Self-Discernment: The Wisdom of Kingship

Verse 1 (markandeya.27.1)

जड उवाच । एवमुल्लाप्यमानस्तु स तु मात्रा दिने दिने । ववृधे वयसा बालो बुद्ध्या चालर्कसंज्ञितः॥ २७.१ ॥

jaḍa uvāca evamullāpyamānastu sa tu mātrā dine dine vavṛdhe vayasā bālo buddhyā cālarkasaṃjñitaḥ

Jada said: Thus addressed by his mother day after day, the boy known as Alarka grew both in years and in wisdom.

Verse 2 (markandeya.27.2)

स कौमारकमासाद्य ऋतध्वजसुतस्ततः । कृतोपनयनः प्राज्ञः प्रणिपत्याह मातरम्॥ २७.२ ॥

sa kaumārakamāsādya ṛtadhvajasutastataḥ kṛtopanayanaḥ prājñaḥ praṇipatyāha mātaram

Having passed through boyhood and undergone the sacred-thread ceremony, that wise son of Ritadhvaja bowed before his mother and spoke.

Verse 3 (markandeya.27.3)

मया यदत्र कर्तव्यमैहिकामुष्मिकाय वै । सुखाय वद तत् सर्वं प्रश्रयावनतस्य मे॥ २७.३ ॥

mayā yadatra kartavyamaihikāmuṣmikāya vai sukhāya vada tat sarvaṃ praśrayāvanatasya me

"Tell me, humbly bowed before you, all that I must do for happiness both in this world and the next."

Verse 4 (markandeya.27.4)

मदालसोवाच । वत्स ! राज्येऽभिषिक्तेन प्रजारञ्जनमादितः । कर्तव्यमविरोधेन स्वधर्मस्य महीभृता॥ २७.४ ॥

madālasovāca vatsa ! rājye 'bhiṣiktena prajārañjanamāditaḥ kartavyamavirodhena svadharmasya mahībhṛtā

Madalasa said, "My child, a king who has been consecrated to rule must, first of all, keep his subjects content, without acting against his own proper duty."

Verse 5 (markandeya.27.5)

व्यसनानि परित्यज्य सप्त मूलहराणि वै । आत्मा रिपुभ्यः संरक्ष्यो बहिर्मन्त्रविनिर्गमात्॥ २७.५ ॥

vyasanāni parityajya sapta mūlaharāṇi vai ātmā ripubhyaḥ saṃrakṣyo bahirmantravinirgamāt

"Having abandoned the seven vices that destroy one at the root, the king must guard himself against enemies and against the leaking of his counsel to the outside."

Verse 6 (markandeya.27.6)

अष्टधा नाशमाप्नोति सुचक्रात् स्यन्दनाद्यथा । तथा राजाप्यसन्दिग्धं बहिर्मन्त्रविनिर्गमात्॥ २७.६ ॥

aṣṭadhā nāśamāpnoti sucakrāt syandanādyathā tathā rājāpyasandigdhaṃ bahirmantravinirgamāt

"As even a well-made chariot may be destroyed in eight ways, so too, without doubt, a king is destroyed through the leaking abroad of his secret counsel."

Verse 7 (markandeya.27.7)

दुष्टादुष्टांश्च जानीयादमात्यानरिदोषतः । चरैश्चरास्तथा शत्रोरन्वेष्टव्याः प्रयत्नतः॥ २७.७ ॥

duṣṭāduṣṭāṃśca jānīyādamātyānaridoṣataḥ caraiścarāstathā śatroranveṣṭavyāḥ prayatnataḥ

"He should learn, through the faults his enemies reveal, which of his ministers are corrupt and which are not; and, through his own spies, he must diligently seek out the enemy's spies."

Verse 8 (markandeya.27.8)

विश्वासो न तु कर्तव्यो राज्ञा मित्राप्तबन्धुषु । कार्ययोगादमित्रेऽपि विश्वसीत नराधिपः॥ २७.८ ॥

viśvāso na tu kartavyo rājñā mitrāptabandhuṣu kāryayogādamitre 'pi viśvasīta narādhipaḥ

"A king should not place blind trust even in friends, trusted allies, or kinsmen; yet, when circumstances require it, the ruler may even place trust in an enemy."

