Dyumatsena and Satyavan on Punishing Wrongdoers

Verse 1 (12.273.1)

कथं राजा प्रजा रक्षेन्न च किंचित्प्रतापयेत् । पृच्छामि त्वां सतां श्रेष्ठ तन्मे ब्रूहि पितामह ॥

kathaṃ rājā prajā rakṣenna ca kiṃcitpratāpayet | pṛcchāmi tvāṃ satāṃ śreṣṭha tanme brūhi pitāmaha

How can a king protect his subjects without causing them any distress? I ask you, best of the good; tell me that, grandfather.

Verse 2 (12.273.2)

अत्राप्युदाहरन्तीममितिहासं पुरातनम् । द्युमत्सेनस्य संवादं राज्ञा सत्यवता सह ॥

atrāpyudāharantīmamitihāsaṃ purātanam | dyumatsenasya saṃvādaṃ rājñā satyavatā saha

On this point they cite an ancient tale, the conversation of Dyumatsena with King Satyavan.

Verse 3 (12.273.3)

अव्याहृतं व्याजहार सत्यवानिति नः श्रुतम् । वधाय नीयमानेषु पितुरेवानुशासनात् ॥

avyāhṛtaṃ vyājahāra satyavāniti naḥ śrutam | vadhāya nīyamāneṣu piturevānuśāsanāt

We have heard that Satyavan spoke what had never been said before, when men were being led away to be put to death on his own father's command.

Verse 4 (12.273.4)

अधर्मतां याति धर्मो यात्यधर्मश्च धर्मताम् । वधो नाम भवेद्धर्मो नैतद्भवितुमर्हति ॥

adharmatāṃ yāti dharmo yātyadharmaśca dharmatām | vadho nāma bhaveddharmo naitadbhavitumarhati

'Dharma turns into adharma, and adharma into dharma. That killing should be called dharma cannot be right.'

Note on the text: Speaker: the page prints this verse under Bhishma's heading, but it is Satyavan's own saying (verse 5 is Dyumatsena's answer to it), so it is given to Satyavan.

Verse 5 (12.273.5)

अथ चेदवधो धर्मोऽधर्मः को जातुचिद्भवेत् । दस्यवश्चेन्न हन्येरन्सत्यवन्संकरो भवेत् ॥

atha cedavadho dharmo'dharmaḥ ko jātucidbhavet | dasyavaścenna hanyeransatyavansaṃkaro bhavet

'But if not killing is dharma, what could ever be adharma? If robbers are not killed, Satyavan, there will be confusion.

Verse 6 (12.273.6)

ममेदमिति नास्यैतत्प्रवर्तेत कलौ युगे । लोकयात्रा न चैव स्यादथ चेद्वेत्थ शंस नः ॥

mamedamiti nāsyaitatpravarteta kalau yuge | lokayātrā na caiva syādatha cedvettha śaṃsa naḥ

In the Kali age the notion 'this is mine' would not hold, and the course of the world would not go on. If you know otherwise, tell us.'

Note on the text: Corrected स्यादश्च → स्यादथ (misprint in Wikisource; अश्च is not a word here; CE atha ced vettha).

Verse 7 (12.273.7)

सर्व एव त्रयो वर्णाः कार्या ब्राह्मणबन्धनाः । धर्मपाशनिबद्धानां नाल्पोऽप्यपचरिष्यति ॥

sarva eva trayo varṇāḥ kāryā brāhmaṇabandhanāḥ | dharmapāśanibaddhānāṃ nālpo'pyapacariṣyati

'All three classes should be placed under the bonds of the brahmins. Bound in the noose of dharma, hardly any of them will transgress.

Verse 8 (12.273.8)

यो यस्तेषामपचरेत्तमाचक्षीत वै द्विजः । अयं मे न शृणोतीति तस्मिन्राजा प्रधारयेत् ॥

yo yasteṣāmapacarettamācakṣīta vai dvijaḥ | ayaṃ me na śṛṇotīti tasminrājā pradhārayet

Whoever among them transgresses, the brahmin should report him: 'This one does not listen to me.' The king should then decide the matter regarding him.

