Mahābhārata · Adhyāya 12.273
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12.273.1
कथं राजा प्रजा रक्षेन्न च किंचित्प्रतापयेत् ।
पृच्छामि त्वां सतां श्रेष्ठ तन्मे ब्रूहि पितामह ॥ १२.२७३.१ ॥
How should a king protect his subjects and not oppress anyone at all? Best of the good, grandfather, I ask you; tell me that.
12.273.2
अत्राप्युदाहरन्तीममितिहासं पुरातनम् ।
द्युमत्सेनस्य संवादं राज्ञा सत्यवता सह ॥ १२.२७३.२ ॥
Here too, they recount this ancient legend: the dialogue of King Dyumatsena with Satyavat.
12.273.3
अव्याहृतं व्याजहार सत्यवानिति नः श्रुतम् ।
वधाय नीयमानेषु पितुरेवानुशासनात् ॥ १२.२७३.३ ॥
We have heard that Satyavat, while among those being led to execution, uttered an obscure word, by his father's very command.
12.273.4
अधर्मतां याति धर्मो यात्यधर्मश्च धर्मताम् ।
वधो नाम भवेद्धर्मो नैतद्भवितुमर्हति ॥ १२.२७३.४ ॥
Righteousness turns into unrighteousness, and unrighteousness turns into righteousness. Let killing not be called righteous; that cannot be.
12.273.5
अथ चेदवधो धर्मोऽधर्मः को जातुचिद्भवेत् ।
दस्यवश्चेन्न हन्येरन्सत्यवन्संकरो भवेत् ॥ १२.२७३.५ ॥
If not-killing is righteousness, then what could ever be unrighteousness? And if robbers are not slain, O Satyavat, there would be confusion.
12.273.6
ममेदमिति नास्यैतत्प्रवर्तेत कलौ युगे ।
लोकयात्रा न चैव स्यादश्च चेद्वेत्थ शंस नः ॥ १२.२७३.६ ॥
In the Kali age, the feeling 'this is mine' would not arise in him, and then the course of the world would not go on. If you know, tell us.
12.273.7
सर्व एव त्रयो वर्णाः कार्या ब्राह्मणबन्धनाः ।
धर्मपाशनिबद्धानां नाल्पोऽप्यपचरिष्यति ॥ १२.२७३.७ ॥
All three social classes should be bound by the Brahmin; not even a little of those bound by the noose of dharma will transgress.
12.273.8
यो यस्तेषामपचरेत्तमाचक्षीत वै द्विजः ।
अयं मे न शृणोतीति तस्मिन्राजा प्रधारयेत् ॥ १२.२७३.८ ॥
Whoever among them transgresses, a twice-born man should report him, saying, 'This one does not heed me'; then the king should impose punishment upon him.
12.273.9
तत्त्वाभावेन यच्छास्त्रं तत्कुर्यान्नान्यथा वधः ।
असमीक्ष्यैव कर्माणि नीतिशास्त्रं यथाविधि।
दस्यून्निहन्ति वै राजा भूयसो वाऽप्यनागसः ॥ १२.२७३.९ ॥
In the absence of true knowledge, one should do what the scripture prescribes and not otherwise; there should be no killing. One should not act without deliberation; one should proceed according to the science of policy, as prescribed. The king slays robbers, or even many who are innocent.
12.273.10
भार्या माता पिता पुत्रो हन्यन्ते पुरुषेण ते ।
परेणापकृतो राजा तस्मात्सम्यक्प्रधारयेत् ॥ १२.२७३.१० ॥
A wife, mother, father, and son are slain by a man; therefore the king, wronged by another, should decide properly.
12.273.11
असाधुश्चैव पुरुषो लभते शीतमेकदा ।
साधोश्चापि ह्यसाधुभ्यः शोभना जायते प्रजाः ॥ १२.२७३.११ ॥
A wicked man may at times obtain coolness (happiness); and from the good as well as from the wicked, fair offspring are born.
12.273.12
न मूलघातः कर्तव्यो नैष धर्मः सनातनः ।
अपि खल्ववधेनैव प्रायश्चित्तं विधीयते ॥ १२.२७३.१२ ॥
One should not destroy the root; this is not the eternal dharma. Expiation is prescribed even without killing.
