Each Servant in His Proper Place

Verse 1 (12.119.1)

एवं गुणयुतान्भृत्यान्स्वेस्वे स्थाने नराधिपः । नियोजयति कृत्येषु स राज्यफलमश्नुते ॥

evaṃ guṇayutānbhṛtyānsvesve sthāne narādhipaḥ | niyojayati kṛtyeṣu sa rājyaphalamaśnute

The king who in this way places servants endowed with such qualities, each in his own proper place among the tasks, enjoys the fruit of his kingdom.

Note on the text: Adhyaya note: the page is the right adhyaya (rows labelled 12-119-1 to 12-119-20; the colophon reads एकोनविंशत्यधिकशततमोऽध्यायः । 119) and it is the critical edition's 12.119 (20 verses), verse for verse. The title line above the table is a heading, not a verse. The page ends with its colophon; the glosses printed after the table (12-119-1, 7, 10, 15) are not added, and no other block follows. Speaker: the page heads Bhishma once (12-119-1x, spelled correctly) and the whole adhyaya is his speech. Line 1 reads एवं गुणयुतान् where the CE has evaṃ śunāsamān, a recension variant, kept.

Verse 2 (12.119.2)

न वा स्वस्थानमुत्क्रम्य प्रमाणमपि सत्कृतम् । आरोप्य चापि स्वस्थानमुत्क्रम्यान्यत्प्रपद्यते ॥

na vā svasthānamutkramya pramāṇamapi satkṛtam | āropya cāpi svasthānamutkramyānyatprapadyate

One who has left his own place is not to be honoured, even within measure; and even when raised back into his own place, he quits it and goes elsewhere.

Note on the text: Wikisource's wording differs from the CE (na śvā svasthānam utkramya pramāṇam abhi satkṛtaḥ / āropyaḥ śvā svakāt sthānād utkramyānyat prapadyate); recension variant, kept.

Verse 3 (12.119.3)

स्वजातिगुणसंपन्नाः स्वेषु धर्मेष्ववस्थिताः । प्रकर्तव्या ह्यमात्यास्तु नास्थाने प्रक्रिया क्षमा ॥

svajātiguṇasaṃpannāḥ sveṣu dharmeṣvavasthitāḥ | prakartavyā hyamātyāstu nāsthāne prakriyā kṣamā

Ministers should be appointed from men who have the qualities of their own class and stand firm in their own duties; to appoint in the wrong place is not fitting.

Verse 4 (12.119.4)

अनुरूपाणि कर्माणि भृत्येभ्यो यः प्रयच्छति । स भृत्यगुणसंपन्नं राजा फलमुपाश्नुते ॥

anurūpāṇi karmāṇi bhṛtyebhyo yaḥ prayacchati | sa bhṛtyaguṇasaṃpannaṃ rājā phalamupāśnute

The king who gives his servants work suited to them gains the fruit of his servants' merit.

Verse 5 (12.119.5)

शरभः शरभस्थाने सिंहः सिंह इवोत्थितः । व्याघ्रो व्याघ्र इव स्थाप्यो द्वीपी द्वीपी यथा तथा ॥

śarabhaḥ śarabhasthāne siṃhaḥ siṃha ivotthitaḥ | vyāghro vyāghra iva sthāpyo dvīpī dvīpī yathā tathā

A sharabha should be set in a sharabha's place, a lion, lifted up, as a lion, a tiger as a tiger, a leopard as a leopard, and so on in the same way.

Verse 6 (12.119.6)

कर्मस्विहानुरूपेषु न्यस्या भृत्या यथाविधि । प्रतिलोमं न भृत्यास्ते स्थाप्याः कर्मफलैषिणा ॥

karmasvihānurūpeṣu nyasyā bhṛtyā yathāvidhi | pratilomaṃ na bhṛtyāste sthāpyāḥ karmaphalaiṣiṇā

Servants are to be placed by rule in the tasks that suit them; one who seeks the fruit of work should not place those servants in reverse order.