Verse 9 (12.273.9)

तत्त्वाभावेन यच्छास्त्रं तत्कुर्यान्नान्यथा वधः । असमीक्ष्यैव कर्माणि नीतिशास्त्रं यथाविधि । दस्यून्निहन्ति वै राजा भूयसो वाऽप्यनागसः ॥

tattvābhāvena yacchāstraṃ tatkuryānnānyathā vadhaḥ | asamīkṣyaiva karmāṇi nītiśāstraṃ yathāvidhi | dasyūnnihanti vai rājā bhūyaso vā'pyanāgasaḥ

If the truth of the matter is not established, he should do what the scripture prescribes, and not kill otherwise. A king who, without weighing matters as the science of policy requires, slays robbers, or even many who are innocent,

Note on the text: The alignment found no match. A three-line verse: lines 1-2 = CE 12.259.9a, 9c; line 3 = CE 12.259.10a (dasyūn hinasti vai rājā …). तत्त्वाभावेन against CE tattvābhedena is kept as a variant.

Verse 10 (12.273.10)

भार्या माता पिता पुत्रो हन्यन्ते पुरुषेण ते । परेणापकृतो राजा तस्मात्सम्यक्प्रधारयेत् ॥

bhāryā mātā pitā putro hanyante puruṣeṇa te | pareṇāpakṛto rājā tasmātsamyakpradhārayet

brings down on himself the ruin of a wife, a mother, a father and a son, who are slain through that man. A king who has been wronged by another should therefore weigh the matter well.

Note on the text: The alignment found no match. Lines = CE 12.259.10c, 10e (hanyate puruṣe hate, pareṇāpakṛte rājā …; Wikisource हन्यन्ते पुरुषेण ते, परेणापकृतो राजा).

Verse 11 (12.273.11)

असाधुश्चैव पुरुषो लभते शीलमेकदा । साधोश्चापि ह्यसाधुभ्यः शोभना जायते प्रजाः ॥

asādhuścaiva puruṣo labhate śīlamekadā | sādhoścāpi hyasādhubhyaḥ śobhanā jāyate prajāḥ

Even a wicked man sometimes acquires good character, and from a good man, and from the wicked, fair offspring are born.

Note on the text: Corrected शीतम् → शीलम् (misprint in Wikisource; CE śīlam). The second line is a variant of CE 12.259.11c (Wikisource: असाधुभ्यः शोभना प्रजाः; CE: 'śobhanā prajā); kept as printed.

Verse 12 (12.273.12)

न मूलघातः कर्तव्यो नैष धर्मः सनातनः । अपि खल्ववधेनैव प्रायश्चित्तं विधीयते ॥

na mūlaghātaḥ kartavyo naiṣa dharmaḥ sanātanaḥ | api khalvavadhenaiva prāyaścittaṃ vidhīyate

One must not cut at the root; that is not the eternal dharma. Indeed, atonement is prescribed even without killing.

Verse 13 (12.273.13)

उद्वेजनेन बन्धेन विरूपकरणेन च । वधदण्डेन क्लेश्या न पुरोहितसंसदि ॥

udvejanena bandhena virūpakaraṇena ca | vadhadaṇḍena kleśyā na purohitasaṃsadi

They may be made to suffer by harassment, by imprisonment, by disfigurement and by the penalty of death, but not within the purohita's assembly.

Note on the text: Corrected उद्वे तेन → उद्वेजनेन (misprint in Wikisource; broken word; CE udvejanena), क्लिश्या → क्लेश्या (CE kleśyā; the gerundive of क्लिश् is क्लेश्य) and ससदि → संसदि (dropped anusvara). CE 12.259.13c reads na puro 'hitasaṃpadā; Wikisource's पुरोहितसंसदि is kept as a variant.

Verse 14 (12.273.14)

यदा पुरोहितं वा ते पर्येयुः शरणैषिणः । करिष्यामः पुनर्ब्रह्मन्न पापमिति वादिनः ॥

yadā purohitaṃ vā te paryeyuḥ śaraṇaiṣiṇaḥ | kariṣyāmaḥ punarbrahmanna pāpamiti vādinaḥ

When, seeking shelter, they come to the purohita, saying, 'We shall not do wrong again, O brahmin,'

Note on the text: Corrected शरणैपिणः → शरणैषिणः (misprint in Wikisource; ष for प; CE śaraṇaiṣiṇaḥ).