12.273.13
उद्वे तेन बन्धेन विरूपकरणेन च ।
वधदण्डेन क्लिश्या न पुरोहितससदि ॥ १२.२७३.१३ ॥
By that distress, by binding, by disfiguring, and by the punishment of death, the priests should not be troubled in the assembly of priests.
12.273.14
यदा पुरोहितं वा ते पर्येयुः शरणैपिणः ।
करिष्यामः पुनर्ब्रह्मन्न पापमिति वादिनः ॥ १२.२७३.१४ ॥
When, seeking refuge, they come round the priest and say, 'O brahmin, we shall not do it again; it is no sin,'
12.273.15
तदा विसर्गमर्हाः स्युरितीदं धातृशासनम् ।
विभ्रद्दण्डाजिनं मुण्डो ब्राह्मणोऽर्हति शासनम् ॥ १२.२७३.१५ ॥
Then they should be released; this is the command of the Creator. The shaven-headed brahmin who bears the staff and the deerskin alone deserves punishment.
12.273.16
गरीयांसो गरीयांसमपराधे पुनः पुनः ।
तदा विसर्गमर्हन्ति न यथा प्रथमे तथा ॥ १२.२७३.१६ ॥
When offenders of higher standing offend again and again, then they do not deserve release as they did the first time.
12.273.17
यत्रयत्रैव शक्येरन्संयन्तुं समये प्रजाः ।
स तावान्प्रोच्यते धर्मो यावन्न प्रतिलङ्घ्यते।
अहन्यमानेषु पुनः सर्वमेव पराभवेत् ॥ १२.२७३.१७ ॥
Wherever subjects can be restrained by rule, that much is called dharma, so long as it is not transgressed. But if they are not slain, everything would again be ruined.
12.273.18
पूर्वे पूर्वतरे चैव सुशास्या ह्यभवञ्जनाः ।
मृदवः सत्यभूयिष्ठा अल्पद्रोहाल्पमन्यवः ॥ १२.२७३.१८ ॥
In earlier and still earlier times people were easily governed; they were gentle, for the most part truthful, with little malice and little anger.
12.273.19
पुरा धिग्दण्ड एवासीद्वाग्दण्डस्तदनन्तरम् ।
आसीदादानदण्डोऽपि वधदण्डोऽद्य वर्तते ॥ १२.२७३.१९ ॥
Formerly reproach alone was the punishment; after that came punishment by speech. Then there was punishment by seizure of property too, and today the punishment of death prevails.
12.273.20
वधेनापि न शक्यन्ते नियन्तुमपरे जनाः ॥ १२.२७३.२० ॥
Even by execution other people cannot be restrained.
12.273.21
नैव दस्युर्मनुष्याणां न देवानामिति श्रुतिः ।
न गन्धर्वपितृणां च कः कस्येह न कश्चन ॥ १२.२७३.२१ ॥
Among men there is no robber, nor among gods, so the tradition says; nor among gandharvas and ancestors. Here who belongs to whom? No one.
12.273.22
पक्वं श्मशानादादत्ते पिशाचांश्चापि दैवतम् ।
तेषु यः समयं कश्चित्कुर्वीत हतबुद्धिषु ॥ १२.२७३.२२ ॥
A deity too takes cooked food from the cremation ground, and so do goblins. Whoever makes an agreement with those ruined-minded ones...
12.273.23
तान्न शक्नोषि चेत्साधून्परित्रातुमहिंसया ।
कस्यचिद्भूतभव्यस्य लोभेनान्तं तथा कुरु ॥ १२.२७३.२३ ॥
If you cannot protect the good without violence, then bring it to an end through the greed of someone, living or yet to be.
12.273.24
राजानो लोकयात्रार्थं तप्यन्ते परमं तपः ।
तेऽपत्रपन्ति तादृग्भ्यस्तथावृत्ता भवन्ति च ॥ १२.२७३.२४ ॥
Kings undergo supreme austerity for the sake of the course of the world. They feel ashamed before such people, and so they become turned back.
