Strength as the Root of Dharma

Verse 1 (12.134.1)

अत्राप्युदाहरन्तीममितिहासं पुरातनम् । अत्र कामन्दवचनं कीर्तयन्ति पुराविदः । प्रत्यक्षावेव धर्मार्थौ क्षत्रियस्य विजानतः ॥

atrāpyudāharantīmamitihāsaṃ purātanam | atra kāmandavacanaṃ kīrtayanti purāvidaḥ | pratyakṣāveva dharmārthau kṣatriyasya vijānataḥ

Here too they cite this ancient tale. On this the ancients recite the saying of Kamandaka: for a Kshatriya who understands, dharma and wealth are both directly seen.

Note on the text: Removed the stray backtick and quote mark and the extra daṇḍa around line 1. Line 1 is the CE star passage 12.132.1*0302_01 (atrāpy udāharantīmam itihāsaṃ purātanam), not in the constituted text; lines 2-3 = CE 12.132.1a,c (Wikisource कामन्द- for karmānta-, a variant, kept). The alignment found no match.

Verse 2 (12.134.2)

तौ तु न व्यवधातव्यौ परोक्षा धर्मयातना । अधर्मो धर्म इत्येतद्यथा वृक्षफलं तथा ॥

tau tu na vyavadhātavyau parokṣā dharmayātanā | adharmo dharma ityetadyathā vṛkṣaphalaṃ tathā

These two must not be obstructed; the torment of dharma lies out of sight. That a thing is adharma or dharma is like the fruit of a tree.

Note on the text: Line 1 = a variant of CE 12.132.1e (Wikisource तौ तु न व्यवधातव्यौ परोक्षा धर्मयातना for tatra na vyavadhātavyaṃ parokṣā dharmayāpanā); line 2 = CE 12.132.2a (Wikisource वृक्षफलम् for vṛkapadam; the page's commentary records the reading वृकपदम् as a variant). The alignment found no match.

Verse 3 (12.134.3)

धर्माधर्मफले जातु ददर्शेह न कश्चन । बुभूषेद्बलमेवैतत्सर्वं बलवतो वशे ॥

dharmādharmaphale jātu dadarśeha na kaścana | bubhūṣedbalamevaitatsarvaṃ balavato vaśe

No one here has ever seen the fruits of dharma and adharma. One should wish to be strong; everything lies in the power of the strong.

Note on the text: Corrected वुभूषेद्बलमेवैतत् → बुभूषेद्बलमेवैतत् (misprint in Wikisource; व for ब; the critical edition reads bubhūṣed). Line 1 = CE 12.132.2c; line 2 = a variant of CE 12.132.3a (Wikisource बलमेवैतत् for balavān eva). The alignment found no match.

Verse 4 (12.134.4)

श्रियं बलममात्यांश्च बलवानिह विन्दति । यो ह्यनाढ्यः स पतितस्तदुच्छिष्टं यदल्पकम् ॥

śriyaṃ balamamātyāṃśca balavāniha vindati | yo hyanāḍhyaḥ sa patitastaducchiṣṭaṃ yadalpakam

The strong man gains fortune, strength and ministers here. He who is poor has fallen; what little he has is mere leavings.

Note on the text: Lines = CE 12.132.3c, 4a. The alignment found no match.

Verse 5 (12.134.5)

बह्वपथ्ये बलवति न किंचित्क्रियते भयात् । उभौ सत्याधिकारौ तौ त्रायेते महतो भयात् ॥

bahvapathye balavati na kiṃcitkriyate bhayāt | ubhau satyādhikārau tau trāyete mahato bhayāt

Nothing is done against a strong man, however much he does amiss, out of fear. Those two, who hold rightful authority through truth, save us from great fear.

Note on the text: Lines = CE 12.132.4c (Wikisource क्रियते for trāyate, a variant, kept), 5a. The alignment found no match.

Verse 6 (12.134.6)

अति धर्माद्बलं मन्ये बलाद्धर्मः प्रवर्तते । बले प्रतिष्ठितो धर्मो धरण्यामिव जंगमः ॥

ati dharmādbalaṃ manye balāddharmaḥ pravartate | bale pratiṣṭhito dharmo dharaṇyāmiva jaṃgamaḥ

I hold strength to be greater than dharma, for dharma proceeds from strength. Dharma rests on strength as the moving rests on the earth.

Note on the text: Lines = CE 12.132.5c, 6a. The alignment found no match.

Verse 7 (12.134.7)

धूमो वायोरिव वशे बलं धर्मोऽनुवर्तते । अनीश्वरो बलं धर्मो द्रुमं वल्लीव संश्रिता ॥

dhūmo vāyoriva vaśe balaṃ dharmo'nuvartate | anīśvaro balaṃ dharmo drumaṃ vallīva saṃśritā

Dharma follows strength as smoke follows the wind. Having no master, dharma clings to strength as a creeper clings to a tree.

Note on the text: Lines = CE 12.132.6c, 7a. The alignment found no match.

Verse 8 (12.134.8)

वशे बलवतां धर्मः सुखं भोगवतामिव । नास्त्यसाध्यं बलवतां सर्वं बलवता जितम् ॥

vaśe balavatāṃ dharmaḥ sukhaṃ bhogavatāmiva | nāstyasādhyaṃ balavatāṃ sarvaṃ balavatā jitam

Dharma is in the power of the strong, as pleasure is in the power of the wealthy. Nothing is impossible for the strong; everything is conquered by the strong.