Verse 15 (12.273.15)

तदा विसर्गमर्हाः स्युरितीदं धातृशासनम् । विभ्रद्दण्डाजिनं मुण्डो ब्राह्मणोऽर्हति शासनम् ॥

tadā visargamarhāḥ syuritīdaṃ dhātṛśāsanam | vibhraddaṇḍājinaṃ muṇḍo brāhmaṇo'rhati śāsanam

then they deserve release; such is the Creator's ordinance. Even a shaven brahmin, bearing a staff and a deerskin, deserves chastisement.

Note on the text: Recension variants of CE 12.259.15 (Wikisource: धातृशासनम्, ब्राह्मणोऽर्हति शासनम्; CE: nṛpaśāsanam, brāhmaṇo 'rhati vāsasam), kept as printed.

Verse 16 (12.273.16)

गरीयांसो गरीयांसमपराधे पुनः पुनः । तदा विसर्गमर्हन्ति न यथा प्रथमे तथा ॥

garīyāṃso garīyāṃsamaparādhe punaḥ punaḥ | tadā visargamarhanti na yathā prathame tathā

Those of great weight who offend again and again against one of still greater weight do not then deserve release, as they did the first time.'

Verse 17 (12.273.17)

यत्रयत्रैव शक्येरन्संयन्तुं समये प्रजाः । स तावान्प्रोच्यते धर्मो यावन्न प्रतिलङ्घ्यते । अहन्यमानेषु पुनः सर्वमेव पराभवेत् ॥

yatrayatraiva śakyeransaṃyantuṃ samaye prajāḥ | sa tāvānprocyate dharmo yāvanna pratilaṅghyate | ahanyamāneṣu punaḥ sarvameva parābhavet

'Wherever the people can be bound by a covenant, so much is called dharma, so long as it is not transgressed. But if offenders are not struck down, everything will go to ruin.

Note on the text: The alignment found no match. A three-line verse: lines 1-2 = CE 12.259.17a, 17c; line 3 = CE 12.259.18a (ahanyāmāneṣu punaḥ sarvam eva parābhavet).

Verse 18 (12.273.18)

पूर्वे पूर्वतरे चैव सुशास्या ह्यभवञ्जनाः । मृदवः सत्यभूयिष्ठा अल्पद्रोहाल्पमन्यवः ॥

pūrve pūrvatare caiva suśāsyā hyabhavañjanāḥ | mṛdavaḥ satyabhūyiṣṭhā alpadrohālpamanyavaḥ

In former times and earlier still, people were easy to govern: gentle, mostly truthful, of little malice and little anger.

Note on the text: The alignment found no match. Lines = CE 12.259.18c, 19a.

Verse 19 (12.273.19)

पुरा धिग्दण्ड एवासीद्वाग्दण्डस्तदनन्तरम् । आसीदादानदण्डोऽपि वधदण्डोऽद्य वर्तते ॥

purā dhigdaṇḍa evāsīdvāgdaṇḍastadanantaram | āsīdādānadaṇḍo'pi vadhadaṇḍo'dya vartate

In the beginning there was only the penalty of rebuke, then the penalty of words; there was the penalty of confiscation too, and now the penalty of death is in force.

Note on the text: The alignment found no match. Lines = CE 12.259.19c, 20a.

Verse 20 (12.273.20)

वधेनापि न शक्यन्ते नियन्तुमपरे जनाः ॥

vadhenāpi na śakyante niyantumapare janāḥ

Even by death other people cannot be restrained.

Note on the text: The alignment found no match. A single line, as printed on the page (label 273-20a) = CE 12.259.20c; the preceding verse takes CE 20a.

Verse 21 (12.273.21)

नैव दस्युर्मनुष्याणां न देवानामिति श्रुतिः । न गन्धर्वपितॄणां च कः कस्येह न कश्चन ॥

naiva dasyurmanuṣyāṇāṃ na devānāmiti śrutiḥ | na gandharvapitṝṇāṃ ca kaḥ kasyeha na kaścana

A robber, so the tradition says, belongs to no man and to no god, nor to gandharvas or ancestors. Who here is anyone's? No one is anyone's.

Note on the text: Corrected गन्धर्वपितृणां → गन्धर्वपितॄणां (misprint in Wikisource; short ऋ for long ॠ in the genitive plural; CE pitṝṇām).

