The Rules of Righteous Warfare

Verse 1 (12.95.1)

अथ यो विजिगीषेत क्षत्रियः क्षत्रियं युधि । कस्तस्य विजये धर्मो ह्येतं पृष्टो ब्रवीहि मे ॥

atha yo vijigīṣeta kṣatriyaḥ kṣatriyaṃ yudhi | kastasya vijaye dharmo hyetaṃ pṛṣṭo bravīhi me

When a kshatriya wishes to conquer another kshatriya in battle, what is the righteous way in that victory? You are being asked this; tell me.

Verse 2 (12.95.2)

ससहायोऽसहायो वा राष्ट्रमागम्य भूमिपः । ब्रूयादहं वो राजेति रक्षिष्यामि च वः सदा ॥

sasahāyo'sahāyo vā rāṣṭramāgamya bhūmipaḥ | brūyādahaṃ vo rājeti rakṣiṣyāmi ca vaḥ sadā

A king, whether with allies or without, coming into a realm should say, ‘I am your king, and I will protect you always.’

Note on the text: Corrected यो → वो in ब्रूयादहं वो राजेति (misprint in Wikisource; the relative has no correlative and the sense is ‘I am your king’; the critical edition reads brūyād ahaṃ vo rājeti).

Verse 3 (12.95.3)

मम धर्मबलिं दत्त किंवा मां प्रतिपत्स्यथ । ते चोक्तमागतं तत्र वृणीयुः कुशलं भवेत् ॥

mama dharmabaliṃ datta kiṃvā māṃ pratipatsyatha | te coktamāgataṃ tatra vṛṇīyuḥ kuśalaṃ bhavet

‘Give me the tribute that is due by dharma — or how else will you deal with me?’ If, when he has come and spoken so, they choose him there, all will be well.

Note on the text: Corrected घृणीयुः → वृणीयुः (misprint in Wikisource; घृणीयुः is not a valid verb form here, and the sense is ‘they choose him’; the critical edition reads vṛṇuyuḥ). Lines 1–2 = CE 12.96.3a, 3c; the lines differ in places (धर्मबलिम् for dharmyaṃ baliṃ; ते चोक्तमागतम् for te cet tam āgatam), kept as recension variants. The CE’s star line 12.96.3d*0227_01 is not in Wikisource.

Verse 4 (12.95.4)

ते चेदक्षत्रियाः सन्तो विरुध्येरन्कथंचन । सर्वोपायैर्नियन्तव्या विकर्मस्था नराधिप ॥

te cedakṣatriyāḥ santo virudhyerankathaṃcana | sarvopāyairniyantavyā vikarmasthā narādhipa

If, though not true kshatriyas, they resist him in any way, O lord of men, they are to be restrained by every means, for they stand in wrongful conduct.

Verse 5 (12.95.5)

अशस्त्रं क्षत्रियं मत्वा शस्त्रं गृह्णात्यथापरः । त्राणायाप्यसमर्थं तं मन्यमानमतीव च ॥

aśastraṃ kṣatriyaṃ matvā śastraṃ gṛhṇātyathāparaḥ | trāṇāyāpyasamarthaṃ taṃ manyamānamatīva ca

And if another, thinking a kshatriya to be unarmed, takes up a weapon against him, regarding him as quite unable even to defend himself —

Verse 6 (12.95.6)

अथ यः क्षत्रियो राजा क्षत्रियं प्रत्युपाव्रजेत् । कथं संप्रतियोद्धव्यस्तन्मे ब्रूहि पितामह ॥

atha yaḥ kṣatriyo rājā kṣatriyaṃ pratyupāvrajet | kathaṃ saṃpratiyoddhavyastanme brūhi pitāmaha

And when a kshatriya king advances against a kshatriya, how is he to be fought in return? Tell me that, grandfather.

Note on the text: Corrected अथः यः → अथ यः (misprint in Wikisource; a stray visarga; the critical edition reads atha yaḥ). The speaker is Yudhishthira (the page’s heading युधिष्ठिर उवाच before this verse).

Verse 7 (12.95.7)

नासन्नद्धो नाकवचो योद्धव्यः क्षत्रियो रणे । एक एकेन भाव्यश्च विसृजेति क्षिपामि च ॥

nāsannaddho nākavaco yoddhavyaḥ kṣatriyo raṇe | eka ekena bhāvyaśca visṛjeti kṣipāmi ca

In battle a kshatriya is not to be fought while he is not girded for it and has no armour; one is to be matched with one, with the words ‘Shoot!’ and ‘I shoot!’

