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Mahābhārata • Parva 12 (Śāntiparva) • Adhyāya 60

Śāntiparva Adhyāya 60

शान्तिपर्व • अध्यायः 60

Śāntiparva Adhyāya 60 of the classical Mahābhārata with 53 verses.

Total: 53 Verses • Citations: MBh 12.60.1–53 • 250 Lexicon Terms • Page 1 of 2 (Verses 30 shown)
ततः पुनः स गाङ्गेयमभिवाद्य पितामहम् । प्राञ्जलिर्नियतो भूत्वा पर्यपृच्छद्युधिष्ठिरः ॥
के धर्माः सर्ववर्णानां चातुर्वर्ण्यस्य के पृथक् । चतुर्णामाश्रमाणां च राजधर्माश्च के मताः ॥
English Translation
Vaishampayana said After this Yudhishthira, saluted his grand father, the son of Ganga, and with joined hands and rapt attention, once more asked him, saying,-'What are the general duties of the four castes and what the especial duties of each. What mode of life should be adopted by which order and what duties are especially designated as the duties of kings.
केन स्विद्वर्धते राष्ट्रं राजा केन विवर्धते । केन पौराश्च भृत्याश्च वर्धन्ते भरतर्षभ ॥
English Translation
By what means does a kingdom prosper and what are the means by which the king himself prospers? How also, O foremost of Bharata's race, do the citizens and the servants of the king prosper?
कोशं दण्डं च दुर्गं च सहायान्मन्त्रिणस्तथा । ऋत्विक्पुरोहिताचार्यान्कीदृशान्वर्जयेन्नृपः ॥
English Translation
What sorts of wealth, punishments, forts, allies, counsellors, priests and preceptors, should a king avoid?
केषु विश्वसितव्यं स्याद्राज्ञां कस्यांचिदापदि । कुतो वात्मा दृढो रक्ष्यस्तन्मे ब्रूहि पितामह ॥
English Translation
Whom should the king trust in what sorts of distress and danger? What evils should the king avoid? Tell me all this, O grandfather.
नमो धर्माय महते नमः कृष्णाय वेधसे । ब्राह्मणेभ्यो नमस्कृत्वा धर्मान्वक्ष्यामि शाश्वतान् ॥
English Translation
Bhishma said 'Saluting Dharma who is Supreme, Krishna who is Brahma in full, and the Brahmanas, I shall discourse on the eternal duties (of men).
अक्रोधः सत्यवचनं संविभागः क्षमा तथा । प्रजनः स्वेषु दारेषु शौचमद्रोह एव च ॥
English Translation
The control of anger, truthfulness of speech, justice, forgiveness, begetting children upon one's own married wives, purity of conduct, avoidance of quarrel, simplicity, and maintenance of dependents,—these are the nine duties which all the four orders should follow.
आर्जवं भृत्यभरणं नवैते सार्ववर्णिकाः । ब्राह्मणस्य तु यो धर्मस्तं ते वक्ष्यामि केवलम् ॥
दममेव महाराज धर्ममाहुः पुरातनम् । स्वाध्यायोऽध्यापनं चैव तत्र कर्म समाप्यते ॥
English Translation
I shall now describe the duties which the Brahmanas should exclusively follow. Selfcontrol, o king, has been declared to be the first duty of Brahmanas. Study of the Vedas, and patient practice of austerities, (are also their other duties). By practising these two, all their acts are done.
तं चेद्वित्तमुपागच्छेद्वर्तमानं स्वकर्मणि । अकुर्वाणं विकर्माणि शान्तं प्रज्ञानतर्पितम् ॥
English Translation
If while engaged in the observance of his own duties, without doing any unfair act, riches comes to a peaceful Brahmana endued with knowledge, he should then marry and seek to beget children, and should also practise charity and celebrate sacrifices. It has been declared by the wise that wealth thus acquired should be enjoyed by distributing it among worthy persons and relatives.
कुर्वीतापत्यसंतानमथो दद्याद्यजेत च । संविभज्य हि भोक्तव्यं धनं सद्भिरितीष्यते ॥
परिनिष्ठितकार्यस्तु स्वाध्यायेनैव ब्राह्मणः । कुर्यादन्यन्न वा कुर्यान्मैत्रो ब्राह्मण उच्यते ॥
English Translation
By his study of the Vedas all the pious acts are done. Whether he does or does not acquire anything else, if he only studies the Vedas, he becomes known as a Brahmana or the friend of all creatures.
क्षत्रियस्यापि यो धर्मस्तं ते वक्ष्यामि भारत । दद्याद्राजा न याचेत यजेत न तु याजयेत् ॥
English Translation
I shall also tell you, O Bharata, what the duties of a Kshatriya are. A Kshatriya, O king, should give but not beg, should himself celebrate sacrifices but not officiate as a priest in the sacrifices of others.
नाध्यापयेदधीयीत प्रजाश्च परिपालयेत् । नित्योद्युक्तो दस्युवधे रणे कुर्यात्पराक्रमम् ॥
English Translation
