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Mahābhārata • Parva 12 (Śāntiparva) • Adhyāya 89

Śāntiparva Adhyāya 89

शान्तिपर्व • अध्यायः 89

Śāntiparva Adhyāya 89 of the classical Mahābhārata with 30 verses.

Total: 30 Verses • Citations: MBh 12.89.1–30 • 250 Lexicon Terms
यदा राजा समर्थोऽपि कोशार्थी स्यान्महामते । कथं प्रवर्तेत तदा तन्मे ब्रूहि पितामह ॥
English Translation
Tell me, O grandfather, how should the king behave if, despite his great wealth, he seeks more!
यथादेशं यथाकालमपि चैव यथाबलम् । अनुशिष्यात्प्रजा राजा धर्मार्थी तद्धिते रतः ॥
English Translation
Bhishma said A king desirous of acquiring religious merit, should seek the good of his subjects and protect them according to considerations of place and time and to the best of his intelligence and power.
यथा तासां च मन्येत श्रेय आत्मन एव च । तथा धर्म्याणि सर्वाणि राजा राष्ट्रे प्रवर्तयेत् ॥
English Translation
He should, in his kingdom, adopt such measures as would in his view secure their good as also his own.
मधुदोहं दुहेद्राष्ट्रं भ्रमरान्न विपातयेत् । वत्सापेक्षी दुहेच्चैव स्तनांश्च न विकुट्टयेत् ॥
English Translation
A king should milk his kingdom like a bee collecting honey from plants. He should act like the cow-herd who takes milk from her without boring her udders and without starving the calf.
जलौकावत्पिबेद्राष्ट्रं मृदुनैव नराधिप । व्याघ्रीव च हरेत्पुत्रमदष्ट्वा मा पतेदिति ॥
English Translation
The king should act like the leech taking blood mildly. He should treat his subjects like a tigress carrying her cubs, touching them with her teeth but never cutting them therewith.
अल्पेनाल्पेन देयेन वर्धमानं प्रदापयेत् । ततो भूयस्ततो भूयः कामं वृद्धिं समाचरेत् ॥
English Translation
Little by little should be drained from a prosperous subject. The demand should then be gradually increased till it reaches a fair amount.
दमयन्निव दम्यानां शश्वद्भारं प्रवर्धयेत् । मृदुपूर्वं प्रयत्नेन पाशानभ्यवहारयेत् ॥
English Translation
The king should increase the burden of his subjects by and by like a person gradually increasing the load of a young bullock. Treating them with care and mildness, he should at last put the reins on them.
सकृत्पाशावकीर्णास्ते न भविष्यन्ति दुर्दमाः । उचितेनैव भोक्तव्यास्ते भविष्यन्ति यत्नतः ॥
English Translation
If the reins are thus put, they would not refuse to to bear them. Indeed, sufficient measures should be taken for making them obedient. Mere entreaties to bring them to subjection would be of no avail.
तस्मात्सर्वसमारम्भो दुर्लभः पुरुषव्रजः । यथामुख्यान्सान्त्वयित्वा भोक्तव्य इतरो जनः ॥
English Translation
It is impossible to treat all equally. Conciliating the leaders only, the ordinary people should be reduced to obedience.
ततस्तान्भेदयित्वाथ परस्परविवक्षितान् । भुञ्जीत सान्त्वयित्वैव यथासुखमयत्नतः ॥
English Translation
Creating dissensions among the common people who are to carry the burdens, the king should himself come forward to conciliate them and then enjoy happily what he would draw from them.
न चास्थाने न चाकाले करानेभ्योऽनुपातयेत् । आनुपूर्व्येण सान्त्वेन यथाकालं यथाविधि ॥
English Translation
The king should never impose taxes in a bad form and on persons who cannot pay them. He should impose them gradually and with mildness, in proper time and according to due forms.
उपायान्प्रब्रवीम्येतान्न मे माया विवक्षिता । अनुपायेन दमयन्प्रकोपयति वाजिनः ॥
English Translation
The ways I suggest you are the legitimate means of king craft. They are not known as deceitful means. One who tries to control horses by unfair methods only makes them furious.
पानागाराणि वेशाश्च वेशप्रापणिकास्तथा । कुशीलवाः सकितवा ये चान्ये केचिदीदृशाः ॥
नियम्याः सर्व एवैते ये राष्ट्रस्योपघातकाः । एते राष्ट्रे हि तिष्ठन्तो बाधन्ते भद्रिकाः प्रजाः ॥
English Translation
Drinking-shops, public women, pimps, actors, gamblers, and keepers of gambling houses, and other persons, of this sort, who always create disorders to the states, should all be checked. Living within the kingdom, these afflict and injure the better classes of the subjects.