Verse 22 (12.273.22)

पक्वं श्मशानादादत्ते पिशाचांश्चापि दैवतम् । तेषु यः समयं कश्चित्कुर्वीत हतबुद्धिषु ॥

pakvaṃ śmaśānādādatte piśācāṃścāpi daivatam | teṣu yaḥ samayaṃ kaścitkurvīta hatabuddhiṣu

They take cooked food from the cremation ground, and take even pishachas as their deity. Whoever were to make a covenant with such people, whose wits are destroyed,

Note on the text: Recension variant: Wikisource पक्वं / पिशाचांश्चापि, तेषु … हतबुद्धिषु against CE padmaṃ / piśācāc cāpi, … ajñeṣu hatabuddhiṣu (the page's own note records पद्मं as a variant reading). Kept as printed. The sentence is completed by the next speaker's verse.

Verse 23 (12.273.23)

तान्न शक्नोषि चेत्साधून्परित्रातुमहिंसया । कस्यचिद्भूतभव्यस्य लोभेनान्तं तथा कुरु ॥

tānna śaknoṣi cetsādhūnparitrātumahiṃsayā | kasyacidbhūtabhavyasya lobhenāntaṃ tathā kuru

'If you cannot protect the good from them without violence, then, for the sake of some creature, past or to come, put an end to them in that way.

Verse 24 (12.273.24)

राजानो लोकयात्रार्थं तप्यन्ते परमं तपः । तेऽपत्रपन्ति तादृग्भ्यस्तथावृत्ता भवन्ति च ॥

rājāno lokayātrārthaṃ tapyante paramaṃ tapaḥ | te'patrapanti tādṛgbhyastathāvṛttā bhavanti ca

Kings practise the highest austerity for the sake of the world's course. They feel ashamed before such men, and conduct themselves accordingly.

Note on the text: Speaker: the page prints verses 23-26 under Satyavan's heading; the CE has a separate Dyumatsena heading before 12.259.24. The page's heading is kept.

Verse 25 (12.273.25)

वित्रास्यमानाः सुकृतो न कामाद्धन्ति दुष्कृतीन् । सुकृतेनैव राजानो भूयिष्ठं शासते प्रजाः ॥

vitrāsyamānāḥ sukṛto na kāmāddhanti duṣkṛtīn | sukṛtenaiva rājāno bhūyiṣṭhaṃ śāsate prajāḥ

The righteous, though terrified, do not kill evildoers out of desire. It is through good deeds that kings, for the most part, govern their subjects.

Verse 26 (12.273.26)

श्रेयसः श्रेयसोऽप्येवं वृत्तं लोकोऽनुवर्तते । सदैव हि गुरोर्वृत्तमनुवर्तन्ति मानवाः ॥

śreyasaḥ śreyaso'pyevaṃ vṛttaṃ loko'nuvartate | sadaiva hi gurorvṛttamanuvartanti mānavāḥ

The world follows the conduct of the better and of the better still; men always follow the conduct of the elder, their teacher.'

Verse 27 (12.273.27)

आत्मानमसमाधाय समाधित्सति यः परान् । विषयेष्विन्द्रियवशं मानवाः प्रहसन्ति तम् ॥

ātmānamasamādhāya samādhitsati yaḥ parān | viṣayeṣvindriyavaśaṃ mānavāḥ prahasanti tam

'One who tries to discipline others without disciplining himself, a slave to the senses and their objects, is laughed at by men.

Verse 28 (12.273.28)

यो राज्ञो दम्भमोहेन किंचित्कुर्यादसांप्रतम् । सर्वोपायैर्नियम्यः स तथा पापान्निवर्तते ॥

yo rājño dambhamohena kiṃcitkuryādasāṃpratam | sarvopāyairniyamyaḥ sa tathā pāpānnivartate

Whoever, through a king's arrogance and delusion, does anything improper must be restrained by every means, so that he turns back from wrong.

Verse 29 (12.273.29)

आत्मैवादौ नियन्तव्यो दुष्कृतं संनियच्छता । दण्डयेच्च महादण्डैरपि बन्धूननन्तरान् ॥

ātmaivādau niyantavyo duṣkṛtaṃ saṃniyacchatā | daṇḍayecca mahādaṇḍairapi bandhūnanantarān

One must first restrain oneself, restraining wrongdoing; and one should punish even one's nearest kinsmen with heavy penalties.

Note on the text: Corrected दुष्कृंतं → दुष्कृतं (misprint in Wikisource; stray anusvara).