Verse 9 (markandeya.27.9)

स्थानवृद्धिक्षयज्ञेन षाड्गुण्यगुणितात्माना । भवितव्यं नरेन्द्रेण न कामवशवर्तिना॥ २७.९ ॥

sthānavṛddhikṣayajñena ṣāḍguṇyaguṇitātmānā bhavitavyaṃ narendreṇa na kāmavaśavartinā

"The king must be one who understands stagnation, growth, and decline, who is versed in the six measures of statecraft, and who is not governed by his own desires."

Verse 10 (markandeya.27.10)

प्रागात्मा मन्त्रिणश्चैव ततो भृत्या महीभृता । जेयाश्चानन्तरं पौरा विरुध्येत ततोऽरिभिः॥ २७.१० ॥

prāgātmā mantriṇaścaiva tato bhṛtyā mahībhṛtā jeyāścānantaraṃ paurā virudhyeta tato 'ribhiḥ

"The king must first conquer his own self, then win over his ministers, then his servants; next he should win over the citizens; only after that should he engage in conflict with his enemies."

Verse 11 (markandeya.27.11)

यस्त्वेतानविजित्यैव वैरिणो विजिगीषते । सोऽजितात्मा जितामात्यः शत्रुवर्गेण बाध्यते॥ २७.११ ॥

yastvetānavijityaiva vairiṇo vijigīṣate so 'jitātmā jitāmātyaḥ śatruvargeṇa bādhyate

"One who tries to conquer his enemies without first conquering these — himself and his own men — remains unconquered within yet is overpowered by his own ministers, and so is overwhelmed by the host of his enemies."

Verse 12 (markandeya.27.12)

तस्मात् कामादयः पूर्वं जेयाः पुत्र ! महीभुजा । तज्जये हि जयोऽवश्यं राजा नश्यति तैर्जितः॥ २७.१२ ॥

tasmāt kāmādayaḥ pūrvaṃ jeyāḥ putra ! mahībhujā tajjaye hi jayo 'vaśyaṃ rājā naśyati tairjitaḥ

"Therefore, my son, the king must first conquer desire and its companion passions; in conquering them, victory is assured — a king who is conquered by them instead is destroyed."

Verse 13 (markandeya.27.13)

कामः क्रोधश्च लोभश्च मदो मानस्तथैव च । हर्षश्च शत्रवो ह्येते विनाशाय महीभृताम्॥ २७.१३ ॥

kāmaḥ krodhaśca lobhaśca mado mānastathaiva ca harṣaśca śatravo hyete vināśāya mahībhṛtām

"Desire, anger, greed, intoxication, pride, and excessive elation — these indeed are the enemies that bring ruin upon kings."

Verse 14 (markandeya.27.14)

कामप्रसक्तमात्मानं स्मृत्वा पाण्डुं निपातितम् । निवर्तयेत्तथा क्रोधादनुह्रादं हतात्मजम्॥ २७.१४ ॥

kāmaprasaktamātmānaṃ smṛtvā pāṇḍuṃ nipātitam nivartayettathā krodhādanuhrādaṃ hatātmajam

"Remembering how Pandu was brought down through attachment to desire, one should turn away from desire; and remembering Anuhrada, whose son was slain, one should likewise turn away from anger."

Verse 15 (markandeya.27.15)

हतमैलं तथा लोभान्मदाद्वेनं द्विजैर्हतम् । मानादनायुषापुत्रं बलिं हर्षात् पुरञ्जयम्॥ २७.१५ ॥

hatamailaṃ tathā lobhānmadādvenaṃ dvijairhatam mānādanāyuṣāputraṃ baliṃ harṣāt purañjayam

"Remembering Aila, destroyed through greed; Vena, slain by brahmanas through intoxicated pride; the son of Anayush, ruined through arrogance; and Bali Puranjaya, ruined through excessive elation —"

Verse 16 (markandeya.27.16)

एभिर्जितैर्जितं सर्वं मरुत्तेन महात्मना । स्मृत्वा विवर्जयेदेतान् दोषान् स्वीयान्महीपतिः॥ २७.१६ ॥

ebhirjitairjitaṃ sarvaṃ maruttena mahātmanā smṛtvā vivarjayedetān doṣān svīyānmahīpatiḥ

"And remembering how the great soul Marutta, by mastering these very passions, conquered everything — the king should, in this way, abandon these faults within himself."

