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Mahābhārata • Parva 12 (Śāntiparva) • Adhyāya 128

Śāntiparva Adhyāya 128

शान्तिपर्व • अध्यायः 128

Śāntiparva Adhyāya 128 of the classical Mahābhārata with 50 verses.

Total: 50 Verses • Citations: MBh 12.128.1–50 • 250 Lexicon Terms • Page 1 of 2 (Verses 30 shown)
मित्रैः प्रहीयमाणस्य बह्वमित्रस्य का गतिः । राज्ञः संक्षीणकोशस्य बलहीनस्य भारत ॥
English Translation
Yudhishthira said How should a king behave who is shorn of friends, has many enemies, and an exhausted treasury, and is destitute of troops, O Bharata.
दुष्टामात्यसहायस्य स्रुतमन्त्रस्य सर्वतः । राज्यात्प्रच्यवमानस्य गतिमन्यामपश्यतः ॥
परचक्राभियातस्य दुर्बलस्य बलीयसा । असंविहितराष्ट्रस्य देशकालावजानतः ॥
अप्राप्यं च भवेत्सान्त्वं भेदो वाप्यतिपीडनात् । जीवितं चार्थहेतोर्वा तत्र किं सुकृतं भवेत् ॥
गुह्यं मा धर्ममप्राक्षीरतीव भरतर्षभ । अपृष्टो नोत्सहे वक्तुं धर्ममेनं युधिष्ठिर ॥
धर्मो ह्यणीयान्वचनाद्बुद्धेश्च भरतर्षभ । श्रुत्वोपास्य सदाचारैः साधुर्भवति स क्वचित् ॥
English Translation
Bhishma said Conversant as you are with duties, you have, O foremost of Bharata's race, asked me a question dealing with the mystery of duties. Without being asked, O Yudhishthira, I could not venture to dwell upon this duty. Morality is very subtile. One understands it, О foremost of Bharata's race by the help of scriptural texts. By remembering what one has heard and by doing good acts, some one in some place may become a righteous person.
कर्मणा बुद्धिपूर्वेण भवत्याढ्यो न वा पुनः । तादृशोऽयमनुप्रश्नः स व्यवस्यस्त्वया धिया ॥
English Translation
By acting intelligently the king may or may not acquire wealth. Guided by your own intelligence do you think what reply should be given to your query on this subject.
उपायं धर्मबहुलं यात्रार्थं शृणु भारत । नाहमेतादृशं धर्मं बुभूषे धर्मकारणात् । दुःखादान इहाढ्येषु स्यात्तु पश्चात्क्षमो मतः ॥
English Translation
Listen, O Bharata, to the highly meritorious expedient which kings should follow (during times of distress). For the sake of true morality, however, I would not call those means fair.
अनुगम्य गतीनां च सर्वासामेव निश्चयम् । यथा यथा हि पुरुषो नित्यं शास्त्रमवेक्षते । तथा तथा विजानाति विज्ञानं चास्य रोचते ॥
English Translation
The scriptures or science which one always studies imparts him the knowledge becomes agreeable to him.
अविज्ञानादयोगश्च पुरुषस्योपजायते । अविज्ञानादयोगो हि योगो भूतिकरः पुनः ॥
English Translation
Ignorance yields barrenness of invention about means. Finding out of expedicnts, again, through the help of knowledge, becomes the source of great happiness. Without cherishing any misgivings and any malice, here these instructions.
अशङ्कमानो वचनमनसूयुरिदं शृणु । राज्ञः कोशक्षयादेव जायते बलसंक्षयः ॥
कोशं संजनयेद्राजा निर्जलेभ्यो यथा जलम् । कालं प्राप्यानुगृह्णीयादेष धर्मोऽत्र सांप्रतम् ॥
उपायधर्मं प्राप्यैनं पूर्वैराचरितं जनैः । अन्यो धर्मः समर्थानामापत्स्वन्यश्च भारत ॥
प्राक्कोशः प्रोच्यते धर्मो बुद्धिर्धर्माद्गरीयसी । धर्मं प्राप्य न्यायवृत्तिमबलीयान्न विन्दति ॥
यस्माद्धनस्योपपत्तिरेकान्तेन न विद्यते । तस्मादापद्यधर्मोऽपि श्रूयते धर्मलक्षणः ॥
अधर्मो जायते यस्मिन्निति वै कवयो विदुः । अनन्तरः क्षत्रियस्य इति वै विचिकित्ससे ॥
यथास्य धर्मो न ग्लायेन्नेयाच्छत्रुवशं यथा । तत्कर्तव्यमिहेत्याहुर्नात्मानमवसादयेत् ॥
English Translation
After the time of distress is over, what should the Kshatriya do? He should act in such a way that his merit may not be dissipated. He should also act in such a way that he may not have to yield to his foes. These are his duties. He should not be despondent.
सन्नात्मा नैव धर्मस्य न परस्य न चात्मनः । सर्वोपायैरुज्जिहीर्षेदात्मानमिति निश्चयः ॥
English Translation
He should not try to save the merit of others or of himself. On the other hand, he should save his own self. This is the settled conclusion. There runs this Shruti, viz., that Brahmanas, who are conversant with duties, should be proficient in them. Likewise, as regards the Kshatriya, his proficiency should be in exertion, since might of arms is his great wealth.
