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Mahābhārata • Parva 12 (Śāntiparva) • Adhyāya 70

Śāntiparva Adhyāya 70

शान्तिपर्व • अध्यायः 70

Śāntiparva Adhyāya 70 of the classical Mahābhārata with 33 verses.

Total: 33 Verses • Citations: MBh 12.70.1–33 • 250 Lexicon Terms
दण्डनीतिश्च राजा च समस्तौ तावुभावपि । कस्य किं कुर्वतः सिद्ध्यै तन्मे ब्रूहि पितामह ॥
English Translation
Yudhishthira said There is the science of punishment; there is the king, and there are the subjects. Tell me, O grandfather, what advantage is derived by one of those from the others.
महाभाग्यं दण्डनीत्याः सिद्धैः शब्दैः सहेतुकैः । शृणु मे शंसतो राजन्यथावदिह भारत ॥
English Translation
Bhishma said Listen to me, O king, as I describe, O Bharata, the great virtues of the science of punishment in weighty and sacred words.
दण्डनीतिः स्वधर्मेभ्यश्चातुर्वर्ण्यं नियच्छति । प्रयुक्ता स्वामिना सम्यगधर्मेभ्यश्च यच्छति ॥
English Translation
The science of punishment compels all men to satisfy the duties of their respective orders. Properly administered, it compels people to perform virtuous acts.
चातुर्वर्ण्ये स्वधर्मस्थे मर्यादानामसंकरे । दण्डनीतिकृते क्षेमे प्रजानामकुतोभये ॥
English Translation
When the four orders perform their respective duties, when all healthy restrictions are kept up, when peace and happiness emanate from the science of punishment when the people are shorn of all fear, and the three higher orders try according to their respective duties, to preserve harmony people become truly happy at such times.
सोमे प्रयत्नं कुर्वन्ति त्रयो वर्णा यथाविधि । तस्माद्देवमनुष्याणां सुखं विद्धि समाहितम् ॥
English Translation
When the four orders perform their respective duties, when all healthy restrictions are kept up, when peace and happiness emanate from the science of punishment when the people are shorn of all fear, and the three higher orders try according to their respective duties, to preserve harmony people become truly happy at such times.
कालो वा कारणं राज्ञो राजा वा कालकारणम् । इति ते संशयो मा भूद्राजा कालस्य कारणम् ॥
English Translation
You should not doubt whether it is the king that makes the age, or, it is the age that makes the king; the truth is that the king makes the age.
दण्डनीत्या यदा राजा सम्यक्कार्त्स्न्येन वर्तते । तदा कृतयुगं नाम कालः श्रेष्ठः प्रवर्तते ॥
English Translation
When the king rules depending entirely on the science of punishment the foremost of ages called Krita is then said flourish.
भवेत्कृतयुगे धर्मो नाधर्मो विद्यते क्वचित् । सर्वेषामेव वर्णानां नाधर्मे रमते मनः ॥
English Translation
Righteousness prevails in the Krita age. Nothing unrighteous exists then; the four orders are not inclined to take any pleasure in unrighteousness.
योगक्षेमाः प्रवर्तन्ते प्रजानां नात्र संशयः । वैदिकानि च कर्माणि भवन्त्यविगुणान्युत ॥
English Translation
Forsooth, all men succeed in acquiring the objects they seek and preserving those that have been acquired. All the Vedic rites yield merit.
ऋतवश्च सुखाः सर्वे भवन्त्युत निरामयाः । प्रसीदन्ति नराणां च स्वरवर्णमनांसि च ॥
English Translation
All the seasons are delightful and free from evil. The voice pronunciation, and minds of all men became clear and delightful.
व्याधयो न भवन्त्यत्र नाल्पायुर्दृश्यते नरः । विधवा न भवन्त्यत्र नृशंसो नाभिजायते ॥
English Translation
Ailments disappear and all men enjoy long lives. Wives do not become widows, and no person becomes a miser.
अकृष्टपच्या पृथिवी भवन्त्योषधयस्तथा । त्वक्पत्रफलमूलानि वीर्यवन्ति भवन्ति च ॥
English Translation
The Earth yield crops without being cultivated and herbs and plants grow abundantly. Barks, leaves, fruits, and roots, become strong and profuse.
नाधर्मो विद्यते तत्र धर्म एव तु केवलः । इति कार्तयुगानेतान्गुणान्विद्धि युधिष्ठिर ॥
English Translation
No unrighteousness is seen. Nothing but righteousness exists. These are the characteristics, O Yudhishthira, of the Krita.
दण्डनीत्या यदा राजा त्रीनंशाननुवर्तते । चतुर्थमंशमुत्सृज्य तदा त्रेता प्रवर्तते ॥
English Translation
When the king depends upon only three of the four parts of the science of punishment leaving out a fourth, the age called Treta sets in.
अशुभस्य चतुर्थांशस्त्रीनंशाननुवर्तते । कृष्टपच्यैव पृथिवी भवन्त्योषधयस्तथा ॥
English Translation
A fourth part of unrighteousness sets in by the observance of the great science by threefourths. The Earth gives crops but waits for cultivation; the herbs and plants grow by cultivation.
अर्धं त्यक्त्वा यदा राजा नीत्यर्धमनुवर्तते । ततस्तु द्वापरं नाम स कालः संप्रवर्तते ॥
