Forbidden Callings and the Primacy of the King's Duty

Verse 1 (12.62.1)

ज्याकर्षणं शत्रुनिवर्हणं च । कृषिर्वणिज्या पशुपालनं च । शुश्रूषणं चापि तथाऽर्थहेतो । रकार्यमेतत्परमं द्विजस्य ॥

jyākarṣaṇaṃ śatrunivarhaṇaṃ ca | kṛṣirvaṇijyā paśupālanaṃ ca | śuśrūṣaṇaṃ cāpi tathā'rthaheto | rakāryametatparamaṃ dvijasya

The drawing of the bowstring and the slaying of foes, farming, trade and tending cattle, and serving others for pay: these are, for a twice-born man, deeds supremely forbidden.

Note on the text: Corrected कृपिर्वणिज्या → कृषिर्वणिज्या (misprint in Wikisource; प for ष, giving a meaningless word; the critical edition reads kṛṣir vaṇijyā). Wikisource 62 corresponds to critical-edition adhyaya 12.63.

Verse 2 (12.62.2)

सेव्यं तु ब्रह्म षट्‌कर्म गृहस्थेन मनीषिणा । कृतकृत्यस्य चारण्ये वासो विप्रस्य शस्यते ॥

sevyaṃ tu brahma ṣaṭkarma gṛhasthena manīṣiṇā | kṛtakṛtyasya cāraṇye vāso viprasya śasyate

A householder, if wise, should follow the six duties of a Brahmin; and for a Brahmin whose work is done, dwelling in the forest is recommended.

Verse 3 (12.62.3)

राजप्रेष्यं कृषिधनं जीवनं च वणिज्यया । कौटिल्यं कौलटेयं च ब्राह्मणस्य विगर्हितम् ॥

rājapreṣyaṃ kṛṣidhanaṃ jīvanaṃ ca vaṇijyayā | kauṭilyaṃ kaulaṭeyaṃ ca brāhmaṇasya vigarhitam

Serving a king, wealth from farming, a living by trade, crookedness, and the ways of the unchaste are condemned for a Brahmin.

Note on the text: The second line differs from the critical edition's 12.63.3c (kauṭilyaṃ kaulaṭeyaṃ ca kusīdaṃ ca vivarjayet); Wikisource's reading (…ब्राह्मणस्य विगर्हितम्) is kept as a recension variant.

Verse 4 (12.62.4)

शूद्रो राजन्भवति ब्रह्मबन्धु । र्दुश्चारित्रो यश्च धर्मादपेतः । वृषलीपतिः पिशुनो नर्तनश्च । ग्रामप्रेष्यो यश्च भवेद्विकर्मा ॥

śūdro rājanbhavati brahmabandhu | rduścāritro yaśca dharmādapetaḥ | vṛṣalīpatiḥ piśuno nartanaśca | grāmapreṣyo yaśca bhavedvikarmā

He becomes a Shudra, O king — a Brahmin in name only, of bad conduct, fallen from dharma; the husband of a Shudra woman, a slanderer, a dancer, a servant of a village, or one who does forbidden work.

Note on the text: Corrected वृपलीपतिः → वृषलीपतिः (misprint in Wikisource; प for ष, giving a meaningless word; the critical edition reads vṛṣalīpatiḥ). Wikisource's नर्तनः (CE nartakaḥ) is kept as a recension variant. The critical edition's star lines 12.63.4d*0141_01-02 are not in Wikisource.

Verse 5 (12.62.5)

जपन्वेदानजपंश्चापि राजन् । समः शूद्रैर्दासवच्चापि भोज्यः । एते सर्वे शूद्रसमा भवन्ति । राजन्नेतान्वर्जयेद्देवकृत्ये ॥

japanvedānajapaṃścāpi rājan | samaḥ śūdrairdāsavaccāpi bhojyaḥ | ete sarve śūdrasamā bhavanti | rājannetānvarjayeddevakṛtye

Whether he mutters the Vedas or does not, O king, he is the equal of Shudras and is to be fed like a servant. All these become the equals of Shudras; at a rite for the gods, O king, one should avoid them.

