Why a Kingdom Needs a King

Verse 1 (12.66.1)

चातुराश्रम्यमुक्तं ते चातुर्वण्यं तथैव च । राष्ट्रस्य यत्कृत्यतमं तन्मे ब्रूहि पितामह ॥

cāturāśramyamuktaṃ te cāturvaṇyaṃ tathaiva ca | rāṣṭrasya yatkṛtyatamaṃ tanme brūhi pitāmaha

You have told me of the four stages of life, and likewise of the four castes. Now tell me, grandfather, what is the most necessary task of a kingdom.

Verse 2 (12.66.2)

राष्ट्रस्य यत्कृत्यतमं राज्ञ एवाभिषेचनम् । अनिन्द्रमबलं राष्ट्रं दस्यवोऽभिभवन्त्युत ॥

rāṣṭrasya yatkṛtyatamaṃ rājña evābhiṣecanam | anindramabalaṃ rāṣṭraṃ dasyavo'bhibhavantyuta

The most necessary task of a kingdom is the consecration of a king. A realm without an Indra, without a ruler, is weak, and bandits overrun it.

Verse 3 (12.66.3)

अराजकेषु राष्ट्रेषु धर्मो न व्यवतिष्ठते । परस्परं च खादन्ति सर्वथा धिगराजकम् ॥

arājakeṣu rāṣṭreṣu dharmo na vyavatiṣṭhate | parasparaṃ ca khādanti sarvathā dhigarājakam

In kingless lands dharma does not stand firm, and people devour one another. Shame, in every way, on a land without a king!

Verse 4 (12.66.4)

इन्द्रमेव प्रणमते यद्राजानमिति श्रुतिः । यथैवेन्द्रस्तथा राजा संपूज्यो भूतिमिच्छता ॥

indrameva praṇamate yadrājānamiti śrutiḥ | yathaivendrastathā rājā saṃpūjyo bhūtimicchatā

The Veda says that one who bows to the king bows to Indra himself. Therefore, as one honours Indra, so must the king be honoured by whoever desires prosperity.

Verse 5 (12.66.5)

नाराजकेषु राष्ट्रेषु वस्तव्यमिति वैदिकम् । नाराजकेषु राष्ट्रेषु हव्यं वहति पावकः ॥

nārājakeṣu rāṣṭreṣu vastavyamiti vaidikam | nārājakeṣu rāṣṭreṣu havyaṃ vahati pāvakaḥ

The Vedic rule is that one should not live in a land without a king; in a kingless land even Agni, the fire, does not carry the offering to the gods.

Verse 6 (12.66.6)

अथ चेदधिवर्तेत राज्यार्थी बलवत्तरः । अराजकाणि राष्ट्राणि हतवीराणि वा पुनः ॥

atha cedadhivarteta rājyārthī balavattaraḥ | arājakāṇi rāṣṭrāṇi hatavīrāṇi vā punaḥ

Suppose a stronger man, seeking a kingdom, should march against realms that have no king, or whose heroes have been slain.

Note on the text: Corrected अधिवेर्तेत → अधिवर्तेत (misprint in Wikisource; stray ए-vowel sign, not a valid form; CE has abhivarteta, a variant prefix, so the Wikisource prefix अधि is kept).

Verse 7 (12.66.7)

प्रत्युद्गम्याभिपूज्यः स्यादेतदत्र सुमन्त्रितम् । न हि राज्यात्पापतरमस्ति किंचिदराजकात् ॥

pratyudgamyābhipūjyaḥ syādetadatra sumantritam | na hi rājyātpāpataramasti kiṃcidarājakāt

Then he should be met and honoured; this is sound counsel in such a case, for there is nothing worse than a land without a king.

Verse 8 (12.66.8)

स चेत्समनुपश्येत समग्रं कुशलं भवेत् । बलवान्हि प्रकुपितः कुर्यान्निः शेषतामपि ॥

sa cetsamanupaśyeta samagraṃ kuśalaṃ bhavet | balavānhi prakupitaḥ kuryānniḥ śeṣatāmapi

If he looks on them with favour, all will be well; but a powerful man who is provoked may leave nothing at all.

Verse 9 (12.66.9)

भूयांसं लभते क्लेशं या गौर्भवति दुर्दुहा । अथ या सुदुहा राजन्नैव तां वितुदन्त्यपि ॥

bhūyāṃsaṃ labhate kleśaṃ yā gaurbhavati durduhā | atha yā suduhā rājannaiva tāṃ vitudantyapi

The cow that is hard to milk suffers much trouble, O king; but the one that gives milk easily they do not torment at all.

