Why a King Needs Good Helpers

Verse 1 (12.115.1)

पितामह महाप्राज्ञ संशयो मे महानयम् । संछेत्तव्यस्त्वया राजन्भवान्कुलकरो हि नः ॥

pitāmaha mahāprājña saṃśayo me mahānayam | saṃchettavyastvayā rājanbhavānkulakaro hi naḥ

Grandsire, greatly wise one, I have a great doubt. You must resolve it, O king, for you are the founder of our family.

Verse 2 (12.115.2)

पुरुषाणामयं तात दुर्वृत्तानां दुरात्मनाम् । कथितो वाक्यसंचारस्ततो विज्ञापयामि ते ॥

puruṣāṇāmayaṃ tāta durvṛttānāṃ durātmanām | kathito vākyasaṃcārastato vijñāpayāmi te

Father, a report of the talk of ill-behaved, evil-minded men has been brought to me; that is why I lay this before you.

Verse 3 (12.115.3)

यद्धितं राज्यतन्त्रस्य कुलस्य च सुखोदयम् । अयत्यां च तदात्वे च क्षेमवृद्धिकरं च तत् ॥

yaddhitaṃ rājyatantrasya kulasya ca sukhodayam | ayatyāṃ ca tadātve ca kṣemavṛddhikaraṃ ca tat

Tell me what is good for the government of the realm and brings happiness to the family, what promotes security and prosperity both for the future and for the present,

Verse 4 (12.115.4)

पुत्रपौत्राभिरामं च राष्ट्रवृद्धिकरं च यत् । अन्नपाने शरीरे च हितं यत्तद्ब्रवीहि मे ॥

putrapautrābhirāmaṃ ca rāṣṭravṛddhikaraṃ ca yat | annapāne śarīre ca hitaṃ yattadbravīhi me

what delights sons and grandsons, increases the kingdom, and is good for food and drink and for the body.

Verse 5 (12.115.5)

अभिषिक्तो हि यो राजा राज्यस्थो मित्रसंवृतः । सुहृत्समुपेतो वा स कथं रञ्जयेत्प्रजाः ॥

abhiṣikto hi yo rājā rājyastho mitrasaṃvṛtaḥ | suhṛtsamupeto vā sa kathaṃ rañjayetprajāḥ

A king who has been consecrated and is established in his kingdom, surrounded by friends and joined by well-wishers — how can he please his subjects?

Note on the text: Corrected मित्रसंवृत → मित्रसंवृतः (misprint in Wikisource; final visarga dropped; the critical edition reads mitrasaṃvṛtaḥ) and समुहृत्समुपेतो → सुहृत्समुपेतो (misprint; a stray म; the page's own gloss reads मित्रसुहृदौ … समुपेतः; CE has asuhṛt samupeto vā, a different recension reading).

Verse 6 (12.115.6)

यो ह्यसत्प्रग्रहरतिः स्नेहरागबलात्कृतः । इन्द्रियाणामनीशत्वादसज्जनबुभूषकः ॥

yo hyasatpragraharatiḥ sneharāgabalātkṛtaḥ | indriyāṇāmanīśatvādasajjanabubhūṣakaḥ

One who delights in upholding the wicked, made so by affection and passion, and who, for lack of mastery over his senses, wishes to see the ungood prosper —

Verse 7 (12.115.7)

तस्य भृत्या विमुखतां यान्ति सर्वे कुलोद्गताः । न च भृत्यबलैरर्थैः स राजा संप्रयुज्यते ॥

tasya bhṛtyā vimukhatāṃ yānti sarve kulodgatāḥ | na ca bhṛtyabalairarthaiḥ sa rājā saṃprayujyate

all his servants, though born of good families, turn away from him, and that king is not furnished with the benefits that the strength of servants brings.

Verse 8 (12.115.8)

एतन्मे चिन्तयानस्य राजधर्मान्दिवानिशम् । बृहस्पतिसमो बुद्ध्या भवाञ्शंसितुमर्हति ॥

etanme cintayānasya rājadharmāndivāniśam | bṛhaspatisamo buddhyā bhavāñśaṃsitumarhati

As I turn over these duties of kings in my mind day and night, you, equal to Brihaspati in intellect, are the one fit to expound them.