तत्र धर्मविदां तात निश्चयो धर्मनैपुणे । उद्यमो जीवनं क्षत्रे बाहुवीर्यादिति श्रुतिः ॥
English Translation
He should not try to save the merit of others or of himself. On the other hand, he should save his own self. This is the settled conclusion. There runs this Shruti, viz., that Brahmanas, who are conversant with duties, should be proficient in them. Likewise, as regards the Kshatriya, his proficiency should be in exertion, since might of arms is his great wealth.
क्षत्रियो वृत्तिसंरोधे कस्य नादातुमर्हति । अन्यत्र तापसस्वाच्च ब्राह्मणस्वाच्च भारत ॥
English Translation
When a Kshatriya's means of sustenance are gone, what should he not take excepting what belongs to ascetics and Brahmanas?
यथा वै ब्राह्मणः सीदन्नयाज्यमपि याजयेत् । अभोज्यान्नानि चाश्नीयात्तथेदं नात्र संशयः ॥
English Translation
Even as a Brahmana in a time of distress may officiate at the sacrifice of a person for whom he should never officiate and eat forbidden food, so there is no doubt that a Kshatriya may take riches from every one say ascetics and Brahmanas.
पीडितस्य किमद्वारमुत्पथो निधृतस्य वा । अद्वारतः प्रद्रवति यदा भवति पीडितः ॥
English Translation
Even one attacked (by an enemy and seeking the means of escape) what can be an unfair means? For a person confined in a ungeon and seeking escape what can be an improper path? When a person becomes afflicted, he escapes by even an improper way.
तस्य कोशबलज्यान्या सर्वलोकपराभवः । भैक्षचर्या न विहिता न च विट्शूद्रजीविका ॥
English Translation
For a Kshatriya who has, for his insufficient treasury and army, become exceedingly humiliated, neither a life of mendicancy nor the profession of a Vaishya or that of a Shudra has been sanctioned.
स्वधर्मानन्तरा वृत्तिर्यान्याननुपजीवतः । वहतः प्रथमं कल्पमनुकल्पेन जीवनम् ॥
English Translation
The profession prescribed for a Kshatriya is the acquisition of wealth by battle and victory. He should never beg of a member of his own caste. The person who maintains himself ordinarily by following the practices primarily sanctioned, for him, may, in times of distress, support himself by following the practices laid down in the alternative.
आपद्गतेन धर्माणामन्यायेनोपजीवनम् । अपि ह्येतद्ब्राह्मणेषु दृष्टं वृत्तिपरिक्षये ॥
English Translation
In a time of distress, when ordinary practices cannot be followed, a Kshatriya may support himself by even unjust and improper means. The very Brahmanas, it is seen, do the same when their means of living run out.
क्षत्रिये संशयः कः स्यादित्येतन्निश्चितं सदा । आददीत विशिष्टेभ्यो नावसीदेत्कथंचन ॥
हन्तारं रक्षितारं च प्रजानां क्षत्रियं विदुः । तस्मात्संरक्षता कार्यमादानं क्षत्रबन्धुना ॥
English Translation
When the Brahmanas act thus, what doubt is there regarding the conduct of the Kshatriya)? This is, indeed, settled. Without despairing and yielding to destruction, a Kshatriya nay, by force, take, what he can, from rich persons. Know that the Kshatriya may, by force, take, what he can, from rich persons. Know that the Kshatriya is the protector and the destroyer of the people. Therefore, a Kshatriya in difficulty should take by force, what he can, with a view to protect the people.
अन्यत्र राजन्हिंसाया वृत्तिर्नेहास्ति कस्यचित् । अप्यरण्यसमुत्थस्य एकस्य चरतो मुनेः ॥
English Translation
No person in this world, O king, can maintain himself without injuring other creatures. The very ascetic leading a solitary life in the forest is no exception.
न शङ्खलिखितां वृत्तिं शक्यमास्थाय जीवितुम् । विशेषतः कुरुश्रेष्ठ प्रजापालनमीप्सता ॥
English Translation
A Kshatriya should not live, depending upon destiny, especially he, O chief of the Kurus, who wishes to rule.
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