The King's Watch over the Realm

Verse 1 (12.89.1)

वनस्पतीन्भक्ष्यफलान्न च्छिन्द्युर्विषये तव । ब्राह्मणानां मूलफलं धर्ममाहुर्मनीषिणः ॥

vanaspatīnbhakṣyaphalānna cchindyurviṣaye tava | brāhmaṇānāṃ mūlaphalaṃ dharmamāhurmanīṣiṇaḥ

In your realm they should not fell the trees that bear edible fruit; the wise say that the roots and fruits are by right the Brahmins'.

Note on the text: Corrected वनस्पतीभक्ष्यफलान्न → वनस्पतीन्भक्ष्यफलान्न (misprint in Wikisource; the न् of वनस्पतीन् is dropped; the critical edition reads vanaspatīn bhakṣyaphalān).

Verse 2 (12.89.2)

ब्राह्मणेभ्योऽतिरिक्तं च भुञ्जीरन्नितरे जनाः । न ब्राह्मणोपरोधेन हरेदन्यः कथंचन ॥

brāhmaṇebhyo'tiriktaṃ ca bhuñjīrannitare janāḥ | na brāhmaṇoparodhena haredanyaḥ kathaṃcana

The rest of the people should eat what is left over after the Brahmins; and no one else should take anything in any way that obstructs a Brahmin.

Verse 3 (12.89.3)

विप्रश्चेत्त्यागमातिष्ठेदाख्यायावृत्तिकर्शितः । परिकल्प्यास्य वृत्तिः स्यात्सदारस्य नराधिप ॥

vipraścettyāgamātiṣṭhedākhyāyāvṛttikarśitaḥ | parikalpyāsya vṛttiḥ syātsadārasya narādhipa

If a Brahmin, wasted by lack of a livelihood, should resolve to leave and declare it, then, O king, a livelihood should be arranged for him together with his wife.

Note on the text: Corrected परिकल्यास्य → परिकल्प्यास्य (misprint in Wikisource; the प् of the gerund is dropped; the critical edition reads parikalpyāsya). Corrected ख्याया वृत्तिकर्शितः → ख्यायावृत्तिकर्शितः (misprint in Wikisource; the word-break is wrong: ākhyāya + avṛtti, "having declared it, wasted by want of livelihood"; the critical edition reads ākhyāyāvṛttikarśitaḥ).

Verse 4 (12.89.4)

स चेन्नोपनिवर्तेत वाच्यो ब्राह्मणसंसदि । कस्मिन्निदानीं मर्यादामयं लोकः करिष्यति ॥

sa cennopanivarteta vācyo brāhmaṇasaṃsadi | kasminnidānīṃ maryādāmayaṃ lokaḥ kariṣyati

If even so he does not turn back, he should be told in the assembly of Brahmins: "In whom, now, will this world find its standard of conduct?"

Verse 5 (12.89.5)

असंशयं निवर्तेत न चेत्त्यक्ष्यत्यतः परम् । पूर्वं परोक्षं वक्तव्यमेतत्कौन्तेय शाश्वतम् ॥

asaṃśayaṃ nivarteta na cettyakṣyatyataḥ param | pūrvaṃ parokṣaṃ vaktavyametatkaunteya śāśvatam

He will surely turn back, if he is not going to leave after this. First it should be said to him indirectly, son of Kunti; this is the established way.

Verse 6 (12.89.6)

आहुरेतज्जना ब्रह्मन्न चैतच्छ्रद्दधाम्यहम् । निमन्त्र्यश्च भवेद्भोगैरवृत्त्या च तदा चरेत् ॥

āhuretajjanā brahmanna caitacchraddadhāmyaham | nimantryaśca bhavedbhogairavṛttyā ca tadā caret

"People say this, O Brahmin, but I do not believe it"—if he answers so, he should be invited with comforts; and if his going is for want of a livelihood, the king should then act accordingly.

Verse 7 (12.89.7)

कृषिगोरक्ष्यवाणिज्यं लोकानामिह जीवनम् । ऊर्ध्वं चैव त्रयी विद्या सा भूतान्भावयत्युत ॥

kṛṣigorakṣyavāṇijyaṃ lokānāmiha jīvanam | ūrdhvaṃ caiva trayī vidyā sā bhūtānbhāvayatyuta

Farming, cattle-keeping and trade are the livelihood of people here; and beyond them, for the world above, is the threefold Vedic knowledge, which sustains living beings.

