The Science of Punishment and the Four Ages

Verse 1 (12.69.1)

दण्डनीतिश्च राजा च समस्तौ तावुभावपि । तत्र किं कुर्वतः सिद्धिस्तन्मे ब्रूहि पितामह ॥

daṇḍanītiśca rājā ca samastau tāvubhāvapi | tatra kiṃ kurvataḥ siddhistanme brūhi pitāmaha

The science of punishment and the king: both together are involved here. Tell me, grandsire, by acting in which way is success won in this matter?

Note on the text: Removed a stray invisible zero-width joiner inside दण्डनीतिश्च (Wikisource encoding glitch).

Verse 2 (12.69.2)

माहात्म्यं दण्डनीत्यास्तु साध्यं शब्दैः सहेतुकैः । शृणु मे शंसतो राजन्यथावदिह भारत ॥

māhātmyaṃ daṇḍanītyāstu sādhyaṃ śabdaiḥ sahetukaiḥ | śṛṇu me śaṃsato rājanyathāvadiha bhārata

The greatness of the science of punishment is to be established by words backed with reasons. Listen, O king, O Bharata, as I declare it duly.

Verse 3 (12.69.3)

दण्डनीतिः स्वधर्मेषु चातुर्वर्ण्यं नियच्छति । प्रयुक्ता स्वामिना सम्यगधर्मेभ्यो नियच्छति ॥

daṇḍanītiḥ svadharmeṣu cāturvarṇyaṃ niyacchati | prayuktā svāminā samyagadharmebhyo niyacchati

The science of punishment keeps the four orders to their own duties; and when rightly applied by the ruler, it holds them back from unrighteousness.

Verse 4 (12.69.4)

चातुर्वर्ण्ये स्वधर्मस्थे मर्यादानामसंकरे । दण्डनीतिकृते क्षेमे प्रजानामकुतोभये ॥

cāturvarṇye svadharmasthe maryādānāmasaṃkare | daṇḍanītikṛte kṣeme prajānāmakutobhaye

When the four orders abide in their own duties, when the boundaries of conduct are not confounded, when welfare is secured by the science of punishment and the people have nothing to fear from any quarter,

Note on the text: Removed a stray invisible zero-width joiner inside दण्डनीतिकृते (Wikisource encoding glitch).

Verse 5 (12.69.5)

सोमे प्रयत्नं कुर्वन्ति त्रयो वर्णा यथाविधि । तस्मादेव मनुष्याणां सुखं विद्धि समाहितम् ॥

some prayatnaṃ kurvanti trayo varṇā yathāvidhi | tasmādeva manuṣyāṇāṃ sukhaṃ viddhi samāhitam

the three orders make due effort in the Soma sacrifice as prescribed; know that from this alone the happiness of men is firmly established.

Note on the text: Corrected वयो → त्रयो (misprint in Wikisource: व for त्र; 'the three orders', CE trayo varṇāḥ). Wikisource सोमे प्रयत्नं and तस्मादेव मनुष्याणां agree with CE some prayatnaṃ … tasmād devamanuṣyāṇām except for देव-; kept as printed.

Verse 6 (12.69.6)

कालो वा कारणं राज्ञो राजा वा कालकारणम् । इति ते संशयो माभूद्राजा कालस्य कारणम् ॥

kālo vā kāraṇaṃ rājño rājā vā kālakāraṇam | iti te saṃśayo mābhūdrājā kālasya kāraṇam

Is the age the cause of the king, or is the king the cause of the age? Let you have no doubt about this: the king is the cause of the age.

Verse 7 (12.69.7)

दण्डनीत्यां यदा राजा सम्यक्कार्त्स्न्येन वर्तते । तदा कृतयुगं नाम कालः श्रेष्ठः प्रवर्तते ॥

daṇḍanītyāṃ yadā rājā samyakkārtsnyena vartate | tadā kṛtayugaṃ nāma kālaḥ śreṣṭhaḥ pravartate

When a king conducts himself fully and rightly according to the science of punishment, then that best of ages called the Krita Age begins.

Verse 8 (12.69.8)

भवेत्कृतयुगे धर्मो नाधर्मो विद्यते क्वचित् । सर्वेषामेव वर्णानां नाधर्मे रमते मनः ॥

bhavetkṛtayuge dharmo nādharmo vidyate kvacit | sarveṣāmeva varṇānāṃ nādharme ramate manaḥ

In the Krita Age there is dharma and nowhere is there adharma; the mind of none of the orders delights in adharma.