English Translation
When the king follows the great science by only a half, leaving out the other half, then the age that sets in is called Dvapara.
अशुभस्य तदा अर्धं द्वावंशावनुवर्तते । कृष्टपच्यैव पृथिवी भवत्यल्पफला तथा ॥
English Translation
A fourth part of unrighteousness sets in by the observance of the great science by threefourths. The Earth gives crops but waits for cultivation; the herbs and plants grow by cultivation.
दण्डनीतिं परित्यज्य यदा कार्त्स्न्येन भूमिपः । प्रजाः क्लिश्नात्ययोगेन प्रविश्यति तदा कलिः ॥
English Translation
When the king, leaving aside the great science altogether, oppresses his subjects by all manner and means the age that sets in is called Kali.
कलावधर्मो भूयिष्ठं धर्मो भवति तु क्वचित् । सर्वेषामेव वर्णानां स्वधर्माच्च्यवते मनः ॥
English Translation
Righteousness prevails in the Krita age. Nothing unrighteous exists then; the four orders are not inclined to take any pleasure in unrighteousness.
शूद्रा भैक्षेण जीवन्ति ब्राह्मणाः परिचर्यया । योगक्षेमस्य नाशश्च वर्तते वर्णसंकरः ॥
English Translation
Shudras live by adopting lives of mendicancy, and Brahmanas live by serving others. Men cannot acquire the objects they seek and preserve those already acquired. Intermixture of the four castes takes place.
वैदिकानि च कर्माणि भवन्ति विगुणान्युत । ऋतवो नसुखाः सर्वे भवन्त्यामयिनस्तथा ॥
English Translation
Vedic rites fail to yield fruits. All the seasons eases to the delightful and visited by evils.
ह्रसन्ति च मनुष्याणां स्वरवर्णमनांस्युत । व्याधयश्च भवन्त्यत्र म्रियन्ते चागतायुषः ॥
English Translation
The voice, pronunciation, and minds of men lose power. Diseases appear, and men die untimely.
विधवाश्च भवन्त्यत्र नृशंसा जायते प्रजा । क्वचिद्वर्षति पर्जन्यः क्वचित्सस्यं प्ररोहति ॥
English Translation
Wives become widows, and many cruel men appear; the clouds do not rain in seasons and crops fail.
रसाः सर्वे क्षयं यान्ति यदा नेच्छति भूमिपः । प्रजाः संरक्षितुं सम्यग्दण्डनीतिसमाहितः ॥
English Translation
All kinds of moisture also fail, when the king does not, by duly following the great science, protect the subjects.
राजा कृतयुगस्रष्टा त्रेताया द्वापरस्य च । युगस्य च चतुर्थस्य राजा भवति कारणम् ॥
English Translation
The king is the creator of the Krita age, of the Treta, and of the Dvapara. The king is the creator of the fourth age (called Kali).
कृतस्य करणाद्राजा स्वर्गमत्यन्तमश्नुते । त्रेतायाः करणाद्राजा स्वर्गं नात्यन्तमश्नुते ॥
English Translation
If he creates the Krita age, he acquires eternal heaven. If he creates the Treta age, he acquires heaven for a limited period.
प्रवर्तनाद्द्वापरस्य यथाभागमुपाश्नुते । कलेः प्रवर्तनाद्राजा पापमत्यन्तमश्नुते ॥
English Translation
If he creates the Dvapara, he attains to blessedness in heaven in proportion to his merits. By creating the Kali age, the king incurs a heavy sin.
ततो वसति दुष्कर्मा नरके शाश्वतीः समाः । प्रजानां कल्मषे मग्नोऽकीर्तिं पापं च विन्दति ॥
English Translation
Sullied by wickedness, he suffers in hell for numberless years, for being drowned in the sins of his subjects, he incurs great sin and infamy himself.
दण्डनीतिं पुरस्कृत्य विजानन्क्षत्रियः सदा । अनवाप्तं च लिप्सेत लब्धं च परिपालयेत् ॥
English Translation
Following the great science the learned Kshatriya should try to acquire those objects which he seeks and protect those which he has already acquired.
लोकस्य सीमन्तकरी मर्यादा लोकभावनी । सम्यङ्नीता दण्डनीतिर्यथा माता यथा पिता ॥
English Translation
The science of punishment, which establishes all men in the observance of their respective duties, which is the basis of all healthy distinctions, and which truly keeps up the world and sets it agoing if properly administered, protects all men like parents protecting their children.
यस्यां भवन्ति भूतानि तद्विद्धि भरतर्षभ । एष एव परो धर्मो यद्राजा दण्डनीतिमान् ॥
English Translation
Know, O foremost of men, that the very lives of creatures depend upon it. The greatest merit of a king consists in his acquaintance with the science of punishment and administering it properly.
तस्मात्कौरव्य धर्मेण प्रजाः पालय नीतिमान् । एवंवृत्तः प्रजा रक्षन्स्वर्गं जेतासि दुर्जयम् ॥
English Translation
Therefore, O you of Kuru's race, protect your subjects righteously, with the help of that great science. By protecting your subjects and adopting such a conduct, you will, forsooth, attain to such blessedness in heaven which cannot be easily acquired.
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