Note on the text: Restored from the critical edition (12.63.5): Wikisource prints only the last line of this verse (राजन्नेतान्वर्जयेद्देवकृत्ये, labelled 12-62-5f on the page, i.e. a last line only); the page's own commentary on 12-62-5 explains the lost lines, "वेदान् जपन्नजपन्वा शूद्र इव पङ्क्तेर्वहिर्भोजनीय एव"). The first three lines (japan vedān ajapaṃś cāpi rājan / samaḥ śūdrair dāsavac cāpi bhojyaḥ / ete sarve śūdrasamā bhavanti) are restored in Devanagari with the critical edition's words unchanged; the last line is Wikisource's and agrees with the critical edition.

Verse 6 (12.62.6)

निर्मर्यादे वाक्छठे क्रूरवृत्तौ । हिंसाकामे त्यक्तवृत्तस्वधर्मो । हव्यं कव्यं यानि चान्यानि राजन् । देयान्यदेयानि भवन्ति तस्मिन् ॥

nirmaryāde vākchaṭhe krūravṛttau | hiṃsākāme tyaktavṛttasvadharmo | havyaṃ kavyaṃ yāni cānyāni rājan | deyānyadeyāni bhavanti tasmin

In a man who is without bounds, deceitful in speech, harsh in conduct and bent on violence, who has given up his own livelihood and duty, offerings to the gods and the ancestors and other things, O king, that ought to be given become things not to be given.

Note on the text: The wording differs from the critical edition's 12.63.6a, 6b (nirmaryāde cāśane krūravṛttau; hiṃsātmake tyaktadharmasvavṛtte); Wikisource's reading (वाक्छठे, हिंसाकामे, त्यक्तवृत्तस्वधर्मो) is kept as a recension variant.

Verse 7 (12.62.7)

तस्माद्धर्मो विहितो ब्राह्मणस्य । दमः शौचं चार्जवं चापि राजन् । तथा विप्रस्याश्रमाः सर्व एव । पुरा राजन्ब्रह्मणा संनिसृष्टाः ॥

tasmāddharmo vihito brāhmaṇasya | damaḥ śaucaṃ cārjavaṃ cāpi rājan | tathā viprasyāśramāḥ sarva eva | purā rājanbrahmaṇā saṃnisṛṣṭāḥ

Therefore dharma has been laid down for the Brahmin — self-control, purity and uprightness, O king; and all the stages of life were assigned to the Brahmin long ago by Brahma.

Verse 8 (12.62.8)

यः स्याद्दान्तः सोमपाश्चार्यशीलः । सानुक्रोशः सर्वसहो निराशीः । ऋजुर्मृदुरनृशंसः क्षमावान् । स वै विप्रो नेतरः पापकर्मा ॥

yaḥ syāddāntaḥ somapāścāryaśīlaḥ | sānukrośaḥ sarvasaho nirāśīḥ | ṛjurmṛduranṛśaṃsaḥ kṣamāvān | sa vai vipro netaraḥ pāpakarmā

He who is self-controlled, a drinker of soma, of noble conduct, compassionate, patient with all, desireless, upright, gentle, kind and forbearing — he is a Brahmin, not another who does evil.

Verse 9 (12.62.9)

विप्रं वैश्यं राजपुत्रं च राजन् । लोकाः सर्वे संश्रिता धर्मकामाः । तस्माद्वर्णाञ्जातिधर्मेषु सक्ता । ञ्जेतुं विष्णुर्नेच्छति पाण्डुपुत्र ॥

vipraṃ vaiśyaṃ rājaputraṃ ca rājan | lokāḥ sarve saṃśritā dharmakāmāḥ | tasmādvarṇāñjātidharmeṣu saktā | ñjetuṃ viṣṇurnecchati pāṇḍuputra

All people, O king, who seek dharma and desire depend on the Brahmin, the Vaishya and the prince. Therefore Vishnu, O son of Pandu, does not wish to overpower the varnas that are devoted to the duties of their birth.