Note on the text: Lines = CE 12.132.7c, 7e (Wikisource सर्वं बलवता जितम् for sarvaṃ balavatāṃ śuci, a variant, kept). The alignment found no match.

Verse 9 (12.134.9)

दुराचारः क्षीणबलः परिमाणं न गच्छति । अथ तस्मादुद्विजते सर्वो लोको वृकादिव ॥

durācāraḥ kṣīṇabalaḥ parimāṇaṃ na gacchati | atha tasmādudvijate sarvo loko vṛkādiva

A man of evil conduct whose strength has failed does not reach his measure, and then everyone shrinks from him as from a wolf.

Verse 10 (12.134.10)

अपध्वस्तो ह्यवमतो दुःखं जीवति जीवितम् । जीवितं यदधिक्षिप्तं यथैव मरणं तथा ॥

apadhvasto hyavamato duḥkhaṃ jīvati jīvitam | jīvitaṃ yadadhikṣiptaṃ yathaiva maraṇaṃ tathā

Thrown down and despised, he lives a life of misery; a life that has been cast aside is no different from death.

Verse 11 (12.134.11)

यदेवमाहुः पापेन चारित्रेण विवक्षितम् । सुभृशं तप्यते तेन वाक्‌शल्येन परिक्षतः ॥

yadevamāhuḥ pāpena cāritreṇa vivakṣitam | subhṛśaṃ tapyate tena vākśalyena parikṣataḥ

When people speak of him as marked by evil conduct, he is tormented sorely, pierced by that dart of words.

Verse 12 (12.134.12)

अत्रैतदाहुराचार्याः पापस्य परिमोक्षणे । त्रयीं विद्यामुपासीत तथोपासीत वै द्विजान् ॥

atraitadāhurācāryāḥ pāpasya parimokṣaṇe | trayīṃ vidyāmupāsīta tathopāsīta vai dvijān

On this the teachers say, for release from sin: let him practise the threefold Veda, and likewise attend upon the twice-born.

Verse 13 (12.134.13)

प्रसादयेन्मधुरया वाचा चाप्यथ कर्मणा । महामनाश्चैव भवेद्विवहेच्च महाकुले ॥

prasādayenmadhurayā vācā cāpyatha karmaṇā | mahāmanāścaiva bhavedvivahecca mahākule

Let him win them over with sweet speech and with deeds; let him be high-minded and marry into a great family.

Verse 14 (12.134.14)

इत्यस्तीति वदेदेव परेषां कीर्तयेद्गुणान् । जपेदुदकशीलः स्यात्पेशलो नातिजल्पकः ॥

ityastīti vadedeva pareṣāṃ kīrtayedguṇān | japedudakaśīlaḥ syātpeśalo nātijalpakaḥ

Let him say, "So it is," and proclaim the virtues of others; let him be given to ablutions and the muttering of prayers, pleasant, and not given to much talk.

Verse 15 (12.134.15)

ब्रह्म क्षत्रं संप्रविशेद्बहु कृत्वा सुदुष्करम् । उच्यमानो हि लोकेन बहु तत्तदचिन्तयन् ॥

brahma kṣatraṃ saṃpraviśedbahu kṛtvā suduṣkaram | ucyamāno hi lokena bahu tattadacintayan

Let him enter the union of Brahmin and Kshatriya duty, having done much that is very hard, paying no heed to all that people say of him.

Verse 16 (12.134.16)

उपप्राप्यैवमाचारं क्षिप्रं बहुमतो भवेत् । सुखं च वित्तं भुञ्जीत वृत्तेनैकेन गोपयेत् ॥

upaprāpyaivamācāraṃ kṣipraṃ bahumato bhavet | sukhaṃ ca vittaṃ bhuñjīta vṛttenaikena gopayet

Having taken up such conduct he soon becomes much honoured. Let him enjoy happiness and wealth, and guard it by one single way of life.

Note on the text: = a variant of CE 12.132.15a,c (Wikisource उपप्राप्यैवमाचारम् for apāpo hy evam ācāraḥ; वृत्तेनैकेन for vṛttenaitena). The alignment found no match.

Verse 17 (12.134.17)

अपि तेभ्यो मृगान्हत्वा नयेच्च सततं वने । यस्मिन्न प्रतिगृह्णन्ति दस्युभोजनशङ्कया । लोके च लभते पूजां परत्रेह महत्फलम् ॥

api tebhyo mṛgānhatvā nayecca satataṃ vane | yasminna pratigṛhṇanti dasyubhojanaśaṅkayā | loke ca labhate pūjāṃ paratreha mahatphalam

Let him also kill deer and bring them constantly to those in the forest who will not accept gifts from him, fearing a robber's food. So he wins honour in this world and great reward in the next.

Note on the text: Removed the stray backtick and quote mark and the extra daṇḍa around lines 1-2. Lines 1-2 are not in the critical edition's constituted text; they are the star passage 12.132.15d*0303_01-02 (api tebhyo mṛgān hatvā nayec ca satataṃ vane / yasmin na pratigṛhṇanti dasyubhojanaśaṅkayā); line 3 = CE 12.132.15e. The alignment found no match.