Verse 9 (12.69.9)

योगक्षेमाः प्रवर्तन्ते प्रजानां नात्र संशयः । वैदिकानि च कर्माणि भवन्त्यपि गुणान्युत ॥

yogakṣemāḥ pravartante prajānāṃ nātra saṃśayaḥ | vaidikāni ca karmāṇi bhavantyapi guṇānyuta

Without doubt the security and welfare of the people thrive, and the Vedic rites too are performed with merit.

Note on the text: Wikisource भवन्त्यपि गुणान्युत against CE bhavanty aviguṇāny uta; kept as printed.

Verse 10 (12.69.10)

ऋतवश्च सुखाः सर्वे भवन्त्युत निरामयाः । प्रसीदन्ति नराणां च स्वरवर्णमनांसि च ॥

ṛtavaśca sukhāḥ sarve bhavantyuta nirāmayāḥ | prasīdanti narāṇāṃ ca svaravarṇamanāṃsi ca

All the seasons are pleasant and free from sickness, and the voices, complexions and minds of men are serene.

Verse 11 (12.69.11)

व्याधयो न भवन्त्यत्र नाल्पायुर्दृश्यते नरः । विधवा न भवन्त्यत्र नृशंसो नात्र जायते ॥

vyādhayo na bhavantyatra nālpāyurdṛśyate naraḥ | vidhavā na bhavantyatra nṛśaṃso nātra jāyate

There are no diseases here, no man is seen to die young, there are no widows, and no cruel person is born.

Verse 12 (12.69.12)

अकृष्टपच्या पृथिवी भवन्त्योषधयस्तथा । त्वक्पत्रफलमूलानि वीर्यवन्ति भवन्ति च ॥

akṛṣṭapacyā pṛthivī bhavantyoṣadhayastathā | tvakpatraphalamūlāni vīryavanti bhavanti ca

The earth yields without ploughing, and so do the herbs; bark, leaves, fruits and roots become full of potency.

Verse 13 (12.69.13)

नाधर्मो विद्यते तत्र धर्म एव तु केवलम् । इति कार्तयुगानेतान्गुणान्विद्धि युधिष्ठिर ॥

nādharmo vidyate tatra dharma eva tu kevalam | iti kārtayugānetānguṇānviddhi yudhiṣṭhira

There is no adharma there, only dharma. Know, Yudhishthira, that these are the qualities of the Krita Age.

Verse 14 (12.69.14)

दण्डनीत्या यदा राजा त्रीनंशाननुवर्तते । चतुर्थमंशमुत्सृज्य तदा त्रेता प्रवर्तते ॥

daṇḍanītyā yadā rājā trīnaṃśānanuvartate | caturthamaṃśamutsṛjya tadā tretā pravartate

When a king follows the science of punishment in three parts and gives up the fourth part, then the Treta Age begins.

Verse 15 (12.69.15)

अधर्मस्य चतुर्थांशस्त्रीनंशाननुवर्तते । कृष्टपच्यैव पृथिवी भवन्त्योषधयस्तथा ॥

adharmasya caturthāṃśastrīnaṃśānanuvartate | kṛṣṭapacyaiva pṛthivī bhavantyoṣadhayastathā

A fourth part of adharma attends the three parts; the earth yields only when ploughed, and so do the herbs.

Verse 16 (12.69.16)

अर्धं त्यक्त्वा यदा राजा नीत्यर्धमनुवर्तते । ततस्तु द्वापरं नाम स कालः संप्रवर्तते ॥

ardhaṃ tyaktvā yadā rājā nītyardhamanuvartate | tatastu dvāparaṃ nāma sa kālaḥ saṃpravartate

When a king gives up half and follows half of the policy, then the age called Dvapara begins.

Verse 17 (12.69.17)

अशुभस्य यदा त्वर्धं द्वावंशावनुवर्तते । कृष्टपच्यैव पृथिवी भवत्यर्धफला तथा ॥

aśubhasya yadā tvardhaṃ dvāvaṃśāvanuvartate | kṛṣṭapacyaiva pṛthivī bhavatyardhaphalā tathā

When half of evil attends the two parts, the earth yields only when ploughed, and gives only half its fruit.

Note on the text: Corrected कुष्टपच्यैव → कृष्टपच्यैव (misprint in Wikisource: कुष्ट, a disease or plant name, for कृष्ट, 'ploughed'; CE kṛṣṭapacyaiva). Wikisource यदा त्वर्धं and भवत्यर्धफला against CE tadā ardhaṃ and bhavaty alpaphalā are variants, kept.