Verse 9 (12.115.9)

शासता पुरुषव्याघ्र त्वं नः कुलहिते रतः । क्षत्ता चैको महाप्राज्ञो यो नः शंसति सर्वदा ॥

śāsatā puruṣavyāghra tvaṃ naḥ kulahite rataḥ | kṣattā caiko mahāprājño yo naḥ śaṃsati sarvadā

You, tiger among men, who guide us, are devoted to the good of our family; and Kshatta (Vidura), greatly wise, is the one other who always counsels us.

Verse 10 (12.115.10)

त्वत्तः कुलहितं वाक्यं श्रुत्वा राज्यहितोदयम् । अमृतस्याव्ययस्येव तृप्तः स्वप्स्याम्यहं सुखम् ॥

tvattaḥ kulahitaṃ vākyaṃ śrutvā rājyahitodayam | amṛtasyāvyayasyeva tṛptaḥ svapsyāmyahaṃ sukham

Having heard from you words that are good for the family and bring about the rise of the kingdom's welfare, I shall sleep happily, sated as if with imperishable nectar.

Verse 11 (12.115.11)

कीदृशाः सन्निकर्षस्था भृत्याः सर्वगुणान्विताः । कीदृशैः किं कुलीनैर्वा सह यात्रा विधीयते ॥

kīdṛśāḥ sannikarṣasthā bhṛtyāḥ sarvaguṇānvitāḥ | kīdṛśaiḥ kiṃ kulīnairvā saha yātrā vidhīyate

What kind of servants, endowed with every good quality, are to be kept near the king? And with what kind of people, or with which of the well-born, is the conduct of affairs carried on?

Verse 12 (12.115.12)

न ह्येको भृत्यरहितो राजा भवति रक्षिता । राज्यं चेदं जनः सर्वस्तत्कुलीनः प्रशासति ॥

na hyeko bhṛtyarahito rājā bhavati rakṣitā | rājyaṃ cedaṃ janaḥ sarvastatkulīnaḥ praśāsati

For a king without servants cannot, alone, be a protector; and this whole kingdom is governed by the well-born people of the realm.

Verse 13 (12.115.13)

न च प्रशास्तुं राज्यं हि शक्यमेकेन भारत ॥

na ca praśāstuṃ rājyaṃ hi śakyamekena bhārata

Indeed, O Bharata, a kingdom cannot be governed by one man alone.

Note on the text: One-line verse, as on the page (labelled 12-115-13a). It is the first line of the three-line CE verse 12.116.13 (na hi praśāstuṃ rājyaṃ hi śakyam ekena bhārata), whose other two lines are Wikisource verse 14; the alignment found no match for either. Wikisource न च for CE na hi is a variant, kept.

Verse 14 (12.115.14)

असहायवता तात नैवार्थाः केचिदप्युत । लब्धुं लब्धा ह्यपि सदा रक्षितुं भरतर्षभ ॥

asahāyavatā tāta naivārthāḥ kecidapyuta | labdhuṃ labdhā hyapi sadā rakṣituṃ bharatarṣabha

For one without helpers, dear child, no wealth whatever can be won; and even when won, O best of the Bharatas, it cannot always be kept.

Note on the text: Lines 1-2 = the second and third lines of the three-line CE verse 12.116.13 (asahāyavatā tāta naivārthāḥ ke cid apy uta / labdhuṃ labdhvā cāpi sadā rakṣituṃ bharatarṣabha), with Wikisource लब्धा ह्यपि for CE labdhvā cāpi (a variant, kept). The alignment found no match.

Verse 15 (12.115.15)

यस्य भृत्यजनः सर्वो ज्ञानविज्ञानकोविदः । हितैषी कुलजः स्निग्धः स राज्यफलमश्नुते ॥

yasya bhṛtyajanaḥ sarvo jñānavijñānakovidaḥ | hitaiṣī kulajaḥ snigdhaḥ sa rājyaphalamaśnute

The king whose servants are all skilled in knowledge and practical wisdom, well-wishing, of good family and affectionate, enjoys the fruit of kingship.