12.273.25
वित्रास्यमानाः सुकृतो न कामाद्धन्ति दुष्कृतीन् ।
सुकृतेनैव राजानो भूयिष्ठं शासते प्रजाः ॥ १२.२७३.२५ ॥
Though terrified, the righteous do not strike evildoers out of desire; kings for the most part rule their subjects through righteous conduct alone.
12.273.26
श्रेयसः श्रेयसोऽप्येवं वृत्तं लोकोऽनुवर्तते ।
सदैव हि गुरोर्वृत्तमनुवर्तन्ति मानवाः ॥ १२.२७३.२६ ॥
Even the best of the best conduct themselves thus, and the world follows their conduct; people always follow the conduct of their teacher.
12.273.27
आत्मानमसमाधाय समाधित्सति यः परान् ।
विषयेष्विन्द्रियवशं मानवाः प्रहसन्ति तम् ॥ १२.२७३.२७ ॥
He who, without first composing himself, wishes to compose others, and who is ruled by his senses among sense-objects — men laugh at him.
12.273.28
यो राज्ञो दम्भमोहेन किंचित्कुर्यादसांप्रतम् ।
सर्वोपायैर्नियम्यः स तथा पापान्निवर्तते ॥ १२.२७३.२८ ॥
Whoever, through the king's pride and delusion, does something improper should be restrained by every means; in this way he turns back from wrongdoing.
12.273.29
आत्मैवादौ नियन्तव्यो दुष्कृंतं संनियच्छता ।
दण्डयेच्च महादण्डैरपि बन्धूननन्तरान् ॥ १२.२७३.२९ ॥
One who would restrain wrongdoing must first restrain himself; and he should punish even close kinsmen with great punishments.
12.273.30
यो राजा लोभमोहेन किंचित्कुर्यादसांप्रतम् ।
सर्वोपायैर्नियम्यः स तथा पापान्निवर्तते ॥ १२.२७३.३० ॥
Whatever king, through greed and delusion, does something improper should be restrained by every means; in this way he turns back from wrongdoing.
12.273.31
यत्र वै पापकृन्नीचो न महद्दुःखमर्च्छति ।
वर्धन्ते तत्र पापानि धर्मो ह्रसति च ध्रुवम् ॥ १२.२७३.३१ ॥
Where a base evil-doer does not meet with great suffering, sins increase there, and dharma surely declines.
12.273.32
इति कारुण्यशीलस्तु विद्वान्वै ब्राह्मणोऽन्वशात् ।
इति चैवानुशिष्टोऽस्मि पूर्वैस्तातपितामहैः।
आश्वासयद्भिः सुभृशमनुक्रोशात्तथैव च ॥ १२.२७३.३२ ॥
Thus the learned brahmin of compassionate nature instructed me, and thus I was taught by the earlier fathers and grandfathers, who greatly consoled me out of compassion.
12.273.33
एतत्प्रथमकल्पेन राजा कृतयुगे जयेत् ।
पादोनेनापि धर्मेण गच्छेत्रेतायुगे तथा।
द्वापरे तु द्विपादेन पादेन त्ववरे युगे ॥ १२.२७३.३३ ॥
By this first arrangement, a king wins in the Kṛta age; with dharma diminished by a quarter he goes on likewise in the Tretā age; in the Dvāpara age with half of dharma, and in the later age with a quarter of dharma.
12.273.34
तथा कलियुगे प्राप्ते राज्ञो दुश्चरितेन ह ।
भवेत्कालविशेषेण कला धर्मस्य षोडशी ॥ १२.२७३.३४ ॥
Likewise, when the Kali age has come, through the king's misconduct, at a particular time only the sixteenth part of dharma may remain.
12.273.35
अथ प्रथमकल्पेन सत्यवन्संकरो भवेत् ।
आयुः शक्तिं च कालं च निर्दिश्य तप आदिशेत् ॥ १२.२७३.३५ ॥
Now, by the first arrangement, there may be a mixing among the truthful; having specified life-span, strength and time, one should prescribe penance.
12.273.36
सत्याय हि यथा नेह जह्याद्धर्मफलं महत् ।
भूतानामनुकम्पार्थं मनुः स्वायंभुवोऽब्रवीत् ॥ १२.२७३.३६ ॥
So that for the sake of truth one should not here abandon the great fruit of dharma, Svāyaṃbhuva Manu spoke out of compassion for beings.