A Brahmin's Livelihood in Evil Times

Verse 1 (12.132.1)

हीने परमके धर्मे सर्वलोकातिलङ्घने । सर्वस्मिन्दस्युसाद्भूते पृथिव्यामुपजीवने ॥

hīne paramake dharme sarvalokātilaṅghane | sarvasmindasyusādbhūte pṛthivyāmupajīvane

When the highest dharma has declined and is transgressed on every side, and every means of livelihood on earth has fallen into the hands of robbers,

Verse 2 (12.132.2)

केन स्विद्ब्राह्मणो जीवेज्जघन्ये काल आगते । असंत्यजन्पुत्रपौत्राननुक्रोशात्पितामह ॥

kena svidbrāhmaṇo jīvejjaghanye kāla āgate | asaṃtyajanputrapautrānanukrośātpitāmaha

then by what means, grandfather, can a Brahmin live in this wretched time that has come, without abandoning his sons and grandsons, out of compassion?

Verse 3 (12.132.3)

विज्ञानबलमास्थाय जीवितव्यं तथा गते । सर्वं साध्वर्थमेवेदमसाध्वर्थं न किंचन ॥

vijñānabalamāsthāya jīvitavyaṃ tathā gate | sarvaṃ sādhvarthamevedamasādhvarthaṃ na kiṃcana

Relying on the strength of discernment, one must go on living even in such a plight. All this is for the sake of the good; none of it is for the sake of the wicked.

Verse 4 (12.132.4)

असाधुभ्योऽर्थमादाय साधुभ्यो यः प्रयच्छति । आत्मानं संक्रमं कृत्वा कृच्छ्रधर्मकृदेव सः ॥

asādhubhyo'rthamādāya sādhubhyo yaḥ prayacchati | ātmānaṃ saṃkramaṃ kṛtvā kṛcchradharmakṛdeva saḥ

He who takes wealth from the wicked and gives it to the good, making himself the bridge between them, is indeed one who practises a hard dharma.

Verse 5 (12.132.5)

अरोषेणात्मनो राजन्राज्ये स्थितिमकोपयन् । अदत्तमप्याददीत भ्रातुर्वित्तं ममेति वा ॥

aroṣeṇātmano rājanrājye sthitimakopayan | adattamapyādadīta bhrāturvittaṃ mameti vā

Without anger, O king, and without disturbing the order of his own realm, he may take even what has not been given, as one takes a brother's wealth, thinking, "It is mine."

Note on the text: Corrected आददीत् → आददीत (misprint in Wikisource; a stray final halant on the optative; the critical edition reads ādadīta). Wikisource भ्रातुः for dātuḥ and अरोषेण for suroṣeṇa are variants, kept.

Verse 6 (12.132.6)

विज्ञानबलपूतो यो वर्तते निन्दितेष्वपि । वृत्तिविज्ञानवान्धीरः कस्तं वक्तुमिहार्हति ॥

vijñānabalapūto yo vartate ninditeṣvapi | vṛttivijñānavāndhīraḥ kastaṃ vaktumihārhati

Who here could find fault with the steadfast man who, made pure by the strength of discernment, lives even among things that are censured, and who understands the ways of livelihood?

Verse 7 (12.132.7)

येषां बहुकृता बुद्धिस्तेषामन्या न रोचते । तेजसा ते प्रवर्तन्ते बलवन्तो युधिष्ठिर ॥

yeṣāṃ bahukṛtā buddhisteṣāmanyā na rocate | tejasā te pravartante balavanto yudhiṣṭhira

Those whose understanding has been long exercised do not care for any other counsel; and it is by their vigour, Yudhishthira, that the powerful go forward.

Note on the text: Corrected यजसा → तेजसा (misprint in Wikisource; यजसा is not a word; the critical edition reads tejasā, 'by vigour'). Line 1 is a recension variant of CE 12.130.7a (Wikisource येषां बहुकृता बुद्धिः for yeṣāṃ balakṛtā vṛttiḥ), kept. The alignment found no match.

Verse 8 (12.132.8)

यदैव प्रकृतं शास्त्रं जनस्तदनुवर्तते । यदैवमध्यासेवन्ते मेधावी वाऽप्यथोत्तरम् ॥

yadaiva prakṛtaṃ śāstraṃ janastadanuvartate | yadaivamadhyāsevante medhāvī vā'pyathottaram

People follow whatever teaching has been laid down; and whatever the ordinary run of men adopt in this way, the wise man and the best of men adopt too.