Verse 16 (12.115.16)

मन्त्रिणो यस्य कुलजा असंहार्याः सहोषिताः । नृपतेर्मतिमाप्सन्ते सत्पथज्ञानकोविदाः ॥

mantriṇo yasya kulajā asaṃhāryāḥ sahoṣitāḥ | nṛpatermatimāpsante satpathajñānakovidāḥ

The king whose ministers are of good family, incorruptible, long associated with him, who grasp the king's mind and are skilled in knowing the right path, enjoys the fruit of kingship.

Verse 17 (12.115.17)

अनागतविधातारः कालज्ञानविशारदाः । अतिक्रान्तमशोचन्तः स राज्यफलमश्नुते ॥

anāgatavidhātāraḥ kālajñānaviśāradāḥ | atikrāntamaśocantaḥ sa rājyaphalamaśnute

The king whose men provide against what has not yet come, are skilled in judging the right time, and do not grieve over what is past, enjoys the fruit of kingship.

Verse 18 (12.115.18)

समदुःखसुखा यस्य सहायाः प्रियकारिणः । अर्थचिन्तापराः सभ्याः स राज्यफलमश्नुते ॥

samaduḥkhasukhā yasya sahāyāḥ priyakāriṇaḥ | arthacintāparāḥ sabhyāḥ sa rājyaphalamaśnute

The king whose helpers share equally in his joy and sorrow, do what is dear to him, are intent on the king's interests and fit for the council, enjoys the fruit of kingship.

Verse 19 (12.115.19)

यस्य नार्तो जनपदः सन्निकर्षगतः सदा । अक्षुद्रः सत्पथालम्बी स राजा राज्यभाग्भवेत् ॥

yasya nārto janapadaḥ sannikarṣagataḥ sadā | akṣudraḥ satpathālambī sa rājā rājyabhāgbhavet

The king whose country, always close to his care, is never in distress, is not petty and rests on the right path, shares fully in the kingdom.

Verse 20 (12.115.20)

कोशोऽक्षपटलं यस्य कोशवृद्धिकरैर्नरैः । आप्तैस्तुष्टैश्च पृष्टैश्च धार्यते स नृपोत्तमः ॥

kośo'kṣapaṭalaṃ yasya kośavṛddhikarairnaraiḥ | āptaistuṣṭaiśca pṛṣṭaiśca dhāryate sa nṛpottamaḥ

The best of kings is he whose treasury and record office are kept by reliable, contented and well-tested men who add to the treasury.

Verse 21 (12.115.21)

कोष्ठागारमसंहार्यैराप्तैः संचयतत्परैः । पात्रभूतैरलुब्धैश्च पाल्यमानं गुणी भवेत् ॥

koṣṭhāgāramasaṃhāryairāptaiḥ saṃcayatatparaiḥ | pātrabhūtairalubdhaiśca pālyamānaṃ guṇī bhavet

A storehouse of grain, guarded by trusted, incorruptible men who are intent on gathering stores, who are worthy and free from greed, grows manifold in its yield.

Verse 22 (12.115.22)

व्यवहारश्च नगरे यस्य धर्मफलोदयः । दृश्यते शङ्खलिखितः स धर्मफलभाङ् नृपः ॥

vyavahāraśca nagare yasya dharmaphalodayaḥ | dṛśyate śaṅkhalikhitaḥ sa dharmaphalabhāṅ nṛpaḥ

The king in whose city the administration of justice is seen to bring forth the fruit of righteousness, in the manner of Shankha and Likhita, is a sharer in the fruit of dharma.

Verse 23 (12.115.23)

संगृहीतमनुष्यश्च यो राजा राजधर्मवित् । षड्भागं परिगृह्णाति स धर्मफलमश्नुते ॥

saṃgṛhītamanuṣyaśca yo rājā rājadharmavit | ṣaḍbhāgaṃ parigṛhṇāti sa dharmaphalamaśnute

The king who has won over his people, knows the duties of kings, and takes only a sixth share, obtains the fruit of dharma.

Note on the text: Corrected षङ्‌भागं → षड्भागं (misprint in Wikisource; ङ् for ड् with a stray zero-width non-joiner; षड्भाग is the sixth part, and the critical edition reads ṣaḍvargaṃ pratigṛhṇan, a different reading).