Verse 10 (12.62.10)

लोकश्चायं सर्वलोकस्य न स्या । च्चातुर्वर्ण्यं वेदवादाश्च न स्युः । सर्वाश्चेज्याः सर्वलोकक्रियाश्च । सद्यः सर्वे चाश्रमाश्चैव न स्युः ॥

lokaścāyaṃ sarvalokasya na syā | ccāturvarṇyaṃ vedavādāśca na syuḥ | sarvāścejyāḥ sarvalokakriyāśca | sadyaḥ sarve cāśramāścaiva na syuḥ

Without them this world of all people would not exist, nor the fourfold order, nor the teachings of the Veda, nor all the sacrifices and all the world's rites, and all the stages of life would at once cease to be.

Verse 11 (12.62.11)

यच्च त्रयाणां वर्णानामिच्छेदाश्रमसेवनम् । कर्तुमाश्रमदृष्टांश्च धर्मास्ताञ्शृणु पाण्डव ॥

yacca trayāṇāṃ varṇānāmicchedāśramasevanam | kartumāśramadṛṣṭāṃśca dharmāstāñśṛṇu pāṇḍava

And hear, son of Pandu, of the duties seen in the stages of life, which any of the three varnas may wish to practise by entering a stage of life.

Verse 12 (12.62.12)

शुश्रूषोः कृतकार्यस्य कृतसंतानकर्मणः । अभ्यनुज्ञाप्य राजानं शूद्रस्य जगतीपते ॥

śuśrūṣoḥ kṛtakāryasya kṛtasaṃtānakarmaṇaḥ | abhyanujñāpya rājānaṃ śūdrasya jagatīpate

For a Shudra who wishes to serve, whose work is done and who has completed the work of begetting offspring, after he has obtained the king's leave, O lord of the earth —

Verse 13 (12.62.13)

अल्पान्तरगतस्यापि देशधर्मगतस्य वा । आश्रमा विहिताः सर्वे वर्जयित्वा निराशिषम् ॥

alpāntaragatasyāpi deśadharmagatasya vā | āśramā vihitāḥ sarve varjayitvā nirāśiṣam

even for one who stands at a small remove, or who follows the dharma of his region, all the stages of life are prescribed, except for one who lacks every auspicious quality.

Verse 14 (12.62.14)

भैक्षचर्यां नचैवाहुस्तस्य तद्धर्मवादिनः । तथा वैश्यस्य राजेन्द्र राजपुत्रस्य चैव हि ॥

bhaikṣacaryāṃ nacaivāhustasya taddharmavādinaḥ | tathā vaiśyasya rājendra rājaputrasya caiva hi

But those who speak of that dharma do not prescribe the life of begging for him; and likewise for the Vaishya and the prince, O king of kings.

Verse 15 (12.62.15)

कृतकृत्यो वयोतीतो राज्ञः कृतपरिश्रमः । वैश्यो गच्छेदनुज्ञातो नृपेणाश्रमसंश्रयम् ॥

kṛtakṛtyo vayotīto rājñaḥ kṛtapariśramaḥ | vaiśyo gacchedanujñāto nṛpeṇāśramasaṃśrayam

A Vaishya whose tasks are done, who is past his prime and has laboured for the king, may, with the king's leave, go to the circle of the stages of life.