Verse 18 (12.69.18)

दण्डनीतिं परित्यज्य यदा कार्त्स्न्येन भूमिपः । प्रजाः क्लिश्नात्ययोगेन प्रवर्तेत तदा कलिः ॥

daṇḍanītiṃ parityajya yadā kārtsnyena bhūmipaḥ | prajāḥ kliśnātyayogena pravarteta tadā kaliḥ

When a king abandons the science of punishment altogether and afflicts the people by misrule, then the Kali Age begins.

Verse 19 (12.69.19)

कलावधर्मो भूयिष्ठो धर्मो भवति न क्वचित् । सर्वेषामेव वर्णानां स्वधर्माच्च्यवते मनः ॥

kalāvadharmo bhūyiṣṭho dharmo bhavati na kvacit | sarveṣāmeva varṇānāṃ svadharmāccyavate manaḥ

In the Kali Age adharma predominates and dharma is nowhere; the minds of all the orders fall away from their own duties.

Verse 20 (12.69.20)

शूद्रा भैक्षेण जीवन्ति ब्राह्मणाः परिचर्यया । योगक्षेमस्य नाशश्च वर्तते वर्णसंकरः ॥

śūdrā bhaikṣeṇa jīvanti brāhmaṇāḥ paricaryayā | yogakṣemasya nāśaśca vartate varṇasaṃkaraḥ

Shudras live by begging and Brahmins by service; the security of acquisition and protection is lost, and confusion of the orders prevails.

Verse 21 (12.69.21)

वैदिकानि च कर्माणि भवन्ति विगुणान्युत । ऋतवो न सुखाः सर्वे भवन्त्यामयिनस्तथा ॥

vaidikāni ca karmāṇi bhavanti viguṇānyuta | ṛtavo na sukhāḥ sarve bhavantyāmayinastathā

Vedic rites become defective; the seasons are not pleasant, and they bring sickness.

Verse 22 (12.69.22)

ह्रसन्ति च मनुष्याणां स्वरवर्णमनांस्युत । व्याधयश्च भवन्त्यत्र म्रियन्ते चाशतायुषः ॥

hrasanti ca manuṣyāṇāṃ svaravarṇamanāṃsyuta | vyādhayaśca bhavantyatra mriyante cāśatāyuṣaḥ

The voices, complexions and minds of men decline; diseases arise, and people die before reaching a hundred years.

Note on the text: Corrected ह्रसन्त → ह्रसन्ति (misprint in Wikisource: the third-person plural ending ति lost; CE hrasanti).

Verse 23 (12.69.23)

विधवाश्च भवन्त्यत्र नृशंसा जायते प्रजा । क्वचिद्वर्षति पर्जन्यः क्वचित्सस्यं प्ररोहति ॥

vidhavāśca bhavantyatra nṛśaṃsā jāyate prajā | kvacidvarṣati parjanyaḥ kvacitsasyaṃ prarohati

There are widows; cruel offspring are born. Rain falls in one place, and in another the crops sprout.

Verse 24 (12.69.24)

रसाः सर्वे क्षयं यान्ति यदा नेच्छति भूमिपः । प्रजाः संरक्षितुं सम्यग्दण्डनीतिसमाहितः ॥

rasāḥ sarve kṣayaṃ yānti yadā necchati bhūmipaḥ | prajāḥ saṃrakṣituṃ samyagdaṇḍanītisamāhitaḥ

All the savours of the earth fail when the king, though equipped with the rod of justice, is unwilling to protect his subjects rightly.

Note on the text: Removed a stray invisible zero-width joiner inside सम्यग्दण्डनीतिसमाहितः (Wikisource encoding glitch).

Verse 25 (12.69.25)

राजा कृतयुगस्रष्टा त्रेताया द्वापरस्य च । युगस्य च चतुर्थस्य राजा भवति कारणम् ॥

rājā kṛtayugasraṣṭā tretāyā dvāparasya ca | yugasya ca caturthasya rājā bhavati kāraṇam

The king is the maker of the Krita Age, of the Treta and of the Dvapara, and the king is the cause of the fourth age as well.

Verse 26 (12.69.26)

कृतस्य करणाद्राजा स्वर्गमत्यन्तमश्नुते । त्रेतायाः करणाद्राजा स्वर्गं नात्यन्तमश्नुते ॥

kṛtasya karaṇādrājā svargamatyantamaśnute | tretāyāḥ karaṇādrājā svargaṃ nātyantamaśnute

By bringing about the Krita Age a king wins heaven in full; by bringing about the Treta he does not win heaven in full.