Note on the text: Corrected नासन्नह्यो → नासन्नद्धो (misprint in Wikisource; असन्नह्य is not a word here, and the critical edition reads nāsaṃnaddho). Line 2 differs from the CE (eka ekena vācyaś ca visṛjasva kṣipāmi ca: Wikisource भाव्यश्च, विसृजेति); kept as a recension variant.

Verse 8 (12.95.8)

स चेत्सन्नद्ध आगच्छेत्सन्नद्धव्यं ततो भवेत् । स चेत्ससैन्य आगच्छेत्ससैन्यस्तमथाह्वयेत् ॥

sa cetsannaddha āgacchetsannaddhavyaṃ tato bhavet | sa cetsasainya āgacchetsasainyastamathāhvayet

If he comes armoured, one should arm oneself in turn; if he comes with an army, one should challenge him with an army.

Verse 9 (12.95.9)

स चेन्निकृत्या युध्येत निकृत्या प्रतियोधयेत् । अथ चेद्धर्मतो युध्येद्धर्मेणैव निवारयेत् ॥

sa cennikṛtyā yudhyeta nikṛtyā pratiyodhayet | atha ceddharmato yudhyeddharmeṇaiva nivārayet

If he fights by deceit, one should fight him by deceit; if he fights by dharma, one should oppose him by dharma alone.

Verse 10 (12.95.10)

नाश्वेन रथिनं यायादुदियाद्रथिनं रथी । व्यसने न प्रहर्तव्यं न भीताय जिताय च ॥

nāśvena rathinaṃ yāyādudiyādrathinaṃ rathī | vyasane na prahartavyaṃ na bhītāya jitāya ca

One should not go against a chariot-warrior on horseback; a chariot-warrior should advance against a chariot-warrior. One should not strike a man in distress, nor one who is afraid or already defeated.

Verse 11 (12.95.11)

नेषुर्लिप्तो न कर्णी स्यादसतामेतदायुधम् । यथार्थमेव योद्धव्यं न क्रुध्येत जिघांसतः ॥

neṣurlipto na karṇī syādasatāmetadāyudham | yathārthameva yoddhavyaṃ na krudhyeta jighāṃsataḥ

An arrow smeared with poison, or a barbed one, is not to be used; that is the weapon of the wicked. One should fight properly, as the purpose requires, and not be angry with one who seeks to kill.

Note on the text: Corrected क्रुद्ध्येत → क्रुध्येत (misprint in Wikisource; doubled द; the critical edition reads krudhyed). Line 2 differs from the CE (jayārtham eva yoddhavyaṃ … ajighāṃsataḥ: Wikisource यथार्थमेव, जिघांसतः); kept as a recension variant.

Verse 12 (12.95.12)

नास्त्येकस्य गजो युद्धे गजश्चेकस्य विद्यते । न पदातिर्गजं युध्येन्न गजेन पदातिनम् ॥

nāstyekasya gajo yuddhe gajaścekasya vidyate | na padātirgajaṃ yudhyenna gajena padātinam

Where one side has no elephant in the battle and the other has an elephant, a foot-soldier should not fight an elephant, nor a man on an elephant a foot-soldier.

Note on the text: Removed the stray backtick Wikisource prints at the start of this verse (it opens the passage Wikisource marks off as an interpolation; the closing quote mark falls at the end of verse 16). Corrected गतेन → गजेन (misprint in Wikisource; the critical edition star passage reads gajena). Not in the critical edition’s constituted text: lines 1–2 = CE star passage 12.96.11d*0228_01 and _02 (printed after 12.96.11d).

Verse 13 (12.95.13)

हस्तिना योधयेन्नागं कदाचिच्छिक्षितो हयः । दिव्यास्त्रबलसंपन्नः कामं युध्येत सर्वदा । नागे भूमौ समे चैव रथेनाश्वेन वा पुनः ॥

hastinā yodhayennāgaṃ kadācicchikṣito hayaḥ | divyāstrabalasaṃpannaḥ kāmaṃ yudhyeta sarvadā | nāge bhūmau same caiva rathenāśvena vā punaḥ

An elephant should be fought with an elephant, and at times a trained horse. One endowed with the power of divine weapons may fight as he pleases at all times — against an elephant, on the ground, on level ground, or again from a chariot or a horse.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition’s constituted text: lines 1–3 = CE star passage 12.96.11d*0228_03 to _05 (printed after 12.96.11d).

