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Mahābhārata • Parva 12 (Śāntiparva) • Adhyāya 69

Śāntiparva Adhyāya 69

शान्तिपर्व • अध्यायः 69

Śāntiparva Adhyāya 69 of the classical Mahābhārata with 72 verses.

Total: 72 Verses • Citations: MBh 12.69.1–72 • 250 Lexicon Terms • Page 1 of 3 (Verses 30 shown)
पार्थिवेन विशेषेण किं कार्यमवशिष्यते । कथं रक्ष्यो जनपदः कथं रक्ष्याश्च शत्रवः ॥
English Translation
Yudhishthira said 'What other special duties remain for the king to satisfy? How should he protect his kingdom and how vanquish his foes.
कथं चारं प्रयुञ्जीत वर्णान्विश्वासयेत्कथम् । कथं भृत्यान्कथं दारान्कथं पुत्रांश्च भारत ॥
English Translation
How should he engage his spies? How should he create confidence in the four orders of his subjects, his own servants, wives, and sons, O Bharata?
राजवृत्तं महाराज शृणुष्वावहितोऽखिलम् । यत्कार्यं पार्थिवेनादौ पार्थिवप्रकृतेन वा ॥
English Translation
Bhishma said 'Listen, O king, with attention to the various duties of kings,-to those acts which the king or one who is in his position should first do.
आत्मा जेयः सदा राज्ञा ततो जेयाश्च शत्रवः । अजितात्मा नरपतिर्विजयेत कथं रिपून् ॥
English Translation
The king should first conquer himself and then try to subdue his enemies. He can a king who has not been able to conquer his own self be able to conquer his enemies?
एतावानात्मविजयः पञ्चवर्गविनिग्रहः । जितेन्द्रियो नरपतिर्बाधितुं शक्नुयादरीन् ॥
English Translation
The conquest of these, viz., the five objects, is tantamount to the conquest of self. The king who has governed his senses is capable to resist his enemies.
न्यसेत गुल्मान्दुर्गेषु संधौ च कुरुनन्दन । नगरोपवने चैव पुरोद्यानेषु चैव ह ॥
English Translation
He should place infantry in his forts, frontiers, towns, parks, and pleasure gardens, O delighter of the Kurus, as also, in all places where he himself goes, and within his own palace, O foremost of men.
संस्थानेषु च सर्वेषु पुरेषु नगरस्य च । मध्ये च नरशार्दूल तथा राजनिवेशने ॥
English Translation
He should place infantry in his forts, frontiers, towns, parks, and pleasure gardens, O delighter of the Kurus, as also, in all places where he himself goes, and within his own palace, O foremost of men.
प्रणिधींश्च ततः कुर्याज्जडान्धबधिराकृतीन् । पुंसः परीक्षितान्प्राज्ञान्क्षुत्पिपासातपक्षमान् ॥
English Translation
He should appoint as spies men looking like idiots or like those who are blind and deaf. These should all be well-tried persons who are endued with wisdom, and who are able to bear hunger and thirst.
अमात्येषु च सर्वेषु मित्रेषु त्रिविधेषु च । पुत्रेषु च महाराज प्रणिदध्यात्समाहितः ॥
English Translation
With proper attention the king should engage his spies to watch the actions of all his counsellors and friends and sons, in his city and the provinces, and in the territories of feudatory chiefs. His spies should be so employed that they may not know one another.
पुरे जनपदे चैव तथा सामन्तराजसु । यथा न विद्युरन्योन्यं प्रणिधेयास्तथा हि ते ॥
English Translation
With proper attention the king should engage his spies to watch the actions of all his counsellors and friends and sons, in his city and the provinces, and in the territories of feudatory chiefs. His spies should be so employed that they may not know one another.
चारांश्च विद्यात्प्रहितान्परेण भरतर्षभ । आपणेषु विहारेषु समवायेषु भिक्षुषु ॥
English Translation
He should also, O foremost of Bharatas, know the spies of his enemies by himself placing spies in shops and places of amusement, amid gatherings of people, among beggars, in his pleasure gardens and parks, in meetings and assemblages of the learned, in the country, in public places, in the court, and in the houses of the citizens.
आरामेषु तथोद्याने पण्डितानां समागमे । वेशेषु चत्वरे चैव सभास्वावसथेषु च ॥
एवं विहन्याच्चारेण परचारं विचक्षणः । चारेण विहतं सर्वं हतं भवति पाण्डव ॥
English Translation
An intelligent king may thus ascertain the spies sent by his enemies. If these be known, the king may derive iinmense benefit, O son of Pandu.
यदा तु हीनं नृपतिर्विद्यादात्मानमात्मना । अमात्यैः सह संमन्त्र्य कुर्यात्संधिं बलीयसा ॥
English Translation
When the king, after seeing everything finds himself weak, he should then, consulting with his ministers make peace with a stronger foe.
अज्ञायमानो हीनत्वे कुर्यात्संधिं परेण वै । लिप्सुर्वा कंचिदेवार्थं त्वरमाणो विचक्षणः ॥
English Translation