Verse 30 (12.273.30)

यो राजा लोभमोहेन किंचित्कुर्यादसांप्रतम् । सर्वोपायैर्नियम्यः स तथा पापान्निवर्तते ॥

yo rājā lobhamohena kiṃcitkuryādasāṃpratam | sarvopāyairniyamyaḥ sa tathā pāpānnivartate

A king who, through greed and delusion, does anything improper must be restrained by every means, so that he turns back from wrong.

Note on the text: Removed the backtick and the doubled daṇḍa and apostrophe Wikisource prints around this verse. It repeats verse 28 with लोभमोहेन and यो राजा for दम्भमोहेन and यो राज्ञो; the alignment matched it to CE 12.259.28 (it is a vulgate doublet, not a separate CE verse). Kept as a verse of the base text.

Verse 31 (12.273.31)

यत्र वै पापकृन्नीचो न महद्दुःखमर्च्छति । वर्धन्ते तत्र पापानि धर्मो ह्रसति च ध्रुवम् ॥

yatra vai pāpakṛnnīco na mahadduḥkhamarcchati | vardhante tatra pāpāni dharmo hrasati ca dhruvam

Where a base wrongdoer does not meet with great suffering, sins increase there and dharma surely declines.

Note on the text: The alignment found no match. Lines = CE 12.259.30a, 30c (Wikisource नीचो for CE kleśyo).

Verse 32 (12.273.32)

इति कारुण्यशीलस्तु विद्वान्वै ब्राह्मणोऽन्वशात् । इति चैवानुशिष्टोऽस्मि पूर्वैस्तातपितामहैः । आश्वासयद्भिः सुभृशमनुक्रोशात्तथैव च ॥

iti kāruṇyaśīlastu vidvānvai brāhmaṇo'nvaśāt | iti caivānuśiṣṭo'smi pūrvaistātapitāmahaiḥ | āśvāsayadbhiḥ subhṛśamanukrośāttathaiva ca

So a learned brahmin, compassionate by nature, taught; and so I too was taught by my forefathers, fathers and grandfathers, who comforted me greatly and out of compassion.

Note on the text: The alignment found no match. A three-line verse: line 1 = CE 12.259.30e; lines 2-3 = CE 12.259.31a, 31c.

Verse 33 (12.273.33)

एतत्प्रथमकल्पेन राजा कृतयुगे जयेत् । पादोनेनापि धर्मेण गच्छेत्रेतायुगे तथा । द्वापरे तु द्विपादेन पादेन त्ववरे युगे ॥

etatprathamakalpena rājā kṛtayuge jayet | pādonenāpi dharmeṇa gacchetretāyuge tathā | dvāpare tu dvipādena pādena tvavare yuge

By this first method a king would prevail in the Krita age; in the Treta age he would go on with dharma less by a quarter; in the Dvapara with two quarters; and in the last age with one quarter.

Note on the text: A three-line verse; lines = CE 12.259.32a, 32c, 32e (Wikisource जयेत् for CE 'bhajat).

Verse 34 (12.273.34)

तथा कलियुगे प्राप्ते राज्ञो दुश्चरितेन ह । भवेत्कालविशेषेण कला धर्मस्य षोडशी ॥

tathā kaliyuge prāpte rājño duścaritena ha | bhavetkālaviśeṣeṇa kalā dharmasya ṣoḍaśī

Then, when the Kali age has come, through the evil conduct of kings and by the peculiarity of the time, only a sixteenth part of dharma will remain.

Verse 35 (12.273.35)

अथ प्रथमकल्पेन सत्यवन्संकरो भवेत् । आयुः शक्तिं च कालं च निर्दिश्य तप आदिशेत् ॥

atha prathamakalpena satyavansaṃkaro bhavet | āyuḥ śaktiṃ ca kālaṃ ca nirdiśya tapa ādiśet

And then, Satyavan, by the first method there would be confusion. One should take account of life-span, strength and the time, and prescribe penance.

Verse 36 (12.273.36)

सत्याय हि यथा नेह जह्याद्धर्मफलं महत् । भूतानामनुकम्पार्थं मनुः स्वायंभुवोऽब्रवीत् ॥

satyāya hi yathā neha jahyāddharmaphalaṃ mahat | bhūtānāmanukampārthaṃ manuḥ svāyaṃbhuvo'bravīt

So that, for the sake of truth, one may not here lose the great fruit of dharma, and out of compassion for beings, Manu Svayambhuva spoke.