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Mahābhārata • Parva 12 (Śāntiparva) • Adhyāya 83

Śāntiparva Adhyāya 83

शान्तिपर्व • अध्यायः 83

Śāntiparva Adhyāya 83 of the classical Mahābhārata with 68 verses.

Total: 68 Verses • Citations: MBh 12.83.1–68 • 250 Lexicon Terms • Page 1 of 3 (Verses 30 shown)
एषा प्रथमतो वृत्तिर्द्वितीयां शृणु भारत । यः कश्चिज्जनयेदर्थं राज्ञा रक्ष्यः स मानवः ॥
English Translation
Bhishma said This that I have told you is the first means. Listen now, O Bharata, to the second one. That man who seeks the advancement of the king should always be protected by him.
ह्रियमाणममात्येन भृतो वा यदि वाभृतः । यो राजकोशं नश्यन्तमाचक्षीत युधिष्ठिर ॥
English Translation
If a person O Yudhishthira, who is paid or not, comes to you for informing you of the damage done to your treasury when its contents are being embezzled by a minister, you should grant him an audience in private and protect him also from the minister. The minister guilty of embezzlement seek, O Bharata, to kill such informants.
श्रोतव्यं तस्य च रहो रक्ष्यश्चामात्यतो भवेत् । अमात्या ह्युपहन्तारं भूयिष्ठं घ्नन्ति भारत ॥
English Translation
If a person O Yudhishthira, who is paid or not, comes to you for informing you of the damage done to your treasury when its contents are being embezzled by a minister, you should grant him an audience in private and protect him also from the minister. The minister guilty of embezzlement seek, O Bharata, to kill such informants.
राजकोशस्य गोप्तारं राजकोशविलोपकाः । समेत्य सर्वे बाधन्ते स विनश्यत्यरक्षितः ॥
English Translation
They who plunder the royal treasury combine together for opposing the person who tries to protect it, and if the latter be left unprotected, he is sure to be destroyed.
अत्राप्युदाहरन्तीममितिहासं पुरातनम् । मुनिः कालकवृक्षीयः कौसल्यं यदुवाच ह ॥
English Translation
Regarding it is cited the old discourse between king Muchukunda and Vaishravana.
कोसलानामाधिपत्यं संप्राप्ते क्षेमदर्शिनि । मुनिः कालकवृक्षीय आजगामेति नः श्रुतम् ॥
English Translation
We have heard that once on a time the sage Kalakavrikshiya came to Kshemadarshin, who had ascended the throne of Koshala.
स काकं पञ्जरे बद्ध्वा विषयं क्षेमदर्शिनः । पूर्वं पर्यचरद्युक्तः प्रवृत्त्यर्थी पुनः पुनः ॥
English Translation
Desirous of examining the conduct of all the officers of Kshemadarshin, the sage, with a crow kept with in cage in his hand, travelled again and again through every part of that king's dominions.
अधीये वायसीं विद्यां शंसन्ति मम वायसाः । अनागतमतीतं च यच्च संप्रति वर्तते ॥
English Translation
men And he spoke to all the and said,-Study ye the practice of crows! The crows tell me the present, the past, and the future!
इति राष्ट्रे परिपतन्बहुशः पुरुषैः सह । सर्वेषां राजयुक्तानां दुष्कृतं परिपृष्टवान् ॥
English Translation
Proclaiming this in the kingdom, the sage, accompanied by a large number of men, began to mark the misdeeds of all the state officers.
स बुद्ध्वा तस्य राष्ट्रस्य व्यवसायं हि सर्वशः । राजयुक्तापचारांश्च सर्वान्बुद्ध्वा ततस्ततः ॥
तमेव काकमादाय राजानं द्रष्टुमागमत् । सर्वज्ञोऽस्मीति वचनं ब्रुवाणः संशितव्रतः ॥
स स्म कौसल्यमागम्य राजामात्यमलंकृतम् । प्राह काकस्य वचनादमुत्रेदं त्वया कृतम् ॥
असौ चासौ च जानीते राजकोशस्त्वया हृतः । एवमाख्याति काकोऽयं तच्छीघ्रमनुगम्यताम् ॥
तथान्यानपि स प्राह राजकोशहरान्सदा । न चास्य वचनं किंचिदकृतं श्रूयते क्वचित् ॥
English Translation
The sage then mentioned the names of other officers who had likewise been guilty of embezzlement, adding,-My crow never says anything false!
तेन विप्रकृताः सर्वे राजयुक्ताः कुरूद्वह । तमतिक्रम्य सुप्तस्य निशि काकमपोथयन् ॥
English Translation
Thus accused and injured by the sage, all the officers of the king, O you of Kuru's race, in a body pierced his crow, while the sage slept at night.
वायसं तु विनिर्भिन्नं दृष्ट्वा बाणेन पञ्जरे । पूर्वाह्णे ब्राह्मणो वाक्यं क्षेमदर्शिनमब्रवीत् ॥
English Translation
Seeing his crow pierced with a shaft within the cage, the twice-born Rishi going to Kshemadarshin in the morning said to hiin,-O king, I seek your help. You are all powerful and you are the lord of the lives and riches of all! If you permit me I can then say what is for your well-bring. Sorry for you whom I regard as a friend, I have come to you, impelled by my devotion and ready to serve you with my whole heart.