Note on the text: Not matched by the alignment; Line 1 = CE 12.67.9a (bhūyāṃsaṃ labhate kleśaṃ yā gaur bhavati durduhā); line 2 is a variant of CE 12.67.9c (suduhā yā tu bhavati naiva tāṃ kleśayanty uta; Wikisource अथ या सुदुहा राजन्नैव तां वितुदन्त्यपि is kept as a recension variant). The CE star line 12.67.8d*0150_01 is not on the page.

Verse 10 (12.66.10)

यदतप्तं प्रणमते न तत्संतापयन्त्युत । यत्स्वयं नमते दारु न तत्संनामयन्त्यपि ॥

yadataptaṃ praṇamate na tatsaṃtāpayantyuta | yatsvayaṃ namate dāru na tatsaṃnāmayantyapi

What bends without being heated they do not heat; and wood that bends of itself they do not force to bend.

Verse 11 (12.66.11)

एतयोपमया धीरः सन्नमेत बलीयसे । इन्द्राय स प्रणमते नमते यो बलीयसे ॥

etayopamayā dhīraḥ sannameta balīyase | indrāya sa praṇamate namate yo balīyase

By this comparison a wise man should bow to one who is stronger; he who bows to the stronger bows, as it were, to Indra.

Verse 12 (12.66.12)

तस्माद्राजैव कर्तव्यः सततं भूतिमिच्छता । न धनार्थो न दारार्थस्तेषां येषामराजकम् ॥

tasmādrājaiva kartavyaḥ satataṃ bhūtimicchatā | na dhanārtho na dārārthasteṣāṃ yeṣāmarājakam

Therefore one who wants prosperity must always make a king. For those who have no king there is neither wealth nor wife.

Verse 13 (12.66.13)

प्रीयते हि हरन्पापः परवित्तमराजके । यदाऽस्य तद्धरन्त्यन्ये तदा राजानमिच्छति ॥

prīyate hi haranpāpaḥ paravittamarājake | yadā'sya taddharantyanye tadā rājānamicchati

Where there is no king, a wicked man delights in seizing other people's wealth; but when others carry off that same wealth from him, then he wants a king.

Verse 14 (12.66.14)

पापा ह्यपि तदा क्षेमं न लभन्ते कदाचन । एकस्य हि द्वौ हरतो द्वयोश्च बहवोऽपरे ॥

pāpā hyapi tadā kṣemaṃ na labhante kadācana | ekasya hi dvau harato dvayośca bahavo'pare

Even the wicked never find safety then: two plunder one man, and many others plunder the two.

Verse 15 (12.66.15)

अदासः क्रियते दासो ह्रियन्ते च बलात्स्त्रियः । एतस्मात्कारणाद्देवाः प्रजापालान्प्रचक्रिरे ॥

adāsaḥ kriyate dāso hriyante ca balātstriyaḥ | etasmātkāraṇāddevāḥ prajāpālānpracakrire

A man who is no slave is made a slave, and women are carried off by force. For this reason the gods established protectors of the peoples.

Verse 16 (12.66.16)

राजा चेन्न भवेल्लोके पृथिव्या दण्डधारकः । जले मत्स्यानिवाभक्ष्यन्दुर्बलं बलवत्तराः ॥

rājā cenna bhavelloke pṛthivyā daṇḍadhārakaḥ | jale matsyānivābhakṣyandurbalaṃ balavattarāḥ

If there were no king in the world to wield the rod of punishment over the earth, the stronger would devour the weak like fish in water.

Verse 17 (12.66.17)

अराजकाः प्रजाः पूर्वं विनेशुरिति नः श्रुतम् । परस्परं भक्षयन्तो मत्स्या इव जले कृशान् ॥

arājakāḥ prajāḥ pūrvaṃ vineśuriti naḥ śrutam | parasparaṃ bhakṣayanto matsyā iva jale kṛśān

We have heard that in the past kingless peoples perished, devouring one another like fish in water preying on the weaker ones.

Verse 18 (12.66.18)

समेत्य तास्ततश्चक्रुः समयानिति नः श्रुतम् । वाक्शूरो दण्डपरुषो यश्च स्यात्पारदारिकः ॥

sametya tāstataścakruḥ samayāniti naḥ śrutam | vākśūro daṇḍaparuṣo yaśca syātpāradārikaḥ

We have heard that they then gathered together and made compacts: whoever is harsh in speech, violent with the rod, or an adulterer,

Note on the text: Not matched by the alignment (Wikisource reorders and varies the words): line 1 = CE 12.67.18a (tāḥ sametya tataś cakruḥ samayān iti naḥ śrutam); line 2 = CE 12.67.18c (vākkrūro daṇḍapuruṣo yaś ca syāt pāradārikaḥ; Wikisource वाक्शूरो दण्डपरुषो is a variant). CE line 18e continues in the next verse.