Verse 7 (12.119.7)

यः प्रमाणमतिक्रम्य प्रतिलोमं नराधिपः । भृत्यान्स्थापयतेऽबुद्धिर्न स रञ्जयते प्रजाः ॥

yaḥ pramāṇamatikramya pratilomaṃ narādhipaḥ | bhṛtyānsthāpayate'buddhirna sa rañjayate prajāḥ

The foolish king who, overstepping the measure, sets servants in reverse order does not win the hearts of his subjects.

Verse 8 (12.119.8)

न बालिशा न च क्षुद्रा नाप्राज्ञा नाजितेन्द्रियाः । नाकुलीना जनाः पार्श्वे स्थाप्या राज्ञा गुणैषिणा ॥

na bāliśā na ca kṣudrā nāprājñā nājitendriyāḥ | nākulīnā janāḥ pārśve sthāpyā rājñā guṇaiṣiṇā

Foolish men, petty men, the unwise, the uncontrolled and the low-born should not be kept at his side by a king who seeks merit in his men.

Verse 9 (12.119.9)

साधवः कुलजाः शूरा ज्ञानवन्तोऽनसूयकाः । अक्षुद्राः शुचयो दक्षाः स्युर्नराः पारिपार्श्वकाः ॥

sādhavaḥ kulajāḥ śūrā jñānavanto'nasūyakāḥ | akṣudrāḥ śucayo dakṣāḥ syurnarāḥ pāripārśvakāḥ

Good men, men of good family, heroes, the knowledgeable, those without envy, the not-petty, the pure and the skilful: such men should be the attendants at his side.

Verse 10 (12.119.10)

उद्भूतास्तत्पराः शान्ताश्चौक्षाः प्रकृतिजाः शुभाः । स्वेस्वे स्थानेऽनुपाकृष्टास्ते स्यू राज्ञो बहिश्चराः ॥

udbhūtāstatparāḥ śāntāścaukṣāḥ prakṛtijāḥ śubhāḥ | svesve sthāne'nupākṛṣṭāste syū rājño bahiścarāḥ

Men of high standing, devoted, calm, pure, innately good and auspicious, not drawn away from their own places: these would be the king's agents abroad, like his very breaths outside his body.

Verse 11 (12.119.11)

सिंहस्य सततं पार्श्वे सिंह एव जनो भवेत् । असिंहः सिंहसहितः सिंहवल्लभते फलम् ॥

siṃhasya satataṃ pārśve siṃha eva jano bhavet | asiṃhaḥ siṃhasahitaḥ siṃhavallabhate phalam

At a lion's side there should always be only a lion-like man; one who is no lion, yet is in a lion's company, gets a lion's reward.

Verse 12 (12.119.12)

यस्तु सिंहः श्वभिः कीर्णः सिंहकर्मफले रतः । न स सिंहफलं भोक्तुं शक्तः श्वभिरुपासितः ॥

yastu siṃhaḥ śvabhiḥ kīrṇaḥ siṃhakarmaphale rataḥ | na sa siṃhaphalaṃ bhoktuṃ śaktaḥ śvabhirupāsitaḥ

But a lion surrounded by dogs, eager for the fruit of a lion's deeds, cannot enjoy a lion's reward when he is waited on by dogs.

Verse 13 (12.119.13)

एवमेतैर्मनुष्येन्द्र शूरैः प्राज्ञैर्बहुश्रुतैः । कुलीनैः सह शक्येत कृत्स्ना जेतुं वसुंधरा ॥

evametairmanuṣyendra śūraiḥ prājñairbahuśrutaiḥ | kulīnaiḥ saha śakyeta kṛtsnā jetuṃ vasuṃdharā

Thus, O lord of men, with such heroes, wise, much learned and well-born, the whole earth could be won.

Note on the text: Corrected एव मेतैर् → एवमेतैर् (misprint in Wikisource; a space inside the word एवम्; CE evam etair).

Verse 14 (12.119.14)

नावैद्यो नानृजुः पार्श्वे नाप्राज्ञो नामहायशाः । संग्राह्यो वसुधापालैर्भृत्यो भृत्यवतां वर ॥

nāvaidyo nānṛjuḥ pārśve nāprājño nāmahāyaśāḥ | saṃgrāhyo vasudhāpālairbhṛtyo bhṛtyavatāṃ vara

No uneducated man, no crooked man, no unwise man, none who lacks great renown, is to be taken into service by the guardians of the earth, O best of those who have servants.

