhahāṃstathā| yadā samartho yānāya nacireṇaiva bhārata|||
The king should collect a large quantity of articles (for his commissariat). When able to march out, he should on no account make a delay, O Bharata.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 9 266.10
तदा सर्वं विधेयं स्यात् स्थाने न स विचारयेत्। भूमिरल्पफला देया विपरीतस्य भारत॥
tadā sarvaṃ vidheyaṃ syāt sthāne na sa vicārayet| bhūmiralpaphalā deyā viparītasya bhārata||
Besides, he should on that occasion set his men to work for which they are fit, without being moved by many other consideration. He should, (when obliged to part with a portion of his territories), give his enemy such land as are not productive of a plentiful harvest.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 9 266.11
हिरण्यं कुष्यभूयिष्ठं मित्रं क्षीणमथो बलम्। विपरीतान्निगृह्णीयात् स्वं हि संधिविशारदः॥
hiraṇyaṃ kuṣyabhūyiṣṭhaṃ mitraṃ kṣīṇamatho balam| viparītānnigṛhṇīyāt svaṃ hi saṃdhiviśāradaḥ||
(When obliged to pay coins), he should give gold containing much base metal. (When obliged to surrender a portion of his army), he should give such men as are not noted for strength. One who is skilled in treatics should, when taking land or gold or men from the enemy, take what is possessed of attributes the reverse of this.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 9 266.12
संध्यर्थं राजपुत्रं वा लिप्सेथा भरतर्षभ। विपरीतं न तच्छ्रेयः पुत्र कस्यांचिदापदि॥ तस्याः प्रमोक्षे यत्नं च कुर्याः सोपायमन्त्रवित्। प्रकृतीनां च राजेन्द्र राजा दीनान् विभावयेत्॥
saṃdhyarthaṃ rājaputraṃ vā lipsethā bharatarṣabha| viparītaṃ na tacchreyaḥ putra kasyāṃcidāpadi|| tasyāḥ pramokṣe yatnaṃ ca kuryāḥ sopāyamantravit| prakṛtīnāṃ ca rājendra rājā dīnān vibhāvayet||
In making treaties of peace, the son of the king should be demanded as a hostage, O chief of the Bharatas. A contrary course of conduct would not be wholesome, O son. If a calamity come over the king, he should, with knowledge of means and counsels, try to liberate himself from it. The king, O foremost of kings, should maintain the cheerless and the destitute among his people.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 9 266.13
क्रमेण युगपत् सर्वं व्यवसायं महाबलः। पीडनं स्तम्भनं चैव कोशभङ्गस्तथैव च॥
krameṇa yugapat sarvaṃ vyavasāyaṃ mahābalaḥ| pīḍanaṃ stambhanaṃ caiva kośabhaṅgastathaiva ca||
Himself protecting his own kingdom, the king, endued with great might, should direct all his efforts, either one one after another or simultaneously. against his of enemies. He should afflict and obstruct them and seek to drain their treasury.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 9 266.14
कार्यं यत्नेन शत्रूणां स्वराज्यं रक्षता स्वयम्। न च हिंस्योऽभ्युपगतः सामन्तो वृद्धिमिच्छता॥
kāryaṃ yatnena śatrūṇāṃ svarājyaṃ rakṣatā svayam| na ca hiṃsyo'bhyupagataḥ sāmanto vṛddhimicchatā||
The king who desires his own advancement, should never injure the subordinate chiefs who are under his sway. O son of Kunti, you should never try your strength with that king who is desirous of conquering the whole Earth.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 9 266.15
कौन्तेय तं न हिंसेत् स यो महीं विजिगीषते। गणानां भेदने योगमीप्सेथाः सह मन्त्रिभिः॥ साधुसंग्रहणाच्चैव पापनिग्रहणात् तथा। दुर्वलाश्चैव सततं नान्वेष्टव्या बलीयसा॥
kaunteya taṃ na hiṃset sa yo mahīṃ vijigīṣate| gaṇānāṃ bhedane yogamīpsethāḥ saha mantribhiḥ|| sādhusaṃgrahaṇāccaiva pāpanigrahaṇāt tathā| durvalāścaiva satataṃ nānveṣṭavyā balīyasā||
You should try to steal a march by producing, with the help your ministers, dissension's among his aristocracy and feudatory chiefs. A powerful king should never seek to root out weak kings, for these do good to the world by cherishing the good and punishing the wicked. O foremost of kings, you should live, conducting yourself like a cane.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 9 266.16
तिष्ठेथा राजशार्दूल वैतसी वृत्तिमास्थितः। यद्येनमभियायाच्च बलवान् दुर्बलं नृपः॥
tiṣṭhethā rājaśārdūla vaitasī vṛttimāsthitaḥ| yadyenamabhiyāyācca balavān durbalaṃ nṛpaḥ||
If a strong king advances against a weak one, the latter should make him desist, by adopting conciliatory and other modes.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 9 266.17
सामादिभिरुपायैस्तं क्रमेण विनिवर्तयेः। अशक्नुवंश्च युद्धाय निष्पतेत् सह मन्त्रिभिः॥
sāmādibhirupāyaistaṃ krameṇa vinivartayeḥ| aśaknuvaṃśca yuddhāya niṣpatet saha mantribhiḥ||
If these measures fail, he should, then, with the help of those who are interested in his welfare fall upon the enemy for fighting him out. Indeed, with his ministers, treasury and citizens, he should thus adept force against the invader.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)
MBh 9 266.18
कोशेन पौरैर्दण्डेन ये चास्य प्रियकारिणः। असम्भवे तु सर्वस्य यथा मुख्येन निष्पतेत्। क्रमेणानेन मुक्तिः स्याच्छरीरमिति केवलम्॥
kośena paurairdaṇḍena ye cāsya priyakāriṇaḥ| asambhave tu sarvasya yathā mukhyena niṣpatet| krameṇānena muktiḥ syāccharīramiti kevalam||
If the issue of the battle turns against him, he should, then, fall, sacrificing all his resources one after another, renouncing his life in this way, he will acquire freedom from all sorrow.
— tr. M.N. Dutt (1891–96) (public domain)