He should never teach the Veda but study the same with a Brahmana teacher. He should protect the people. Always trying his best for the destruction of robbers and wicked people, he should display his prowess in battle.
ये च क्रतुभिरीजानाः श्रुतवन्तश्च भूमिपाः । य एवाहवजेतारस्त एषां लोकजित्तमाः ॥
English Translation
Those among Kshatriya kings who celebrate great sacrifices, who have a knowledge of the Vedas and who gain victories in battle, become foremost of those who acquire many blessed regions hereafter by their merit.
अविक्षतेन देहेन समराद्यो निवर्तते । क्षत्रियो नास्य तत्कर्म प्रशंसन्ति पुराविदः ॥
English Translation
Persons well read in the scriptures do not speak highly of a Kshatriya who returns unscathed from battle.
वधं हि क्षत्रबन्धूनां धर्ममाहुः प्रधानतः । नास्य कृत्यतमं किंचिदन्यद्दस्युनिबर्हणात् ॥
English Translation
This is the conduct of a wretched Kshatriya. There is no greater duty for him than the suppression of robbers.
दानमध्ययनं यज्ञो योगः क्षेमो विधीयते । तस्माद्राज्ञा विशेषेण योद्धव्यं धर्ममीप्सता ॥
English Translation
Gifts, study, and sacrifices, yield prosperity to kings. Therefore, a king who desires to obtain religious merit should engage in battle.
स्वेषु धर्मेष्ववस्थाप्य प्रजाः सर्वा महीपतिः । धर्मेण सर्वकृत्यानि समनिष्ठानि कारयेत् ॥
English Translation
Compelling all his subjects to follow their respective duties, a king should make all of them do everything according to the dictates of righteousness.
परिनिष्ठितकार्यः स्यान्नृपतिः परिपालनात् । कुर्यादन्यन्न वा कुर्यादैन्द्रो राजन्य उच्यते ॥
English Translation
By his study of the Vedas all the pious acts are done. Whether he does or does not acquire anything else, if he only studies the Vedas, he becomes known as a Brahmana or the friend of all creatures.
वैश्यस्यापीह यो धर्मस्तं ते वक्ष्यामि भारत । दानमध्ययनं यज्ञः शौचेन धनसंचयः ॥
English Translation
I shall now tell you, O Yudhishthira, what the eternal duties of the Vaishyas are.-A Vaishya should make gifts, study the Vedas, celebrate sacrifices, and acquire wealth by fair means.
पितृवत्पालयेद्वैश्यो युक्तः सर्वपशूनिह । विकर्म तद्भवेदन्यत्कर्म यद्यत्समाचरेत् । रक्षया स हि तेषां वै महत्सुखमवाप्नुयात् ॥
प्रजापतिर्हि वैश्याय सृष्ट्वा परिददे पशून् । ब्राह्मणाय च राज्ञे च सर्वाः परिददे प्रजाः ॥
तस्य वृत्तिं प्रवक्ष्यामि यच्च तस्योपजीवनम् । षण्णामेकां पिबेद्धेनुं शताच्च मिथुनं हरेत् ॥
English Translation
I shall now describe the profession, he should pursue and the means by which he may earn his subsistence. It is said that the Shudras should be maintained by the three other castes.
लये च सप्तमो भागस्तथा शृङ्गे कला खुरे । सस्यस्य सर्वबीजानामेषा सांवत्सरी भृतिः ॥
English Translation
If he keeps (for others) six kine, he may take the milk of one cow as his own remuneration; and if he keeps (for others) a hundred kine, he may take a pair as his remuneration. If he trades with other's money, he may take a seventh part of the profits, as his share. A seventh part of the profits arising from the trade in horns is also his, but he should take a sixteenth if the trade is in hoofs. If he makes cultivation with seeds given by others, he may take a seventh part of the produce. This should be his annual remuneration.
न च वैश्यस्य कामः स्यान्न रक्षेयं पशूनिति । वैश्ये चेच्छति नान्येन रक्षितव्याः कथंचन ॥
English Translation
A Vaishya should never wish that he should not tend cattle. If a Vaishya desires to tend cattle no one else should undertake that task.
शूद्रस्यापि हि यो धर्मस्तं ते वक्ष्यामि भारत । प्रजापतिर्हि वर्णानां दासं शूद्रमकल्पयत् ॥
English Translation
I should tell you, O Bharata, what the duties of a Shudra are. The Creator intended the Shudra as the servant of the other three castes.
तस्माच्छूद्रस्य वर्णानां परिचर्या विधीयते । तेषां शुश्रूषणाच्चैव महत्सुखमवाप्नुयात् ॥
English Translation
Therefore, the service of the three other classes is the duty of the Shudra. By thus serving the other three, a Shudra may acquire great happiness.
शूद्र एतान्परिचरेत्त्रीन्वर्णाननसूयकः । संचयांश्च न कुर्वीत जातु शूद्रः कथंचन ॥
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