Verse 14 (12.95.14)

रामरावणयोर्युद्धे हरयो वै पदातयः । लक्ष्मणश्च महाभागस्तथा राजन्विभीषणः ॥

rāmarāvaṇayoryuddhe harayo vai padātayaḥ | lakṣmaṇaśca mahābhāgastathā rājanvibhīṣaṇaḥ

In the war of Rama and Ravana the monkeys were on foot, and so were mighty Lakshmana and, O king, Vibhishana.

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition’s constituted text: lines 1–2 = CE star passage 12.96.11d*0228_06 and _07 (printed after 12.96.11d).

Verse 15 (12.95.15)

रावणस्यान्तकाले च रथेनैन्द्रेण राघवः । निजघान दुराचारं रावणं पापकारिणम् ॥

rāvaṇasyāntakāle ca rathenaindreṇa rāghavaḥ | nijaghāna durācāraṃ rāvaṇaṃ pāpakāriṇam

And when Ravana’s end came, Raghava, in Indra’s chariot, killed the evil-doer, the wicked Ravana.

Note on the text: Corrected राधवः → राघवः (misprint in Wikisource; the critical edition star passage reads rāghavaḥ). Not in the critical edition’s constituted text: lines 1–2 = CE star passage 12.96.11d*0228_08 and _09 (printed after 12.96.11d).

Verse 16 (12.95.16)

दिव्यास्त्रबलसंपन्ने सर्वमेतद्विधीयते । देवासुरेषु सर्वेषु दृष्टमेतत्पुरातनैः ॥

divyāstrabalasaṃpanne sarvametadvidhīyate | devāsureṣu sarveṣu dṛṣṭametatpurātanaiḥ

All this is permitted for one endowed with the power of divine weapons; it was seen by the ancients in all the wars of the gods and asuras.

Note on the text: Removed the stray closing quote mark and doubled daṇḍa (।।') printed after the last line (it closes the passage Wikisource marks off as an interpolation, opened with a backtick at verse 12). Not in the critical edition’s constituted text: lines 1–2 = CE star passage 12.96.11d*0228_10 and _11 (printed after 12.96.11d; line 2 reads devāsureṣu yuddheṣu in the CE, देवासुरेषु सर्वेषु here, kept as a recension variant).

Verse 17 (12.95.17)

साधूनां तु यदा भेदात्साधुश्चेद्व्यसनी भवेत् । निष्प्राणो नाभिहन्तव्यो नानपत्यः कथंचन । भग्नशस्त्रो विपन्नश्च कृत्तज्यो हतवाहनः ॥

sādhūnāṃ tu yadā bhedātsādhuścedvyasanī bhavet | niṣprāṇo nābhihantavyo nānapatyaḥ kathaṃcana | bhagnaśastro vipannaśca kṛttajyo hatavāhanaḥ

When, through a split among the good, a good man has fallen into distress, he is not to be killed if he is drained of strength, nor ever one who has no child; nor one whose weapon is broken, who is stricken, whose bowstring is cut, or whose mount is slain.

Note on the text: Removed the square brackets Wikisource prints around line 1 (and the daṇḍa inside them). Lines 1–2 = CE 12.96.12a, 12c; line 3 = CE 12.96.13a. Line 1 is a variant of 12a (CE sādhūnāṃ tu mithobhedāt sādhuś ced vyasanī bhavet); line 2 reads निष्प्राणः where the CE has savraṇaḥ, kept as a recension variant. The alignment found no match for CE 12.96.12–13.

Verse 18 (12.95.18)

चिकित्स्यः स्यात्स्वविषये प्राप्यो वा स्वगृहे भवेत् । निर्व्रणश्च स मोक्तव्य एष धर्मः सनातनः ॥

cikitsyaḥ syātsvaviṣaye prāpyo vā svagṛhe bhavet | nirvraṇaśca sa moktavya eṣa dharmaḥ sanātanaḥ

He should be treated in his own country, or be brought to his own house; and once he is free of wounds he is to be released. This is the eternal law.

Note on the text: Corrected भोक्तव्य → मोक्तव्य (misprint in Wikisource; ‘to be enjoyed’ gives no sense for a healed prisoner who is to be sent home; the critical edition reads moktavya). Lines 1–2 = CE 12.96.13c, 13e (line 1 reads स्वगृहे for svagṛhān, a recension variant).

Verse 19 (12.95.19)

तस्माद्धर्मेण योद्धव्यमिति स्वायंभुवोऽब्रवीत् । सत्सु नित्यः सतां धर्मस्तमास्थाय न नाशयेत् ॥

tasmāddharmeṇa yoddhavyamiti svāyaṃbhuvo'bravīt | satsu nityaḥ satāṃ dharmastamāsthāya na nāśayet

‘Therefore one should fight by dharma’ — so Svayambhuva (Manu) said. The dharma of the good abides ever among the good; holding to it, one should not destroy it.