Verse 17 (markandeya.27.17)

काककोकिलभृङ्गाणां मृगव्यालशिखण्डिनाम् । हंसकुक्कुटलोहानां शिक्षेत चरित नृपः॥ २७.१७ ॥

kākakokilabhṛṅgāṇāṃ mṛgavyālaśikhaṇḍinām haṃsakukkuṭalohānāṃ śikṣeta carita nṛpaḥ

"The king should learn lessons from the behavior of the crow, the cuckoo, and the bee; of the deer, the serpent, and the peacock; and of the swan, the cock, and the beast of prey."

Verse 18 (markandeya.27.18)

कीटकस्य क्रियां कुर्यात् विपक्षे मनुजेश्वरः । चेष्टां पिपीलिकानाञ्च काले भूपः प्रदर्शयेत्॥ २७.१८ ॥

kīṭakasya kriyāṃ kuryāt vipakṣe manujeśvaraḥ ceṣṭāṃ pipīlikānāñca kāle bhūpaḥ pradarśayet

"The lord of men should act toward his adversary as the insect does; and, when the time is right, the king should display the tireless industry of the ant."

Verse 19 (markandeya.27.19)

ज्ञेयाग्निविस्फुलिङ्गानां बीजचेष्टा च शाल्मलेः । चन्द्रसूर्यस्वरूपेण नीत्यर्थे पृथिवीक्षिता॥ २७.१९ ॥

jñeyāgnivisphuliṅgānāṃ bījaceṣṭā ca śālmaleḥ candrasūryasvarūpeṇa nītyarthe pṛthivīkṣitā

"For the sake of statecraft, the lord of the earth should understand the behavior of a spark of fire and the manner of the silk-cotton tree's scattering seed, and should embody the very nature of the moon and the sun."

Verse 20 (markandeya.27.20)

बन्धकीपद्मशरभशूलिकागुर्विणीस्तनात् । प्रज्ञा नृपेण चादेया तथा गोपालयोषितः॥ २७.२० ॥

bandhakīpadmaśarabhaśūlikāgurviṇīstanāt prajñā nṛpeṇa cādeyā tathā gopālayoṣitaḥ

"The king should draw wisdom likewise from the courtesan, from the lotus, from the hunter, from the breast of a pregnant woman, and from the cowherd woman."

Verse 21 (markandeya.27.21)

शक्रार्कयमसोमानां तद्वद्वायोर्महीपतिः । रूपाणि पञ्च कुर्वोत महीपालनकर्मणि॥ २७.२१ ॥

śakrārkayamasomānāṃ tadvadvāyormahīpatiḥ rūpāṇi pañca kurvota mahīpālanakarmaṇi

"In the work of governing the earth, the king should assume the five forms of Indra, the Sun, Yama, the Moon, and the Wind."

Verse 22 (markandeya.27.22)

यथेन्द्रश्चतुरो मासान् तोयोत्सर्गेण भूगतम् । आप्याययेत्तथा लोकं परिहारैर्महीपतिः॥ २७.२२ ॥

yathendraścaturo māsān toyotsargeṇa bhūgatam āpyāyayettathā lokaṃ parihārairmahīpatiḥ

"As Indra, by pouring down rain for four months, nourishes all that has settled upon the earth, so too the king should nourish his people through periods of relief and remission."

Verse 23 (markandeya.27.23)

मासानष्टौ यथा सूर्यस्तोयं हरति रश्मिभिः । सूक्ष्मेणैवाभ्युपायेन तथा शुल्कादिकं नृपः॥ २७.२३ ॥

māsānaṣṭau yathā sūryastoyaṃ harati raśmibhiḥ sūkṣmeṇaivābhyupāyena tathā śulkādikaṃ nṛpaḥ

"As the sun, over eight months, imperceptibly draws up water with its rays, so the king should levy taxes and other dues by a subtle, unburdensome method."