Note on the text: Corrected ना महायशाः → नामहायशाः (misprint in Wikisource; न + अमहायशाः printed as two words with a lengthened ना, which would reverse the sense; the CE reads nāmahādhanaḥ). Line 1 reads नानृजुः पार्श्वे नाप्राज्ञो, a recension variant of the CE's nāvidyo, kept.

Verse 15 (12.119.15)

वाणवद्विसृता यान्ति स्वामिकार्यपरा नराः । ये भृत्याः पार्थिवहितास्तेषु सान्त्वं सदा चरेत् ॥

vāṇavadvisṛtā yānti svāmikāryaparā narāḥ | ye bhṛtyāḥ pārthivahitāsteṣu sāntvaṃ sadā caret

Men devoted to their master's work go forth like arrows let fly; toward those servants who are loyal to the king he should always practise conciliation.

Verse 16 (12.119.16)

कोशश्च सततं रक्ष्यो यत्नमास्थाय राजभिः । कोशमूला हि राजानः कोशवृद्धिकरो भवेत् ॥

kośaśca satataṃ rakṣyo yatnamāsthāya rājabhiḥ | kośamūlā hi rājānaḥ kośavṛddhikaro bhavet

The treasury must always be guarded by kings with care, for kings have the treasury for their root; let him be one who increases the treasury.

Verse 17 (12.119.17)

कोष्ठागारं च ते नित्यं स्फीतं धान्यैः सुसंचितैः । सदा त्वं सत्सु संन्यस्तधनधान्यपरो भव ॥

koṣṭhāgāraṃ ca te nityaṃ sphītaṃ dhānyaiḥ susaṃcitaiḥ | sadā tvaṃ satsu saṃnyastadhanadhānyaparo bhava

May your granary always be full, well stocked with grain; be always intent on the wealth and grain entrusted to good men.

Note on the text: Corrected धनधान्यपको → धनधान्यपरो (misprint in Wikisource; क for र, पक is not a word here; CE dhanadhānyaparo). The page prints a single daṇḍa at the end; the verse end is marked ॥.

Verse 18 (12.119.18)

नित्ययुक्ताश्च ते भृत्या भवन्तु रणकोविदाः । वाजिनां च प्रयोगेषु वैशारद्यमिहेष्यते ॥

nityayuktāśca te bhṛtyā bhavantu raṇakovidāḥ | vājināṃ ca prayogeṣu vaiśāradyamiheṣyate

Let your servants be ever diligent and skilled in war; and skill in the handling of horses is looked for here.

Verse 19 (12.119.19)

ज्ञातिबन्धुजनावेक्षी मित्रसंबन्धिसत्कृतः । पौरकार्यहितान्वेक्षी भव कौरवनन्दन ॥

jñātibandhujanāvekṣī mitrasaṃbandhisatkṛtaḥ | paurakāryahitānvekṣī bhava kauravanandana

Look after your kinsmen and relatives, be honoured by friends and in-laws, and, O joy of the Kauravas, be one who attends to the welfare and the affairs of the townsfolk.

Note on the text: Corrected हितान्वेक्षई → हितान्वेक्षी (misprint in Wikisource; a stray independent vowel ई in place of the vowel sign; the CE has hitānveṣī, a recension variant in the root).

Verse 20 (12.119.20)

एषा ते नैष्ठिकी बुद्धिः प्रज्ञा चाभिहिता मया । श्वा ते निदर्शनं तात किं भूयः श्रोतुमिच्छसि ॥

eṣā te naiṣṭhikī buddhiḥ prajñā cābhihitā mayā | śvā te nidarśanaṃ tāta kiṃ bhūyaḥ śrotumicchasi

This is your settled judgement, and the wisdom I have told you; the dog is your illustration, my child. What more do you wish to hear?

Note on the text: Corrected मषा → मया (misprint in Wikisource; not a word here; CE mayā) and श्वाते → श्वा ते (misprint in Wikisource; two words run together; CE śvā te).