Vamadeva Instructs King Vasumanas

Verse 1 (12.92.1)

कथं धर्मे स्थातुमिच्छन्राजा वर्तेत भारत । पृच्छामि त्वां कुरुश्रेष्ठ तन्मे ब्रूहि पितामह ॥

kathaṃ dharme sthātumicchanrājā varteta bhārata | pṛcchāmi tvāṃ kuruśreṣṭha tanme brūhi pitāmaha

How should a king conduct himself who wishes to stand firm in dharma, O Bharata? I ask you, best of the Kurus; tell me that, grandfather.

Verse 2 (12.92.2)

अत्राप्युदाहरन्तीममितिहासं पुरातनम् । गीतं दृष्टार्थतत्त्वेन वामदेवेन धीमता ॥

atrāpyudāharantīmamitihāsaṃ purātanam | gītaṃ dṛṣṭārthatattvena vāmadevena dhīmatā

On this point they recount an ancient tale, sung by the wise Vamadeva, who had seen the truth of things.

Verse 3 (12.92.3)

राजा वसुमना नाम कौसल्यो बलवाञ्शुचिः । महर्षिं परिपप्रच्छ वामदेवं तपस्विनम् ॥

rājā vasumanā nāma kausalyo balavāñśuciḥ | maharṣiṃ paripapraccha vāmadevaṃ tapasvinam

There was a king named Vasumanas, of Kosala, strong and pure. He put his questions to the great sage Vamadeva, rich in austerity.

Note on the text: Corrected महर्षि → महर्षिं (misprint in Wikisource; the accusative anusvara is dropped; the critical edition reads maharṣiṃ). Wikisource तपस्विनम् against CE yaśasvinam is a recension variant, kept.

Verse 4 (12.92.4)

धर्मार्थसहितैर्वाक्यैर्भगवन्ननुशाधि माम् । येन वृत्तेन वै तिष्ठन्न च्यवेयं स्वधर्मतः ॥

dharmārthasahitairvākyairbhagavannanuśādhi mām | yena vṛttena vai tiṣṭhanna cyaveyaṃ svadharmataḥ

Instruct me, venerable sir, with words joined to dharma and wealth, so that by living in that conduct I may not fall from my own dharma.

Note on the text: Speaker: Vasumanas. The verse is the king's own direct speech to Vamadeva; the page prints no heading for it, so it is not carried on under Bhishma.

Verse 5 (12.92.5)

तमब्रवीद्धामदेवस्तेजस्वी तपतां वरः । हेमवर्णं सुखासीनं ययातिमिव नाहुषम् ॥

tamabravīddhāmadevastejasvī tapatāṃ varaḥ | hemavarṇaṃ sukhāsīnaṃ yayātimiva nāhuṣam

Vamadeva, radiant and the best of ascetics, answered him as he sat at ease, golden in hue like Yayati, the son of Nahusha.

Note on the text: Wikisource तपतां वरः against CE japatāṃ varaḥ is a recension variant, kept.

Verse 6 (12.92.6)

धर्ममेवानुवर्तस्व न धर्माद्विद्यते परम् । धर्मे स्थिता हि राजानो जयन्ति पृथिवीमिमाम् ॥

dharmamevānuvartasva na dharmādvidyate param | dharme sthitā hi rājāno jayanti pṛthivīmimām

Follow dharma alone; there is nothing higher than dharma. Kings who stand firm in dharma conquer this earth.

Note on the text: Corrected पृथिवीमिनाम् → पृथिवीमिमाम् (misprint in Wikisource; न for म; the critical edition reads pṛthivīm imām). The page prints the heading वामदेव उवाच before this verse.

Verse 7 (12.92.7)

अर्थसिद्धेः परं धर्मं मन्यते यो महीपतिः । वृद्ध्यां च कुरुते बुद्धिं स धर्मेण विराजते ॥

arthasiddheḥ paraṃ dharmaṃ manyate yo mahīpatiḥ | vṛddhyāṃ ca kurute buddhiṃ sa dharmeṇa virājate

The king who holds dharma higher than the winning of wealth, and sets his mind on prosperity, shines through dharma.

Note on the text: Corrected बृद्धिं → बुद्धिं (misprint in Wikisource; ृ for ु; the critical edition reads buddhiṃ). Wikisource वृद्ध्यां against CE ṛtāṃ is a recension variant, kept.

Verse 8 (12.92.8)

अधर्मदर्शी यो राजा बलादेव प्रवर्तते । क्षिप्रमेवापयातोऽस्मादुभौ प्रथममध्यमौ ॥

adharmadarśī yo rājā balādeva pravartate | kṣipramevāpayāto'smādubhau prathamamadhyamau

A king who sees only unrighteousness and acts by force quickly falls away from both of these, the first and the middle ones, dharma and wealth.

Verse 9 (12.92.9)

असत्पापिष्ठसचिवो वध्यो लोकस्य धर्महा । सहैव परिवारेण क्षिप्रमेवावसीदति ॥

asatpāpiṣṭhasacivo vadhyo lokasya dharmahā | sahaiva parivāreṇa kṣipramevāvasīdati

The king whose counsellors are wicked and vile, who destroys dharma, deserves to be slain by the world; he quickly sinks together with his household.