Verse 27 (12.69.27)

प्रवर्तनाद्द्वापरस्य यथाभागमुपाश्नुते । कलेः प्रवर्तनाद्राजा पापमत्यन्तमश्नुते ॥

pravartanāddvāparasya yathābhāgamupāśnute | kaleḥ pravartanādrājā pāpamatyantamaśnute

By setting the Dvapara in motion he receives a share in proportion; by setting the Kali in motion the king incurs sin in the extreme.

Verse 28 (12.69.28)

ततो वसति दुष्कर्मा नरके शाश्वतीः समाः । प्रजानां कल्मषे मग्नोऽकीर्तिं पापं च विन्दति ॥

tato vasati duṣkarmā narake śāśvatīḥ samāḥ | prajānāṃ kalmaṣe magno'kīrtiṃ pāpaṃ ca vindati

Then that evil-doer dwells in hell for endless years, sunk in the sins of his subjects, and he reaps infamy and sin.

Note on the text: Corrected मग्नोऽकीर्ति → मग्नोऽकीर्तिं (misprint in Wikisource: the anusvāra of the accusative lost; CE akīrtiṃ).

Verse 29 (12.69.29)

दण्डनीतिं पुरस्कृत्य क्षत्रियेण विजानता । लिप्सितव्यमलभ्यं च लब्धं रक्ष्यं च भारत । योगक्षेमाः प्रवर्तन्ते प्रजानां नात्र संशयः ॥

daṇḍanītiṃ puraskṛtya kṣatriyeṇa vijānatā | lipsitavyamalabhyaṃ ca labdhaṃ rakṣyaṃ ca bhārata | yogakṣemāḥ pravartante prajānāṃ nātra saṃśayaḥ

A discerning Kshatriya, putting the science of punishment first, should seek what has not yet been gained and guard what has been gained, O Bharata. Then, without doubt, the security and welfare of the people thrive.

Note on the text: Removed the stray backtick, the closing quote mark and the doubled daṇḍa Wikisource prints around line 3. Three-line verse, as on the page (labelled 69-29a/b/c). Line 1 is CE 12.70.29a in its star form: daṇḍanītiṃ puraskṛtya as in 12.70.29a, completed by the star line 12.70.29d*0173_01 (kṣatriyeṇa vijānatā); line 2 is the CE star line 12.70.29d*0173_02 (Wikisource अलभ्यं against CE alabdhaṃ, kept); line 3, the line printed in quotation marks, is the CE star line 12.70.28d*0171_01 (and repeats line 9a of this adhyaya). The alignment found no match.

Verse 30 (12.69.30)

लोकस्य सीमन्तकरी मर्यादा लोकपावनी । सम्यङ्नीता दण्डनीतिर्यथा माता यथा पिता ॥

lokasya sīmantakarī maryādā lokapāvanī | samyaṅnītā daṇḍanītiryathā mātā yathā pitā

The science of punishment, rightly applied, marks the limit of the world and its boundary, and purifies the world; it is like a mother and like a father.

Note on the text: Corrected सम्यङ्गीता → सम्यङ्नीता (misprint in Wikisource: ग for न, an impossible sandhi for सम्यक् + गीता; CE samyaṅ nītā). Wikisource लोकपावनी against CE lokabhāvanī is a variant, kept.

Verse 31 (12.69.31)

यस्यां भवन्ति भूतानि तद्विद्धि भरतर्षभ । एष एव परो धर्मो यद्राजा दण्डनीतिमान् ॥

yasyāṃ bhavanti bhūtāni tadviddhi bharatarṣabha | eṣa eva paro dharmo yadrājā daṇḍanītimān

Know, O best of the Bharatas, that beings come to be and thrive in it. This alone is the highest dharma: that the king be guided by the science of punishment.

Verse 32 (12.69.32)

तस्मात्कौरव्य धर्मेण प्रजाः पालय नीतिमान् । एवं वृत्तः प्रजा रक्षन्स्वर्गं जेतासि दुर्जयम् ॥

tasmātkauravya dharmeṇa prajāḥ pālaya nītimān | evaṃ vṛttaḥ prajā rakṣansvargaṃ jetāsi durjayam

Therefore, O Kaurava, wise in policy, protect your subjects according to dharma. Living so and protecting your people, you will win heaven, so hard to win.