Verse 19 (12.66.19)

यश्च नः समयं भिन्द्यात्त्याज्या नस्तादृशा इति । विश्वासार्थं च सर्वेषां वर्णानामविशेषतः । तास्तथा समयं कृत्वा समयेनावतस्थिरे ॥

yaśca naḥ samayaṃ bhindyāttyājyā nastādṛśā iti | viśvāsārthaṃ ca sarveṣāṃ varṇānāmaviśeṣataḥ | tāstathā samayaṃ kṛtvā samayenāvatasthire

and whoever breaks our compact, such men are to be cast out by us. For the assurance of all the castes without distinction, having made the compact in this way, they abided by it.

Note on the text: Three-line verse, as the page prints it (labelled 12-66-19a/b/c). Line 1 is a variant of CE 12.67.18e (yaś ca na svam athādadyāt tyājyā nas tādṛśā iti; Wikisource यश्च नः समयं भिन्द्यात् for yaś ca na svam athādadyāt); lines 2-3 = CE 12.67.19 (viśvāsanārthaṃ varṇānāṃ sarveṣām aviśeṣataḥ / tās tathā samayaṃ kṛtvā samaye nāvatasthire; the CE has nāvatasthire, "did not abide", against Wikisource समयेनावतस्थिरे, "abided by the compact"). Not matched by the alignment.

Verse 20 (12.66.20)

सहितास्तास्तदा जग्मुरसुखार्ताः पितामहम् । अनीश्वरा विनश्यामो भगवन्नीश्वरं दिश ॥

sahitāstāstadā jagmurasukhārtāḥ pitāmaham | anīśvarā vinaśyāmo bhagavannīśvaraṃ diśa

Then, together and sick with distress, they went to the Grandfather: "Lordless, we are perishing. Revered one, appoint a lord for us,

Verse 21 (12.66.21)

यं पूजयेम संभूय यश्च नः प्रतिपालयेत् । ताभ्यो मनुं व्यादिदेश मनुर्नाभिननन्द ताः ॥

yaṃ pūjayema saṃbhūya yaśca naḥ pratipālayet | tābhyo manuṃ vyādideśa manurnābhinananda tāḥ

one whom we may all honour together, and who will protect us." To them he assigned Manu, but Manu did not welcome them.

Verse 22 (12.66.22)

बिभेमि कर्मणः पापाद्राज्यं हि भृशदुष्करम् । विशेषतो मनुष्येषु मिथ्यावृत्तेषु नित्यदा ॥

bibhemi karmaṇaḥ pāpādrājyaṃ hi bhṛśaduṣkaram | viśeṣato manuṣyeṣu mithyāvṛtteṣu nityadā

Manu said: I am afraid of the sinful side of the work. Kingship is exceedingly hard to carry out, most of all among men who are always given to falsehood.

Verse 23 (12.66.23)

तमब्रुवन्प्रजा मा भैर्विधास्यामो धनं तव । पशूनामथ पञ्चांशं हिरण्यस्य तथैव च ॥

tamabruvanprajā mā bhairvidhāsyāmo dhanaṃ tava | paśūnāmatha pañcāṃśaṃ hiraṇyasya tathaiva ca

The people said to him: "Do not be afraid; we shall provide wealth for you. We shall give you a fifth part of our cattle, and likewise of our gold,

Note on the text: Corrected धरण्यस्य → हिरण्यस्य (misprint in Wikisource; धरण्य is not a word here, and CE 12.67.23c reads hiraṇyasya). Not matched by the alignment: line 1 is a variant of CE 12.67.23a (tam abruvan prajā mā bhaiḥ karmaṇaino gamiṣyati; Wikisource मा भैर्विधास्यामो धनं तव, with the page note giving कर्मणैनो गमिष्यति as another reading); line 2 = CE 12.67.23c (paśūnām adhipañcāśad hiraṇyasya tathaiva ca; Wikisource पञ्चांशं for adhipañcāśad). The speaker heading भीष्म is the page's; from line 1 the people are speaking.