Note on the text: Corrected मेध्रावी → मेधावी (misprint in Wikisource; a stray ra; the critical edition reads medhāvī). Wikisource यदैवमध्यासेवन्ते is a recension variant of tad eva madhyāḥ sevante, kept.

Verse 9 (12.132.9)

ऋत्विक्पुरोहिताचार्यान्सत्कृतानभिसत्कृतान् । न ब्राह्मणान्घातयीत दोषान्प्राप्नोति घातयन् ॥

ṛtvikpurohitācāryānsatkṛtānabhisatkṛtān | na brāhmaṇānghātayīta doṣānprāpnoti ghātayan

A king must not have priests, household priests or teachers put to death or harmed, for they have been honoured and well revered; he who has them struck down incurs guilt.

Verse 10 (12.132.10)

एतत्प्रमाणं लोकस्य चक्षुरेतत्सनातनम् । तत्प्रमाणोऽवगाहेत तेन तत्साध्वसाधु वा ॥

etatpramāṇaṃ lokasya cakṣuretatsanātanam | tatpramāṇo'vagāheta tena tatsādhvasādhu vā

This is the standard for the world, this is its eye, this is the eternal rule. Taking it as his standard, let a man enter upon any matter, and by it judge whether a thing is good or bad.

Note on the text: Corrected एतत्सातनम् → एतत्सनातनम् (misprint in Wikisource; a dropped syllable; the critical edition reads etat sanātanam).

Verse 11 (12.132.11)

बहवो ग्रामवास्तव्या दोषान्ब्रूयुः परस्परम् । न तेषां वचनाद्राजा सत्कुर्याद्धातयीत वा ॥

bahavo grāmavāstavyā doṣānbrūyuḥ parasparam | na teṣāṃ vacanādrājā satkuryāddhātayīta vā

If many villagers speak of one another's faults, the king should not, on their word, either honour a man or have him put to death.

Note on the text: Corrected हवो → बहवो (misprint in Wikisource; the first syllable is dropped; the critical edition reads bahūni, and the sense is 'many villagers'). Wikisource दोषान् for roṣāt is a variant, kept.

Verse 12 (12.132.12)

न वाच्यः परिवादो वै न श्रोतव्यः कथंचन । कर्णौ तत्र पिधातव्यौ गन्तव्यं वा ततोऽन्यतः ॥

na vācyaḥ parivādo vai na śrotavyaḥ kathaṃcana | karṇau tatra pidhātavyau gantavyaṃ vā tato'nyataḥ

Slander should not be spoken, nor in any way listened to; one should stop one's ears there, or go away from that place.

Verse 13 (12.132.13)

न सतां शीलमेतद्वै परिवादो न पैशुनम् । गुणानामेव वक्तारः सन्तो नित्यं युधिष्ठिर ॥

na satāṃ śīlametadvai parivādo na paiśunam | guṇānāmeva vaktāraḥ santo nityaṃ yudhiṣṭhira

Slander and backbiting are not the way of the good. The good, Yudhishthira, are always speakers only of the virtues of others.

Verse 14 (12.132.14)

यथा समधुरौ दम्यौ सुदान्तौ साधुवाहिनौ । धुरमुद्यम्य वहतस्तथा वर्तेत वै नृपः ॥

yathā samadhurau damyau sudāntau sādhuvāhinau | dhuramudyamya vahatastathā varteta vai nṛpaḥ

As two well-matched, well-trained, steady oxen that carry the load well lift the yoke and bear it, so should a king conduct himself.

Note on the text: = CE 12.130.14a,c. The alignment found no match.

Verse 15 (12.132.15)

यथायथाऽस्य बहवः सहायाः स्युस्तथा चरेत् । आचारमेव मन्यन्ते गरीयो धर्मलक्षणम् ॥

yathāyathā'sya bahavaḥ sahāyāḥ syustathā caret | ācārameva manyante garīyo dharmalakṣaṇam

He should act so that as many helpers as possible come to him. People hold that good conduct is the weightiest mark of dharma.

Note on the text: Line 1 = CE 12.130.14e (Wikisource बहवः for vahataḥ, a variant); line 2 = CE 12.130.15a. The alignment found no match.