Verse 8 (12.89.8)

तस्यां प्रपतमानायां ये स्युस्तत्परिपन्थिनः । दस्यवस्तद्वधायेह ब्रह्मा क्षत्रमथासृजत् ॥

tasyāṃ prapatamānāyāṃ ye syustatparipanthinaḥ | dasyavastadvadhāyeha brahmā kṣatramathāsṛjat

When that falls into decline, those who stand against it, the robbers—it was to destroy them that Brahma created the Kshatriya order.

Verse 9 (12.89.9)

शत्रूञ्जय प्रजा रक्ष यजस्व क्रतुभिर्नृप । युध्यस्व समरे वीरो भूत्वा कौरवनन्दन ॥

śatrūñjaya prajā rakṣa yajasva kratubhirnṛpa | yudhyasva samare vīro bhūtvā kauravanandana

Conquer your enemies, protect the people, and worship with sacrifices, O king; be a hero and fight in battle, delight of the Kurus.

Verse 10 (12.89.10)

संरक्ष्यान्रक्षते राजा स राजा राजसत्तमः । ये केचित्तान्न रक्षन्ति तैरर्थो नास्ति कश्चन ॥

saṃrakṣyānrakṣate rājā sa rājā rājasattamaḥ | ye kecittānna rakṣanti tairartho nāsti kaścana

The king who protects those who are to be protected is the best of kings; those who do not protect them are of no use at all.

Verse 11 (12.89.11)

सदैव राज्ञा योद्धव्यं सर्वलोकाद्युधिष्ठिर । तस्माद्धेतोर्हि भुञ्जीत मनुष्यानेव मानवः ॥

sadaiva rājñā yoddhavyaṃ sarvalokādyudhiṣṭhira | tasmāddhetorhi bhuñjīta manuṣyāneva mānavaḥ

A king must always be ready to fight for the sake of the whole world, Yudhishthira; for that reason alone may a man draw his livelihood from other men.

Note on the text: Corrected तस्याद्धेतोर्हि → तस्माद्धेतोर्हि (misprint in Wikisource; तस्यात् is not a form; the critical edition reads tasmād dhetor hi).

Verse 12 (12.89.12)

आन्तरेभ्यः परान्रक्षन्परेभ्यः पुनरान्तरान् । परान्परेभ्यः स्वान्स्वेभ्यः सर्वान्पालय नित्यदा ॥

āntarebhyaḥ parānrakṣanparebhyaḥ punarāntarān | parānparebhyaḥ svānsvebhyaḥ sarvānpālaya nityadā

Guarding outsiders from insiders, and insiders again from outsiders, outsiders from other outsiders, and your own people from your own, always protect everyone.

Note on the text: Corrected स्वान्खेभ्यः → स्वान्स्वेभ्यः (misprint in Wikisource; खेभ्यः, "from the skies", is meaningless here; the critical edition reads svān svebhyaḥ).

Verse 13 (12.89.13)

आत्मानं सर्वतो रक्षन्राजन्रक्षस्व मेदिनीम् । आत्ममूलमिदं सर्वमाहुर्वै विदुषो जनाः ॥

ātmānaṃ sarvato rakṣanrājanrakṣasva medinīm | ātmamūlamidaṃ sarvamāhurvai viduṣo janāḥ

Guarding yourself on every side, O king, protect the earth; for the learned say that all this has its root in oneself.

Verse 14 (12.89.14)

किं छिद्रं कोनु सङ्गो मे किंवाऽस्त्यविनिपातितम् । कुतो मामाश्रयेद्दोष इति नित्यं विचिन्तयेत् ॥

kiṃ chidraṃ konu saṅgo me kiṃvā'styavinipātitam | kuto māmāśrayeddoṣa iti nityaṃ vicintayet

"What flaw is there? What attachment of mine? What is there that I have not yet struck down? From where may fault come upon me?" Thus he should constantly reflect.

Verse 15 (12.89.15)

अतीतदिवसे वृत्तं प्रशंसन्ति न वा पुनः । गुप्तैश्चारैरनुमतैः पृथिवीमनुसारयेत् ॥

atītadivase vṛttaṃ praśaṃsanti na vā punaḥ | guptaiścārairanumataiḥ pṛthivīmanusārayet

To learn whether people praise his conduct of the day gone by or not, he should have the land travelled over by trusted and approved spies.

Note on the text: Line 1 is the CE star line 12.90.14d*0216_01 (atītadivase vṛttaṃ praśaṃsanti na vā punaḥ); line 2 is CE 12.90.15a (the automatic alignment found no match).