Note on the text: Corrected स्वायंभुवोऽब्रवात् → स्वायंभुवोऽब्रवीत् (misprint in Wikisource; अब्रवात् is not a valid form, and the critical edition reads manuḥ svāyaṃbhuvo ’bravīt).

Verse 20 (12.95.20)

यो वै जयत्यधर्मेण क्षत्रियो धर्मसंगरः । आत्मानमात्मना हन्ति पापो निकृतिजीवनः ॥

yo vai jayatyadharmeṇa kṣatriyo dharmasaṃgaraḥ | ātmānamātmanā hanti pāpo nikṛtijīvanaḥ

A kshatriya who, though pledged to dharma, wins by unrighteousness kills himself by himself, a sinner living by deceit.

Verse 21 (12.95.21)

कर्म चैतदसाधूनां साधून्योऽसाधुना जयेत् । धर्मेण निधनं श्रेयो न जयः पापकर्मणा ॥

karma caitadasādhūnāṃ sādhūnyo'sādhunā jayet | dharmeṇa nidhanaṃ śreyo na jayaḥ pāpakarmaṇā

It is the way of the wicked to conquer the good by wickedness. Death through dharma is better than victory through sinful deeds.

Verse 22 (12.95.22)

नाधर्मश्चरितो राजन्सद्यः फलति गौरिव । मूलानि च प्रशाखाश्च दहन्समधिगच्छते ॥

nādharmaścarito rājansadyaḥ phalati gauriva | mūlāni ca praśākhāśca dahansamadhigacchate

Unrighteousness once practised, O king, does not bear fruit at once like a cow; it goes on, burning its roots and branches.

Verse 23 (12.95.23)

पापेन कर्मणा वित्तं लब्ध्वा पापः प्रहृष्यति । स वर्धमानस्तेनैव पापः पापे प्रसज्जति ॥

pāpena karmaṇā vittaṃ labdhvā pāpaḥ prahṛṣyati | sa vardhamānastenaiva pāpaḥ pāpe prasajjati

Having gained wealth by sinful action, the sinner rejoices; growing by that very means, the sinner clings the more to sin.

Verse 24 (12.95.24)

न धर्मोऽस्तीति मन्वानः शुचीनवहसन्निव । अश्रद्दधानश्च भवेद्विनाशमुपगच्छति । स बद्धो वारुणैः पाशैरमर्त्यैरवमन्यते ॥

na dharmo'stīti manvānaḥ śucīnavahasanniva | aśraddadhānaśca bhavedvināśamupagacchati | sa baddho vāruṇaiḥ pāśairamartyairavamanyate

Thinking ‘There is no dharma,’ as if mocking the pure, and being without faith, he goes to ruin. Though bound in the divine nooses of Varuna, he scorns them.

Note on the text: Lines 1–2 = CE 12.96.19a, 19c; line 3 = CE 12.96.20a. Line 3 reads अमर्त्यैरवमन्यते where the CE has amartya iva manyate; the Wikisource wording is good Sanskrit, kept as printed.

Verse 25 (12.95.25)

महादृतिरिवाध्मातः स्वकृतेनैव वर्धते । ततः समूलो ह्रियते नदीकूलादिव द्रुमः ॥

mahādṛtirivādhmātaḥ svakṛtenaiva vardhate | tataḥ samūlo hriyate nadīkūlādiva drumaḥ

Swollen like a great water-skin, he grows by his own doing; then he is swept away, root and all, like a tree from a river bank.

Note on the text: Corrected द्रुमा → द्रुमः (misprint in Wikisource; the visarga is dropped; the critical edition reads drumaḥ). Line 1 = CE 12.96.20c; line 2 = CE 12.96.21a.

Verse 26 (12.95.26)

अथैनमभिनिन्दन्ति भिन्नं कुम्भमिवाश्मनि । तस्माद्धर्मेण विजयं कोशं लिप्सेत भूमिपः ॥

athainamabhinindanti bhinnaṃ kumbhamivāśmani | tasmāddharmeṇa vijayaṃ kośaṃ lipseta bhūmipaḥ

Then people revile him, as a pot is smashed on a stone. Therefore a king should seek victory and treasure by dharma.

Note on the text: Corrected कुम्भमिवाश्यानि → कुम्भमिवाश्मनि (misprint in Wikisource; अश्यानि is not a word, and the critical edition reads kumbham ivāśmani). Lines 1–2 = CE 12.96.21c, 21e; line 2 reads कोशम् for kāmam, a recension variant kept as printed.