न केनचिद्याचितव्यः कश्चित्किंचिदनापदि । इति व्यवस्था भूतानां पुरस्तान्मनुना कृता ॥
English Translation
No one should ask anything of any one when on distress prevails. Manu himself in days of yore has laid down this injunction regarding all men.
सर्वे तथा न जीवेयुर्न कुर्युः कर्म चेदिह । सर्व एव त्रयो लोका न भवेयुरसंशयम् ॥
English Translation
If all men were to live on alms and abstain from work, the world would, forsooth, come to an end.
प्रभुर्नियमने राजा य एतान्न नियच्छति । भुङ्क्ते स तस्य पापस्य चतुर्भागमिति श्रुतिः । तथा कृतस्य धर्मस्य चतुर्भागमुपाश्नुते ॥
English Translation
The king alone is able to restrain and check. That king who does not prevent his subjects (from committing sins) is visited by a fourth part of the sins committed by them. This is the injunction of the Shrutis.
स्थानान्येतानि संगम्य प्रसङ्गे भूतिनाशनः । कामप्रसक्तः पुरुषः किमकार्यं विवर्जयेत् ॥
English Translation
The following sins of which I speak should be checked. they are such as bring on penury on every one. What wicked act is there that a person under the influence of passion would not commit.
आपद्येव तु याचेरन्येषां नास्ति परिग्रहः । दातव्यं धर्मतस्तेभ्यस्त्वनुक्रोशाद्दयार्थिना ॥
English Translation
They who do not live upon alms may beg at the time of distress. The righteous king should make gifts to them from mercy but not from fear.
मा ते राष्ट्रे याचनका मा ते भूयुश्च दस्यवः । इष्टादातार एवैते नैते भूतस्य भावकाः ॥
English Translation
Let there be no beggars or robbers in your kingdom. It is only the robbers who give to the beggars. Such givers are not benefactors of men.
ये भूतान्यनुगृह्णन्ति वर्धयन्ति च ये प्रजाः । ते ते राष्ट्रे प्रवर्तन्तां मा भूतानामभावकाः ॥
English Translation
Let such men live in your kingdom as advance the interests of others and do them good, but not such as root out others.
दण्ड्यास्ते च महाराज धनादानप्रयोजनाः । प्रयोगं कारयेयुस्तान्यथा बलिकरांस्तथा ॥
English Translation
Those officers, O king, who realize from the subjects more than what is due should be punished. You should then appoint others who will take only what is due.
कृषिगोरक्ष्यवाणिज्यं यच्चान्यत्किंचिदीदृशम् । पुरुषैः कारयेत्कर्म बहुभिः सह कर्मिभिः ॥
English Translation
Agriculture, tending of cattle trade and similar other acts, should be pursued by many persons in such a way that tey may not suffer injury.
नरश्चेत्कृषिगोरक्ष्यं वाणिज्यं चाप्यनुष्ठितः । संशयं लभते किंचित्तेन राजा विगर्ह्यते ॥
English Translation
If a person engaged in agriculture, cattletending, or trade, feels a sense of insecurity, the king, incirs infamy thereby.
धनिनः पूजयेन्नित्यं यानाच्छादनभोजनैः । वक्तव्याश्चानुगृह्णीध्वं पूजाः सह मयेति ह ॥
English Translation
The king should always honour his rich su.bjects and should say to them,-Do you, with me, advance the interests of the people!
अङ्गमेतन्महद्राज्ञां धनिनो नाम भारत । ककुदं सर्वभूतानां धनस्थो नात्र संशयः ॥
English Translation
In every kingdom, the wealthy form an estate in the realm. Forsooth, a wealthy person is the foremost of men.
प्राज्ञः शूरो धनस्थश्च स्वामी धार्मिक एव च । तपस्वी सत्यवादी च बुद्धिमांश्चाभिरक्षति ॥
English Translation
He who is wise, or brave or rich. a influential, or righteous, or engaged in penances or truthful in speech, or endued with intelligence, assists in protecting his fellowsubjects,
तस्मादेतेषु सर्वेषु प्रीतिमान्भव पार्थिव । सत्यमार्जवमक्रोधमानृशंस्यं च पालय ॥
English Translation
For these reasons, O king, do you love all creatures, and show the qualities of truth, creatures, and show the qualities of truth, men. sincerity, absence of anger and abstention from injury.
एवं दण्डं च कोशं च मित्रं भूमिं च लप्स्यसे । सत्यार्जवपरो राजन्मित्रकोशसमन्वितः ॥
English Translation
You should thus hold the rod of punishment, and multiply your treasury. and support your friends and consolidate your kingdom thus, practising the qualities of truthfulness and sincerity and supported by your friends, treasury, and army. sincerity, absence of anger and abstention from injury.
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