Verse 16 (12.89.16)

जानीत यदि मे वृत्तं प्रशंसन्ति न वा पुनः । कच्चिद्रोचेज्जनपदे कच्चिद्राष्ट्रे च मे यशः ॥

jānīta yadi me vṛttaṃ praśaṃsanti na vā punaḥ | kaccidrocejjanapade kaccidrāṣṭre ca me yaśaḥ

"Find out whether they praise my conduct or not, and whether my fame finds favour in the countryside and in the kingdom."

Note on the text: Corrected मे वशः → मे यशः (misprint in Wikisource; "my sway" does not fit रोचेत्; the critical edition reads yaśaḥ, "fame"). Corresponds to CE 12.90.15c and 15e (the alignment found no match): line 1 reads जानीत for the critical edition's sunītam (a recension variant, kept); line 2 matches 15e.

Verse 17 (12.89.17)

धर्मज्ञानां धृतिमतां संग्रामेष्वपलायिनाम् । राष्ट्रे तु येऽनुजीवन्ति ये तु राज्ञोऽनुजीविनः ॥

dharmajñānāṃ dhṛtimatāṃ saṃgrāmeṣvapalāyinām | rāṣṭre tu ye'nujīvanti ye tu rājño'nujīvinaḥ

Among those who know dharma, the steadfast, those who do not flee from battle, those who live in the kingdom and those who live in the king's service—

Verse 18 (12.89.18)

अमात्यानां च सर्वेषां मध्यस्थानां च सर्वशः । ये च त्वाऽभिप्रशंसेयुर्निन्देयुरथवा पुनः ॥

amātyānāṃ ca sarveṣāṃ madhyasthānāṃ ca sarvaśaḥ | ye ca tvā'bhipraśaṃseyurnindeyurathavā punaḥ

among all the ministers, and among those who stand neutral in every way, those who may praise you or may find fault with you—

Note on the text: The automatic alignment missed this verse; it is CE 12.90.17ab (amātyānāṃ ca sarveṣāṃ madhyasthānāṃ ca sarvaśaḥ / ye ca tvābhipraśaṃseyur nindeyur atha vā punaḥ).

Verse 19 (12.89.19)

सर्वान्सुपरिणीतांस्तान्कारयेथा युधिष्ठिर । एकान्तेन हि सर्वेषां न शक्यं तात रोचितुम् । मित्रामित्रमथो मध्यं सर्वभूतेषु भारत ॥

sarvānsupariṇītāṃstānkārayethā yudhiṣṭhira | ekāntena hi sarveṣāṃ na śakyaṃ tāta rocitum | mitrāmitramatho madhyaṃ sarvabhūteṣu bhārata

see to it, Yudhishthira, that all of them are duly honoured. For, my son, it is not possible to please everyone wholly; among all beings, O Bharata, there are friends, enemies and those in between.

Note on the text: Three lines, as the page prints them (19a–c). Line 1 is CE 12.90.17e (sarvān supariṇītāṃs tān kārayeta yudhiṣṭhira; the page reads कारयेथा); lines 2–3 are CE 12.90.18ab (ekāntena hi sarveṣāṃ na śakyaṃ tāta rocitum / mitrāmitram atho madhyaṃ sarvabhūteṣu bhārata).

Verse 20 (12.89.20)

तुल्यबाहुबलानां च तुल्यानां च गुणैरपि । कथं स्यादधिकः कश्चित्स च भुञ्जीत मानवान् ॥

tulyabāhubalānāṃ ca tulyānāṃ ca guṇairapi | kathaṃ syādadhikaḥ kaścitsa ca bhuñjīta mānavān

When men are equal in strength of arm and equal too in their qualities, how can one of them become superior and rule over the others?

Verse 21 (12.89.21)

ये चरा ह्यचरानद्युरदंष्ट्रान्दंष्ट्रिणस्तथा । आशीविषा इव क्रुद्धा भुजङ्गान्भुजगा इव ॥

ye carā hyacarānadyuradaṃṣṭrāndaṃṣṭriṇastathā | āśīviṣā iva kruddhā bhujaṅgānbhujagā iva

Those that move eat those that do not, and those with fangs eat those without fangs, as angry venomous serpents eat serpents.

Note on the text: Corrected यच्चरा → ये चरा (misprint in Wikisource; यच्चरा is not a valid form; the critical edition reads ye carā hy acarān adyuḥ).