Verse 16 (12.62.16)

वेदानधीत्य धर्मेण राजशास्त्राणि चानघ । संतानादीनि कर्माणि कृत्वा सोमं निषेव्य च ॥

vedānadhītya dharmeṇa rājaśāstrāṇi cānagha | saṃtānādīni karmāṇi kṛtvā somaṃ niṣevya ca

Having studied the Vedas according to dharma, and the king's treatises as well, faultless one, having performed the rites that begin with begetting offspring and having drunk soma,

Verse 17 (12.62.17)

पालयित्वा प्रजाः सर्वा धर्मेण वदतांवर । राजसूयाश्वमेधादीन्मखानन्यांस्तथैव च ॥

pālayitvā prajāḥ sarvā dharmeṇa vadatāṃvara | rājasūyāśvamedhādīnmakhānanyāṃstathaiva ca

having protected all the people with dharma, O best of speakers, and having performed the Rajasuya, the Ashvamedha and other sacrifices besides,

Verse 18 (12.62.18)

आनयित्वा यथान्यायं विप्रेभ्यो दत्तदक्षिणः । संग्रामे विजयं प्राप्य तथाऽल्पं यदि वा बहु ॥

ānayitvā yathānyāyaṃ viprebhyo dattadakṣiṇaḥ | saṃgrāme vijayaṃ prāpya tathā'lpaṃ yadi vā bahu

having gathered what was needed as the rule directs, given fees to the Brahmins, and won victory in battle, whether small or great,

Verse 19 (12.62.19)

स्थापयित्वा प्रजापालं पुत्रं राज्ये च पाण्डव । अन्यगोत्रं प्रशस्तं वा क्षत्रियं क्षत्रियर्षभ ॥

sthāpayitvā prajāpālaṃ putraṃ rājye ca pāṇḍava | anyagotraṃ praśastaṃ vā kṣatriyaṃ kṣatriyarṣabha

having set on the throne a son who will protect the people, O Pandava, or another praiseworthy Kshatriya of another lineage, O best of Kshatriyas,

Verse 20 (12.62.20)

अर्चयित्वा पितॄञ्श्राद्धैः पितृयज्ञैर्यथाविधि । देवान्यज्ञैर्ऋषीन्वेदैरर्चयित्वा तु यत्नतः ॥

arcayitvā pitṝñśrāddhaiḥ pitṛyajñairyathāvidhi | devānyajñairṛṣīnvedairarcayitvā tu yatnataḥ

having honoured the ancestors with shraddha and ancestral sacrifices according to rule, and the gods with sacrifices and the sages with Vedic study, with care,

Verse 21 (12.62.21)

अन्तकाले च संप्राप्ते य इच्छेदाश्रमान्तरम् । सोऽनुपूर्व्याश्रमान्राजन्गत्वा सिद्धिमवाप्नुयात् ॥

antakāle ca saṃprāpte ya icchedāśramāntaram | so'nupūrvyāśramānrājangatvā siddhimavāpnuyāt

and when the end of life has come, whoever wishes for another stage of life, going through the stages in due order, O king, would attain perfection.

Note on the text: Corrected सोनुपूर्व्या° → सोऽनुपूर्व्या° (avagraha dropped in Wikisource; the word is सः + अनुपूर्व्या; the critical edition reads ānupūrvyāśramān).

Verse 22 (12.62.22)

राजर्षित्वेन राजेन्द्र भैक्ष्यचर्याद्यसेवया । अपेतगृहधर्मापि चरेज्जीवितकाम्यया ॥

rājarṣitvena rājendra bhaikṣyacaryādyasevayā | apetagṛhadharmāpi carejjīvitakāmyayā

As a royal sage, O king of kings, by following the path of the mendicant, he may wander, though he has laid aside the duties of a householder, out of a wish to live.

Verse 23 (12.62.23)

न चैतन्नैष्ठिकं कर्म त्रयाणां भूरिदक्षिण । चतुर्णां राजशार्दूल प्राहुराश्रमवासिनाम् ॥

na caitannaiṣṭhikaṃ karma trayāṇāṃ bhūridakṣiṇa | caturṇāṃ rājaśārdūla prāhurāśramavāsinām

But this is not the final course for the three, O giver of rich fees; they say it is for the four who dwell in the stages of life, O tiger among kings.