Verse 10 (12.92.10)

अर्थानामननुष्ठाता कामचारी विकत्थनः । अपि सर्वां महीं लब्ध्वा क्षिप्रमेव विनश्यति ॥

arthānāmananuṣṭhātā kāmacārī vikatthanaḥ | api sarvāṃ mahīṃ labdhvā kṣiprameva vinaśyati

One who does not carry out his tasks, who acts at will and boasts, perishes quickly even if he has won the whole earth.

Verse 11 (12.92.11)

अथाददानः कल्याणमनसूयुर्जितेन्द्रियः । वर्धते मतिमान्राजा स्रोतोभिरिव सागरः ॥

athādadānaḥ kalyāṇamanasūyurjitendriyaḥ | vardhate matimānrājā srotobhiriva sāgaraḥ

But the wise king who takes up what is good, free from envy and master of his senses, grows like the ocean with its streams.

Verse 12 (12.92.12)

न पूर्णोऽस्मीति मन्येत धर्मतः कामतोऽर्थतः । बुद्धितो मन्त्रतश्चापि सततं वसुधाधिप ॥

na pūrṇo'smīti manyeta dharmataḥ kāmato'rthataḥ | buddhito mantrataścāpi satataṃ vasudhādhipa

Let him never think, 'I am full,' in dharma, in desire, in wealth, in understanding or in counsel, O lord of the earth.

Verse 13 (12.92.13)

एतेष्वेव हि सर्वेषु लोकयात्रा प्रतिष्ठिता । एतानि शृण्वँल्लभते यशः कीर्तिं श्रियं प्रजाः ॥

eteṣveva hi sarveṣu lokayātrā pratiṣṭhitā | etāni śṛṇvam̐llabhate yaśaḥ kīrtiṃ śriyaṃ prajāḥ

On these very things the conduct of the world rests. By heeding them one wins renown, fame, prosperity and subjects.

Note on the text: Corrected कीर्ति → कीर्तिं (misprint in Wikisource; the accusative anusvara is dropped, as the list यशः कीर्तिं श्रियं प्रजाः needs; the critical edition reads kīrtiṃ).

Verse 14 (12.92.14)

एवं यो धर्मसंरम्भी धर्मार्थपरिचिन्तकः । अर्थान्परीक्ष्यारभते स ध्रुवं महदश्नुते ॥

evaṃ yo dharmasaṃrambhī dharmārthaparicintakaḥ | arthānparīkṣyārabhate sa dhruvaṃ mahadaśnute

He who is thus zealous for dharma, who reflects on dharma and wealth, and begins his undertakings only after testing them, surely attains greatness.

Verse 15 (12.92.15)

अदाता ह्यनभिस्नेहो दण्डेनावर्तयन्प्रजाः । साहसप्रकृती राजा क्षिप्रमेव विनश्यति ॥

adātā hyanabhisneho daṇḍenāvartayanprajāḥ | sāhasaprakṛtī rājā kṣiprameva vinaśyati

A king who does not give, who has no affection, who governs his subjects by the rod and is rash by nature, perishes quickly.

Note on the text: Removed a stray zero-width joiner (U+200D) inside दण्डेन; the word is unchanged.

Verse 16 (12.92.16)

अथ पापं कृतं बुद्ध्या न च पश्यत्यबुद्धिमान् । अकीर्त्याऽभिसमायुक्तो भूयो नरकमश्नुते ॥

atha pāpaṃ kṛtaṃ buddhyā na ca paśyatyabuddhimān | akīrtyā'bhisamāyukto bhūyo narakamaśnute

The unwise man does not see the wrong he has done knowingly; joined to ill fame, he meets hell yet again.

Note on the text: Wikisource भूयो against CE mṛto in line 2 is a recension variant, kept.

Verse 17 (12.92.17)

ततो न याचितुर्दातुः शुक्लस्य रसवेदिनः । व्यसनं स्वमिवोत्पन्नं विजिघांसन्ति मानवाः ॥

tato na yāciturdātuḥ śuklasya rasavedinaḥ | vyasanaṃ svamivotpannaṃ vijighāṃsanti mānavāḥ

Therefore when misfortune falls on a man who does not beg but gives, who is pure and knows the savour of things, people strive to remove it as though it were their own.

Note on the text: Wikisource ततो न याचितुः against CE atha mānayituḥ (line 1) is a recension variant, kept.

Verse 18 (12.92.18)

यस्य नास्ति गुरुर्धर्मे न चान्यानपि पृच्छति । सुखतन्त्रोऽर्थलाभेषु न चिरं सुखमश्नुते ॥

yasya nāsti gururdharme na cānyānapi pṛcchati | sukhatantro'rthalābheṣu na ciraṃ sukhamaśnute

One who has no teacher in dharma and asks no one else, who is ruled by pleasure in gaining wealth, does not enjoy happiness for long.

Verse 19 (12.92.19)

गुरुप्रधानो धर्मेषु स्वयमर्थानवेक्षिता । धर्मप्रधानो लाभेषु स चिरं सुखमश्नुते ॥

gurupradhāno dharmeṣu svayamarthānavekṣitā | dharmapradhāno lābheṣu sa ciraṃ sukhamaśnute

One who gives first place to his teachers in matters of dharma, himself looks into his affairs of wealth, and puts dharma first in his gains, enjoys happiness for long.