राजंस्त्वामभयं याचे प्रभुं प्राणधनेश्वरम् । अनुज्ञातस्त्वया ब्रूयां वचनं त्वत्पुरो हितम् ॥
English Translation
Seeing his crow pierced with a shaft within the cage, the twice-born Rishi going to Kshemadarshin in the morning said to hiin,-O king, I seek your help. You are all powerful and you are the lord of the lives and riches of all! If you permit me I can then say what is for your well-bring. Sorry for you whom I regard as a friend, I have come to you, impelled by my devotion and ready to serve you with my whole heart.
मित्रार्थमभिसंतप्तो भक्त्या सर्वात्मना गतः । अयं तवार्थं हरते यो ब्रूयादक्षमान्वितः ॥
English Translation
You are being robbed of your wealth, I have come to you for disclosing it without showing any mercy for the robbers. Like a driver that urges a good horse, I have come here for awakening you whom I consider a friend.
संबुबोधयिषुर्मित्रं सदश्वमिव सारथिः । अतिमन्युप्रसक्तो हि प्रसज्य हितकारणम् ॥
English Translation
A friend who knows his own interests and seeks his own prosperity and advancement, should forgive a friend that intruded himself forcibly, actuated by devotion at anger, for doing what is beneficial.
तथाविधस्य सुहृदः क्षन्तव्यं संविजानता । ऐश्वर्यमिच्छता नित्यं पुरुषेण बुभूषता ॥
English Translation
The king replied to him, saying,—Why should I not hear anything which you will say, since I am not blind to what is for my good?
तं राजा प्रत्युवाचेदं यन्मा किंचिद्भवान्वदेत् । कस्मादहं न क्षमेयमाकाङ्क्षन्नात्मनो हितम् ॥
English Translation
I grant you permission, O twice-born one! Tell me what you like. I shall certainly obey your instructions, O Brahmana!
ब्राह्मण प्रतिजानीहि प्रब्रूहि यदि चेच्छसि । करिष्यामि हि ते वाक्यं यद्यन्मां विप्र वक्ष्यसि ॥
English Translation
The Sage said, Ascertaining the merits and demerits of your servants, as also the dangers which you may meet with at their hands, I have come to you, actuated by my devotion, for informing you of everything.
ज्ञात्वा नयानपायांश्च भृत्यतस्ते भयानि च । भक्त्या वृत्तिं समाख्यातुं भवतोऽन्तिकमागमम् ॥
English Translation
His carelessness may create the king's anger, and such anger may bring about his destruction. Carefully learning how to behave himself, one should sit before the king as he should in the presence of a burning fire.
प्रागेवोक्तश्च दोषोऽयमाचार्यैर्नृपसेविनाम् । अगतीकगतिर्ह्येषा या राज्ञा सह जीविका ॥
English Translation
The ancient preceptors have declared what the curses are, O king, of those that serve others. The lot of those that serve the king is very miserable and wretched.
आशीविषैश्च तस्याहुः संगतं यस्य राजभिः । बहुमित्राश्च राजानो बह्वमित्रास्तथैव च ॥
English Translation
He who has any connection with kings is said to have connection with snakes of deadly venom. Kings have many friends as also many enemies.
तेभ्यः सर्वेभ्य एवाहुर्भयं राजोपसेविनाम् । अथैषामेकतो राजन्मुहूर्तादेव भीर्भवेत् ॥
English Translation
Those who serve kings have to fear all of them. Every moment, again, they entertain fear from the king himself, O monarch.
नैकान्तेनाप्रमादो हि कर्तुं शक्यो महीपतौ । न तु प्रमादः कर्तव्यः कथंचिद्भूतिमिच्छता ॥
English Translation
A person serving the king cannot escape the charge of carelessness in doing the king's work. Indeed, a servant who desires to acquire prosperity should never show carelessness in the discharge of his duties.
प्रमादाद्धि स्खलेद्राजा स्खलिते नास्ति जीवितम् । अग्निं दीप्तमिवासीदेद्राजानमुपशिक्षितः ॥
English Translation
He should always fear to utter evil words before the king, or to sit cheerlessly or in disrespectful postures, or to walk disdainfully, or to show insolent gestures and disrespectful motions of the limbs.
आशीविषमिव क्रुद्धं प्रभुं प्राणधनेश्वरम् । यत्नेनोपचरेन्नित्यं नाहमस्मीति मानवः ॥
English Translation
Prepared to give up his life itself at every moment, one should serve the king attentively, for the king is all powerful and lord of the lives and the riches of all, and, therefore, like to a snake of deadly venom.
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