Verse 24 (12.62.24)

बाह्वायत्तं क्षत्रियैर्मानवानां । लोकश्रेष्ठं धर्ममासेवमानैः । सर्वे धर्माः सोपधर्मास्त्रयाणां । राज्ञो धर्मं नीतिशास्त्रे शृणोमि ॥

bāhvāyattaṃ kṣatriyairmānavānāṃ | lokaśreṣṭhaṃ dharmamāsevamānaiḥ | sarve dharmāḥ sopadharmāstrayāṇāṃ | rājño dharmaṃ nītiśāstre śṛṇomi

Resting on the arm of the Kshatriyas who follow the best duty in the world, the king's duty — of it I hear in the science of polity that it contains all the duties of the three orders, together with their subsidiary duties.

Note on the text: The wording differs from the critical edition's 12.63.24 (bahv āyattaṃ kṣatriyair mānavānāṃ …); Wikisource's reading (बाह्वायत्तं …) is kept as a recension variant.

Verse 25 (12.62.25)

यथा राजन्हस्तिपदे पदानि । संलीयन्ते सर्वसत्वोद्भवानि । एवं धर्मान्राजधर्मेषु सर्वान् । सर्वावस्थान्संप्रलीनान्निबोध ॥

yathā rājanhastipade padāni | saṃlīyante sarvasatvodbhavāni | evaṃ dharmānrājadharmeṣu sarvān | sarvāvasthānsaṃpralīnānnibodha

As, O king, the footprints of all creatures are merged in the footprint of the elephant, so know that all dharmas, in every condition, are merged in the duties of kings.

Verse 26 (12.62.26)

अल्पाश्रयानल्पफलान्वदन्ति । धर्मानन्यान्धर्मविदो मनुष्याः । महाश्रयं बहुकल्याणरूपं । क्षात्रं धर्मं नेतरं प्राहुरार्याः ॥

alpāśrayānalpaphalānvadanti | dharmānanyāndharmavido manuṣyāḥ | mahāśrayaṃ bahukalyāṇarūpaṃ | kṣātraṃ dharmaṃ netaraṃ prāhurāryāḥ

Men who know dharma call the other duties of small refuge and small fruit; but the noble say that the Kshatriya's duty, of great refuge and many forms of good, is the great one, and no other.

Verse 27 (12.62.27)

सर्वे धर्मा राजधर्मप्रधानाः । सर्वे वर्णाः पाल्यमाना भवन्ति । सर्वस्त्यागो राजधर्मेषु राजं । स्त्यागं धर्मं चाहुरग्र्यं पुराणम् ॥

sarve dharmā rājadharmapradhānāḥ | sarve varṇāḥ pālyamānā bhavanti | sarvastyāgo rājadharmeṣu rājaṃ | styāgaṃ dharmaṃ cāhuragryaṃ purāṇam

All duties have the king's duty as chief; under it all the varnas are protected. In the duties of kings, O king, there is the renunciation of all things, and renunciation, they say, is the foremost and ancient dharma.

Note on the text: Wikisource's text (सर्वस्त्यागो राजधर्मेषु राजं स्त्यागं …) differs in places from the critical edition's 12.63.27 (sarvatyāgo rājadharmeṣu rājaṃs tyāge cāhur dharmam agryaṃ purāṇam); kept as a recension variant.

Verse 28 (12.62.28)

मज्जेत्रयी दण्डनीतौ हतायां । सर्वे धर्माः प्रक्षयेयुर्विरुद्धाः । सर्वे धर्माश्चाश्रमाणां हताः स्युः । क्षात्रे नष्टे राजधर्मे पुराणे ॥

majjetrayī daṇḍanītau hatāyāṃ | sarve dharmāḥ prakṣayeyurviruddhāḥ | sarve dharmāścāśramāṇāṃ hatāḥ syuḥ | kṣātre naṣṭe rājadharme purāṇe

If the threefold Veda sank when the science of punishment was destroyed, all duties would perish, set at odds with one another; and when the ancient Kshatriya duty, the king's duty, was lost, all the duties of the stages of life would be lost with it.