Verse 24 (markandeya.27.24)

यथा यमः प्रियद्वेष्ये प्राप्तकाले नियच्छति । तथा प्रियाप्रिये राजा दुष्टादुष्टे समो भवेत्॥ २७.२४ ॥

yathā yamaḥ priyadveṣye prāptakāle niyacchati tathā priyāpriye rājā duṣṭāduṣṭe samo bhavet

"As Yama, when the appointed time comes, restrains the beloved and the hated alike, so should the king remain impartial between the pleasing and the displeasing, the guilty and the blameless."

Verse 25 (markandeya.27.25)

पूर्णेन्दुमालोक्य यथा प्रीतिमान् जायते नरः । एवं यत्र प्रजाः सर्वा निर्वत्तास्तच्छशिव्रतम्॥ २७.२५ ॥

pūrṇendumālokya yathā prītimān jāyate naraḥ evaṃ yatra prajāḥ sarvā nirvattāstacchaśivratam

"As a man feels joy on beholding the full moon, so a king in whose kingdom all his subjects are content has kept the observance proper to the moon."

Verse 26 (markandeya.27.26)

मारुतः सर्वभूतेषु निगूढश्चरते यथा । एवं नृपश्चरेच्चारैः पौरामात्यादिबन्धुषु॥ २७.२६ ॥

mārutaḥ sarvabhūteṣu nigūḍhaścarate yathā evaṃ nṛpaścareccāraiḥ paurāmātyādibandhuṣu

"As the wind moves unseen through all beings, so the king should move, through his spies, among his citizens, ministers, and kinsmen."

Verse 27 (markandeya.27.27)

न लोभाद्वा न कामाद्वा नार्थाद्वा यस्य मानसम् । यथान्यैः कृष्यते वत्स ! स राजा स्वर्गमृच्छति॥ २७.२७ ॥

na lobhādvā na kāmādvā nārthādvā yasya mānasam yathānyaiḥ kṛṣyate vatsa ! sa rājā svargamṛcchati

"The king whose mind is not drawn by greed, desire, or wealth as other men's minds are — that king, my child, attains heaven."

Verse 28 (markandeya.27.28)

उत्पथग्राहिणो मूढान् स्वधर्माच्चलतो नरान् । यः करोति निजे धर्मे स राजा स्वर्गमृच्छति॥ २७.२८ ॥

utpathagrāhiṇo mūḍhān svadharmāccalato narān yaḥ karoti nije dharme sa rājā svargamṛcchati

"The king who brings foolish men, who have strayed onto wrong paths and away from their own proper duty, back to their own dharma — that king attains heaven."

Verse 29 (markandeya.27.29)

वर्णधर्मा न सीदन्ति यस्य राज्ये तथाश्रमाः । वत्स ! तस्य सुखं प्रेत्य परत्रेह च शाश्वतम्॥ २७.२९ ॥

varṇadharmā na sīdanti yasya rājye tathāśramāḥ vatsa ! tasya sukhaṃ pretya paratreha ca śāśvatam

"The king in whose kingdom the duties of the varnas and the ashramas do not decay — his happiness, my child, remains everlasting, both in this life and beyond."

Verse 30 (markandeya.27.30)

एतद्राज्ञः परं कृत्यं तथैतत् सिद्धिकारकम् । स्वधर्मस्थापनं नृणां चाल्यन्ते ये कुबुद्धिभिः॥ २७.३० ॥

etadrājñaḥ paraṃ kṛtyaṃ tathaitat siddhikārakam svadharmasthāpanaṃ nṛṇāṃ cālyante ye kubuddhibhiḥ

"It is the king's highest duty, and it is what brings about true success, to establish men in their own proper dharma when they are being led astray by those of evil counsel."

Verse 31 (markandeya.27.31)

पालनेनैव भूतानां कृतकृत्यो महीपतिः । सम्यक् पालयिता भागं धर्मस्याप्नोति यत्नतः॥ २७.३१ ॥

pālanenaiva bhūtānāṃ kṛtakṛtyo mahīpatiḥ samyak pālayitā bhāgaṃ dharmasyāpnoti yatnataḥ

"By protecting his subjects alone, the king fulfills his purpose; one who governs rightly attains, through his own effort, a share in the merit of dharma."