Verse 24 (12.66.24)

धान्यस्य दशमं भागं दास्यामः कोशवर्धनम् । कन्यां शुल्के चारुरूपां विवाहेषूद्यतासु च ॥

dhānyasya daśamaṃ bhāgaṃ dāsyāmaḥ kośavardhanam | kanyāṃ śulke cārurūpāṃ vivāheṣūdyatāsu ca

and a tenth part of our grain, to increase your treasury; and when marriages are being arranged, a beautiful maiden as a bride-price.

Note on the text: Not matched by the alignment. Line 1 = CE 12.67.23e (dhānyasya daśamaṃ bhāgaṃ dāsyāmaḥ kośavardhanam); line 2 = CE star line 12.67.23f*0152_01 (kanyāṃ śulke cārurūpāṃ vivāheṣūdyatāsu ca), not in the CE's constituted text. Speaker: the page prints no heading after Bhishma's at verse 23; from here to verse 29 the verses are wholly the people's speech to Manu, so they are given to the people (speaker_line प्रजा ऊचुः); the input had भीष्म.

Verse 25 (12.66.25)

मुख्येन शस्त्रपत्रेण ये मनुष्याः प्रधानतः । भवन्तं तेऽनुयास्यन्ति महेन्द्रमिव देवताः ॥

mukhyena śastrapatreṇa ye manuṣyāḥ pradhānataḥ | bhavantaṃ te'nuyāsyanti mahendramiva devatāḥ

The men who are chief among us, with their best weapons and mounts, will follow you as the gods follow Mahendra.

Verse 26 (12.66.26)

स त्वं जातबलो राजन्दुष्प्रधर्षः प्रतापवान् । सुखे धास्यसि नः सर्वान्कुबेर इव नैर्ऋतान् ॥

sa tvaṃ jātabalo rājanduṣpradharṣaḥ pratāpavān | sukhe dhāsyasi naḥ sarvānkubera iva nairṛtān

Grown strong, O king, hard to withstand and full of majesty, you will set us all in happiness, as Kubera does the Nairritas.

Verse 27 (12.66.27)

यं च धर्मं चरिष्यन्ति प्रजा राज्ञा सुरक्षिताः । चतुर्थं तस्य धर्मस्य त्वत्संस्थं नो भविष्यति ॥

yaṃ ca dharmaṃ cariṣyanti prajā rājñā surakṣitāḥ | caturthaṃ tasya dharmasya tvatsaṃsthaṃ no bhaviṣyati

Whatever dharma the people practise when well protected by their king, a fourth part of that dharma will rest with you for us.

Verse 28 (12.66.28)

तेन धर्मेण महता सुखं लब्धेन भावितः । पाह्यस्मान्सर्वतो राजन्देवानिव शतक्रतुः ॥

tena dharmeṇa mahatā sukhaṃ labdhena bhāvitaḥ | pāhyasmānsarvato rājandevāniva śatakratuḥ

Strengthened by that great dharma and the happiness it brings, protect us on every side, O king, as Shatakratu protects the gods.

Verse 29 (12.66.29)

विजयाय हि निर्याहि प्रतपन्रश्मिवानिव । मानं विधम शत्रूणां धर्मं जनय नः सदा ॥

vijayāya hi niryāhi pratapanraśmivāniva | mānaṃ vidhama śatrūṇāṃ dharmaṃ janaya naḥ sadā

March out to victory, blazing like the sun with its rays. Crush the pride of our enemies, and always bring dharma to birth for us."

Note on the text: Corrected प्रतपत्रश्मिवानिव → प्रतपन्रश्मिवानिव (misprint in Wikisource; त for न in the sandhi प्रतपन् + रश्मिवान्; CE has pratapan raśmimān). Wikisource विजयाय हि निर्याहि against CE vijayāyāśu niryāhi, and जनय नः for dharmo jayatu naḥ, are kept as variants. The people's speech ends here.

Verse 30 (12.66.30)

स निर्ययौ महातेजा बलेन महता वृतः । महाभिजनसंपन्नस्तेजसा प्रज्वलन्निव ॥

sa niryayau mahātejā balena mahatā vṛtaḥ | mahābhijanasaṃpannastejasā prajvalanniva

Then he set out, of great splendour, surrounded by a great army, of high lineage, blazing as it were with his own brilliance.

Verse 31 (12.66.31)

तस्य दृष्ट्वा महत्वं ते महेन्द्रस्येव देवताः । अपतत्रसिरे सर्वे स्वधर्मे च ददुर्मनः । वर्णिनश्चाश्रमाश्चैव म्लेच्छाः सर्वे च दस्यवः ॥

tasya dṛṣṭvā mahatvaṃ te mahendrasyeva devatāḥ | apatatrasire sarve svadharme ca dadurmanaḥ | varṇinaścāśramāścaiva mlecchāḥ sarve ca dasyavaḥ

Seeing his greatness, all were seized with fear, as the gods are before Mahendra, and they set their minds on their own duties: the members of the castes and stages of life, and the barbarians and all the bandits alike.