Verse 29 (12.62.29)

सर्वे भोगा राजधर्मेषु दृष्टाः । सर्वा दीक्षा राजधर्मेषु चोक्ताः । सर्वा विद्या राजधर्मेषु युक्ताः । सर्वे लोका राजधर्मे प्रविष्टाः ॥

sarve bhogā rājadharmeṣu dṛṣṭāḥ | sarvā dīkṣā rājadharmeṣu coktāḥ | sarvā vidyā rājadharmeṣu yuktāḥ | sarve lokā rājadharme praviṣṭāḥ

All enjoyments are seen in the duties of kings; all consecrations are spoken of in them; all learning is joined to them; all the worlds have entered the king's duty.

Note on the text: The wording differs from the critical edition's 12.63.29 (sarve tyāgā … dṛṣṭāḥ; … sarve yogā … coktāḥ); Wikisource's भोगाः and विद्याः (cf. the CE's star line 12.63.27b*0142_02, sarvā vidyā rājadharmeṣu coktāḥ) are kept as recension variants.

Verse 30 (12.62.30)

तस्माद्धर्मो राजधर्माद्विशिष्टो । नान्यो लोके विद्यतेऽजातशत्रो ॥

tasmāddharmo rājadharmādviśiṣṭo | nānyo loke vidyate'jātaśatro

Therefore no dharma surpasses the king's duty; there is no other like it in the world, O Ajatashatru.

Note on the text: Restored from the critical edition (star passage 12.63.29d*0144_01-02): Wikisource prints only the second line of this verse (नान्यो लोके विद्यतेऽजातशत्रो, labelled 12-62-30f on the page, a last line only), cut to one line, so the first line (tasmād dharmo rājadharmād viśiṣṭo) is restored in Devanagari with the critical edition's words. Not in the critical edition's constituted text (found in the vulgate recension).

Verse 31 (12.62.31)

सर्वाण्येतानि कर्माणि क्षात्रे भरतसत्तम । भवन्ति जीवलोकाश्च क्षत्रधर्मे प्रतिष्ठिताः ॥

sarvāṇyetāni karmāṇi kṣātre bharatasattama | bhavanti jīvalokāśca kṣatradharme pratiṣṭhitāḥ

All these actions, O best of the Bharatas, rest on the Kshatriya's duty, and the living worlds are established in the Kshatriya's dharma.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition's constituted text (found in the vulgate recension): the critical edition has these two lines as the second half of star passage 12.63.29d*0144_03-04 (sarvāṇy etāni karmāṇi kṣātre bharatasattama / bhavanti jīvalokaś ca kṣatradharme pratiṣṭhitaḥ; Wikisource's जीवलोकाश्च is plural where the CE has jīvalokaś, kept as printed). The automatic alignment's low match to 12.64.2 is a different, similar verse.

Verse 32 (12.62.32)

यथा जीवाः प्राकृतैर्वध्यमाना । धर्मश्रुतीनामुपपीडनाय । एवं धर्मा राजधर्मैर्वियुक्ताः । संचिन्वन्तो नाद्रियन्ते स्वधर्मम् ॥

yathā jīvāḥ prākṛtairvadhyamānā | dharmaśrutīnāmupapīḍanāya | evaṃ dharmā rājadharmairviyuktāḥ | saṃcinvanto nādriyante svadharmam

Just as creatures are killed by common folk to the injury of those who keep to dharma and revealed lore, so duties cut off from the king's duties, as men heap up what they please, no longer respect their own proper course.

Note on the text: The wording differs from the critical edition's 12.63.30 (yathā jīvāḥ prakṛtau vadhyamānā; dharmāśritānām upapīḍanāya / evaṃ dharmā rājadharmair viyuktāḥ; sarvāvasthaṃ nādriyante svadharmam); Wikisource's reading is kept as a recension variant.