Verse 22 (12.89.22)

एतेभ्यश्चाप्रमत्तः स्यात्सदा शत्रोर्युधिष्ठिर । भारुण्डसदृशा ह्येते निपतन्ति प्रमादतः ॥

etebhyaścāpramattaḥ syātsadā śatroryudhiṣṭhira | bhāruṇḍasadṛśā hyete nipatanti pramādataḥ

Be always watchful against these, and against the enemy, Yudhishthira; they swoop down like vultures upon the careless.

Verse 23 (12.89.23)

कच्चित्ते वणिजो राष्ट्रे नोद्विजन्ति करार्दिताः । क्रीणन्तो बहुनाऽल्पेन कान्तारकृतविश्रमाः ॥

kaccitte vaṇijo rāṣṭre nodvijanti karārditāḥ | krīṇanto bahunā'lpena kāntārakṛtaviśramāḥ

Are the merchants in your realm, burdened with taxes, not made miserable—those who buy much for little, and must make their halts in wild country?

Verse 24 (12.89.24)

कच्चित्कृषिकरा राष्ट्रं न जहत्यतिपीडिताः । ये वहन्ति धुरं राज्ञां ते भरन्तीतरानपि ॥

kaccitkṛṣikarā rāṣṭraṃ na jahatyatipīḍitāḥ | ye vahanti dhuraṃ rājñāṃ te bharantītarānapi

Do the farmers, sorely oppressed, not abandon the kingdom? Those who bear the burden of kings sustain all the others as well.

Note on the text: Corrected ये बहन्ति → ये वहन्ति (misprint in Wikisource; बहन्ति is not a Sanskrit verb; the critical edition reads vahanti).

Verse 25 (12.89.25)

आलस्येन हृतः पादः पादः पाषण्डमाश्रितः । राजानं सेवते पादः पादः कृषिमुपाश्रितः ॥

ālasyena hṛtaḥ pādaḥ pādaḥ pāṣaṇḍamāśritaḥ | rājānaṃ sevate pādaḥ pādaḥ kṛṣimupāśritaḥ

One quarter is lost to idleness, one quarter has taken refuge in heresy, one quarter serves the king, and one quarter depends on farming.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); the critical edition does not record it. Removed the backtick (`) printed before the line and a zero-width joiner inside पाषण्ड.

Verse 26 (12.89.26)

एकपादं त्रयः पादा भक्षयन्ति दिनेदिने । तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन पादं रक्ष युधिष्ठिर ॥

ekapādaṃ trayaḥ pādā bhakṣayanti dinedine | tasmātsarvaprayatnena pādaṃ rakṣa yudhiṣṭhira

Three quarters eat up the one quarter day after day; therefore, Yudhishthira, guard that quarter with every effort.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); the critical edition does not record it. Removed the stray quote mark (') and the doubled daṇḍa printed at the end of line 2 (the backtick opened at verse 25 closes here).

Verse 27 (12.89.27)

इतो दत्तेन जीवन्ति देवाः पितृगणास्तथा । मानुषोरगरक्षांसि वयांसि पशवस्तथा ॥

ito dattena jīvanti devāḥ pitṛgaṇāstathā | mānuṣoragarakṣāṃsi vayāṃsi paśavastathā

On what is given from here live the gods and the company of the ancestors, and likewise men, serpents, rakshasas, birds and beasts.

Verse 28 (12.89.28)

एषा ते राष्ट्रवृत्तिश्च राज्ञां गुप्तिश्च भारत । प्रोक्तोद्दिश्यैतमेवार्थं भूयो वक्ष्यामि पाण्डव ॥

eṣā te rāṣṭravṛttiśca rājñāṃ guptiśca bhārata | proktoddiśyaitamevārthaṃ bhūyo vakṣyāmi pāṇḍava

This, Bharata, is your policy for the realm and the guarding of kings. Having set out this very subject, I shall speak of it again, Pandava.

Note on the text: Corrected पा--व → पाण्डव (misprint in Wikisource; the page prints two dashes for lost aksharas; the matching critical-edition line reads pāṇḍava). The automatic alignment missed this verse; it is CE 12.90.25 (eṣā te rāṣṭravṛttiś ca rāṣṭraguptiś ca bhārata / etam evārtham āśritya bhūyo vakṣyāmi pāṇḍava); the page reads राज्ञां गुप्तिश्च and प्रोक्तोद्दिश्यैतमेवार्थम्, a recension variant, kept.