Note on the text: Removed the stray backtick and the doubled daṇḍa with closing quote Wikisource prints around line 3. Three-line verse, as on the page (labelled 12-66-31a/b/c): lines 1-2 = CE 12.67.30 (Wikisource महत्वं ते for CE tāṃ mahimāṃ); line 3 is the CE star line 12.67.30d*0153_01 (varṇinaś cāśramāś caiva mlecchāḥ sarve ca dasyavaḥ), not in the CE's constituted text. Not matched by the alignment.

Verse 32 (12.66.32)

ततो महीं परिययौ पर्जन्य इव वृष्टिमान् । शमयन्सर्वतः पापान्स्वकर्मसु च योजयन् ॥

tato mahīṃ pariyayau parjanya iva vṛṣṭimān | śamayansarvataḥ pāpānsvakarmasu ca yojayan

Then he went round the earth like Parjanya bringing rain, quelling wrongdoers everywhere and setting each to his own work.

Verse 33 (12.66.33)

एवं ये भूतिमिच्छेयुः पृथिव्यां मानवाः क्वचित् । कुर्यू राजानमेवाग्रे प्रजानुग्रहकारणात् ॥

evaṃ ye bhūtimiccheyuḥ pṛthivyāṃ mānavāḥ kvacit | kuryū rājānamevāgre prajānugrahakāraṇāt

So, whatever men anywhere on earth may desire prosperity should first make a king, for the sake of the people's welfare.

Verse 34 (12.66.34)

नमस्येरंश्च तं भक्त्या शिष्या इव गुरुं सदा । देवा इव च देवेन्द्रं नरा राजानमन्तिकात् ॥

namasyeraṃśca taṃ bhaktyā śiṣyā iva guruṃ sadā | devā iva ca devendraṃ narā rājānamantikāt

They should always bow to him in devotion, as pupils to a teacher, as the gods to the lord of the gods; men should draw near their king in that spirit.

Verse 35 (12.66.35)

सत्कृतं स्वजनेनेह परोऽपि बहुमन्यते । स्वजनेन त्ववज्ञातं परे परिभवन्त्युत ॥

satkṛtaṃ svajaneneha paro'pi bahumanyate | svajanena tvavajñātaṃ pare paribhavantyuta

A man honoured by his own people is highly regarded even by strangers; but one slighted by his own people is despised by others.

Verse 36 (12.66.36)

राज्ञः परैः परिभवः सर्वेषामसुखावहः । तस्माच्छत्रं च पत्रं च वासांस्याभरणानि च ॥

rājñaḥ paraiḥ paribhavaḥ sarveṣāmasukhāvahaḥ | tasmācchatraṃ ca patraṃ ca vāsāṃsyābharaṇāni ca

A king's humiliation at the hands of others brings unhappiness to all. Therefore people should give him a parasol and a leaf-fan, garments and ornaments,

Verse 37 (12.66.37)

भोजनान्यथ पानानि राज्ञे दद्युर्गृहाणि च । आसनानि च शय्याश्च सर्वोपकरणानि च ॥

bhojanānyatha pānāni rājñe dadyurgṛhāṇi ca | āsanāni ca śayyāśca sarvopakaraṇāni ca

foods and drinks and houses, seats and beds, and every kind of furnishing.

Verse 38 (12.66.38)

गोप्ता चास्य दुराधर्षः स्मितपूर्वाभिभाषिता । आभाषितश्च मधुरं प्रत्याभाषेत मानवान् ॥

goptā cāsya durādharṣaḥ smitapūrvābhibhāṣitā | ābhāṣitaśca madhuraṃ pratyābhāṣeta mānavān

He must be a protector hard to overcome, one who speaks first with a smile; when addressed, he should reply sweetly to his people.

Verse 39 (12.66.39)

कृतज्ञो दृढभक्तिः स्यात्संविभागी जितेन्द्रियः । ईक्षितः प्रतिवीक्षेत मृदु वल्गु च चर्जु च ॥

kṛtajño dṛḍhabhaktiḥ syātsaṃvibhāgī jitendriyaḥ | īkṣitaḥ prativīkṣeta mṛdu valgu ca carju ca

He should be grateful, firm in devotion, ready to share, master of his senses; when looked at, he should look back, gently, pleasantly and honestly.