The wise king should quickly make peace with enemies even when he knows that he is not weak, if he can derive any advantage out of it.
गुणवन्तो महोत्साहा धर्मज्ञाः साधवश्च ये । संदधीत नृपस्तैश्च राष्ट्रं धर्मेण पालयन् ॥
English Translation
Engaged in protecting his kingdom piously the king should make peace with accomplished persons capable of great work, virtuous and honest.
उच्छिद्यमानमात्मानं ज्ञात्वा राजा महामतिः । पूर्वापकारिणो हन्याल्लोकद्विष्टांश्च सर्वशः ॥
English Translation
When the king finds himself overtaken with danger and about to be ruined, he should kill all offenders whom he had overlooked before and all such persons as are marked out by the people.
यो नोपकर्तुं शक्नोति नापकर्तुं महीपतिः । अशक्यरूपश्चोद्धर्तुमुपेक्ष्यस्तादृशो भवेत् ॥
English Translation
A king should not deal with a person who can neither benefit nor injure him, or with one who cannot save himself from distress,
यात्रां यायादविज्ञातमनाक्रन्दमनन्तरम् । व्यासक्तं च प्रमत्तं च दुर्बलं च विचक्षणः ॥
English Translation
As regards military operations, a king, who knows his own strength, should, commanding a large army cheerfully and courageously give the order to march, without announcing his destination, against one shorn of allies and friends or already at war with another and hence careless or one weaker than himself, having first made arrangements for the protection of his own city.
यात्रामाज्ञापयेद्वीरः कल्यपुष्टबलः सुखी । पूर्वं कृत्वा विधानं च यात्रायां नगरे तथा ॥
English Translation
As regards military operations, a king, who knows his own strength, should, commanding a large army cheerfully and courageously give the order to march, without announcing his destination, against one shorn of allies and friends or already at war with another and hence careless or one weaker than himself, having first made arrangements for the protection of his own city.
न च वश्यो भवेदस्य नृपो यद्यपि वीर्यवान् । हीनश्च बलवीर्याभ्यां कर्शयंस्तं परावसेत् ॥
English Translation
A king should not for ever live under a more powerful king. Though weak, he should try to assail the stronger and resolved upon this continue to rule his own.
राष्ट्रं च पीडयेत्तस्य शस्त्राग्निविषमूर्छनैः । अमात्यवल्लभानां च विवादांस्तस्य कारयेत् । वर्जनीयं सदा युद्धं राज्यकामेन धीमता ॥
English Translation
He should assail the kingdom of the stronger one by neans of weapons fire, and the administering of poison. He should also create dissensions amongst his ministers and servants.
उपायैस्त्रिभिरादानमर्थस्याह बृहस्पतिः । सान्त्वेनानुप्रदानेन भेदेन च नराधिप । यमर्थं शक्नुयात्प्राप्तुं तेन तुष्येद्धि पण्डितः ॥
English Translation
The wise king should be satisfied with those acquisitions that are made by means of conciliation, gift, and dissension.
आददीत बलिं चैव प्रजाभ्यः कुरुनन्दन । षड्भागममितप्रज्ञस्तासामेवाभिगुप्तये ॥
English Translation
The king, O delighter of the Kurus, should take a sixth of the incomes of his subjects as tribute for performing the duties of their protection.
दशधर्मगतेभ्यो यद्वसु बह्वल्पमेव च । तन्नाददीत सहसा पौराणां रक्षणाय वै ॥
English Translation
He should also take away by force the wealth, much or little, of the ten sorts of offenders mentioned in the scriptures, for the protection of his subjects.
यथा पुत्रास्तथा पौरा द्रष्टव्यास्ते न संशयः । भक्तिश्चैषां प्रकर्तव्या व्यवहारे प्रदर्शिते ॥
English Translation
A king should, forsooth, consider his subjects as his own children. In settling their disputes, however, he should not show any mercy.
सुतं च स्थापयेद्राजा प्राज्ञं सर्वार्थदर्शिनम् । व्यवहारेषु सततं तत्र राज्यं व्यवस्थितम् ॥
English Translation
For hearing the charges and defences in judicial suits, the king should always appoint wise persons endued with a knowledge of worldly affairs, for the state really depends upon a proper administration of justice.
आकरे लवणे शुल्के तरे नागवने तथा । न्यसेदमात्यान्नृपतिः स्वाप्तान्वा पुरुषान्हितान् ॥
English Translation
The king should appoint honest and trustworthy men to look after his mines, salt, grain, ferries, and elephant corps.
सम्यग्दण्डधरो नित्यं राजा धर्ममवाप्नुयात् । नृपस्य सततं दण्डः सम्यग्धर्मे प्रशस्यते ॥
English Translation
The king, who always judiciously holds the rod of punishment, acquires great merit. The proper regulation of punishment is the great duty of kings and deserves great praise.
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