Verse 16 (12.132.16)

अपरे नैवमिच्छन्ति ये शङ्खलिखितप्रियाः । अर्थे क्षीणेऽथवा लुब्धास्ते ब्रूयुर्वाक्यमीदृशम् ॥

apare naivamicchanti ye śaṅkhalikhitapriyāḥ | arthe kṣīṇe'thavā lubdhāste brūyurvākyamīdṛśam

Others, who are fond of the code of Shankha and Likhita, do not wish it so; when their wealth is spent, or when they are greedy, they would speak words like these.

Note on the text: Corrected शङ्खलिखिंतप्रियाः → शङ्खलिखितप्रियाः (misprint in Wikisource; a stray anusvara; the critical edition reads śaṅkhalikhitapriyāḥ). Line 1 = CE 12.130.15c; line 2 is a variant of CE 12.130.15e (Wikisource अर्थे क्षीणेऽथवा for mārdavād atha). The alignment found no match.

Verse 17 (12.132.17)

आर्षमप्यत्र पश्यन्ति विकर्मस्थस्य पातनम् । न चार्षात्सदृशं किंचित्प्रमाणं दृश्यते क्वचित् ॥

ārṣamapyatra paśyanti vikarmasthasya pātanam | na cārṣātsadṛśaṃ kiṃcitpramāṇaṃ dṛśyate kvacit

Here they find even a seer's sanction for bringing down one who stays in wrong action; and nowhere is any authority seen that equals that of the seers.

Note on the text: Corrected आर्षमष्यत्र → आर्षमप्यत्र (misprint in Wikisource; ष for प; the critical edition reads ārṣam apy atra). Wikisource पातनम् for yāpanam is a variant, kept.

Verse 18 (12.132.18)

देवा ह्यपि विकर्मस्थं घातयन्ति नराधमम् । व्याजेन विन्दन्वित्तं हि धर्मतः परिहीयते ॥

devā hyapi vikarmasthaṃ ghātayanti narādhamam | vyājena vindanvittaṃ hi dharmataḥ parihīyate

Even the gods have the lowest of men, one who stays in wrong action, struck down; for he who gains wealth by deceit falls away from dharma.

Verse 19 (12.132.19)

सर्वतः सत्कृतः सद्भिर्भूतिप्रवरकारणैः । हृदयेनाभ्यनुज्ञातो यो धर्मस्तं व्यवस्यति ॥

sarvataḥ satkṛtaḥ sadbhirbhūtipravarakāraṇaiḥ | hṛdayenābhyanujñāto yo dharmastaṃ vyavasyati

That dharma which the good honour on every side by the chief grounds of welfare, and which the heart itself approves, to that one should hold fast.

Verse 20 (12.132.20)

यश्चतुर्गुणसंपन्नं धर्मं वेद स धर्मवित् । अहेरिव हि धर्मस्य पदं दुःखं गवेषितुम् ॥

yaścaturguṇasaṃpannaṃ dharmaṃ veda sa dharmavit | aheriva hi dharmasya padaṃ duḥkhaṃ gaveṣitum

He who knows dharma endowed with its four qualities is the knower of dharma; yet the track of dharma is as hard to trace as the track of a snake.

Verse 21 (12.132.21)

यथा मृगस्य विद्धस्य मृगव्याधः पदं नयेत् । लक्षेद्रुधिरपातेन तथा धर्मपदं नयेत् ॥

yathā mṛgasya viddhasya mṛgavyādhaḥ padaṃ nayet | lakṣedrudhirapātena tathā dharmapadaṃ nayet

As a hunter follows the track of a wounded deer by the fall of its blood, so should one follow the track of dharma.

Verse 22 (12.132.22)

यथा सम्यग्विनीतेन पथा गन्तव्यमप्युत । राजर्षीणां वृत्तमेतदेवं गच्छ युधिष्ठिर ॥

yathā samyagvinītena pathā gantavyamapyuta | rājarṣīṇāṃ vṛttametadevaṃ gaccha yudhiṣṭhira

As one must travel by a path that is well trodden and disciplined, so is this the conduct of the royal sages; go in this way, Yudhishthira.

Note on the text: Corrected सम्यग्वितेन → सम्यग्विनीतेन (misprint in Wikisource; the syllable नी is dropped; the critical edition reads vinītena). Line 2 is a recension variant (एवं गच्छ for avagaccha), kept.