12.032
Core and Pancharatra: Sage Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana advises Yudhishthira on the eternal duty of a king to protect dharma. Also how he was only instrumental in the destruction caused by the war.
वैशम्पायन उवाच॥
Vaiśampāyana said:
तूष्णीम्भूतं तु राजानं शोचमानं युधिष्ठिरम्। तपस्वी धर्मतत्त्वज्ञः कृष्णद्वैपायनोऽब्रवीत् ॥१२-३२-१॥
But when the king Yudhiṣṭhira became silent and was grieving, the ascetic and knower of the essence of dharma, Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana, spoke.
प्रजानां पालनं धर्मो राज्ञां राजीवलोचन। धर्मः प्रमाणं लोकस्य नित्यं धर्मानुवर्तनम् ॥१२-३२-२॥
O lotus-eyed one, it is the duty of kings to protect their subjects. Dharma is always the standard for the world, and following dharma is perpetual.
अनुतिष्ठस्व वै राजन्पितृपैतामहं पदम्। ब्राह्मणेषु च यो धर्मः स नित्यो वेदनिश्चितः ॥१२-३२-३॥
O king, you must indeed follow the ancestral path; and among Brāhmaṇas, that eternal duty which is established by the Veda.
तत्प्रमाणं प्रमाणानां शाश्वतं भरतर्षभ। तस्य धर्मस्य कृत्स्नस्य क्षत्रियः परिरक्षिता ॥१२-३२-४॥
O best of the Bharatas, that is the eternal standard among standards. Of the entire dharma, the kṣatriya is its protector.
तथा यः प्रतिहन्त्यस्य शासनं विषये नरः। स बाहुभ्यां विनिग्राह्यो लोकयात्राविघातकः ॥१२-३२-५॥
Thus, any man who opposes his command within the domain, being an obstructor of worldly order, should be restrained by force.
प्रमाणमप्रमाणं यः कुर्यान्मोहवशं गतः। भृत्यो वा यदि वा पुत्रस्तपस्वी वापि कश्चन ॥ पापान्सर्वैरुपायैस्तान्नियच्छेद्घातयेत वा ॥१२-३२-६॥
Whoever, whether a servant, son, ascetic, or anyone else, acts under the influence of delusion on valid or invalid evidence, such evildoers should be restrained or even killed by all possible means.
अतोऽन्यथा वर्तमानो राजा प्राप्नोति किल्बिषम्। धर्मं विनश्यमानं हि यो न रक्षेत्स धर्महा ॥१२-३२-७॥
Therefore, if a king acts otherwise, he incurs sin. Indeed, he who does not protect dharma when it is being destroyed is a destroyer of dharma.
ते त्वया धर्महन्तारो निहताः सपदानुगाः। स्वधर्मे वर्तमानस्त्वं किं नु शोचसि पाण्डव ॥ राजा हि हन्याद्दद्याच्च प्रजा रक्षेच्च धर्मतः ॥१२-३२-८॥
Those destroyers of dharma, along with their followers, have been slain by you. Since you abide in your own dharma, why do you grieve, O Pāṇḍava? A king must indeed slay, give, and protect his subjects according to dharma.
युधिष्ठिर उवाच॥
Yudhishthira said:
न तेऽभिशङ्के वचनं यद्ब्रवीषि तपोधन। अपरोक्षो हि ते धर्मः सर्वधर्मभृतां वर ॥१२-३२-९॥
O Tapodhana, I do not doubt the statement you speak; your dharma is indeed directly perceived, O best among all upholders of dharma.
मया ह्यवध्या बहवो घातिता राज्यकारणात्। तान्यकार्याणि मे ब्रह्मन्दहन्ति च तपन्ति च ॥१२-३२-१०॥
O Brāhmaṇa, for the sake of the kingdom, I have slain many who should not have been killed. Those improper acts now burn and torment me.
व्यास उवाच॥
Vyāsa said:
ईश्वरो वा भवेत्कर्ता पुरुषो वापि भारत। हठो वा वर्तते लोके कर्मजं वा फलं स्मृतम् ॥१२-३२-११॥
O Bhārata, it is said that either the Lord is the doer, or the person is, or it happens by force in the world, or the fruit is considered to be born of action.
ईश्वरेण नियुक्ता हि साध्वसाधु च पार्थिव। कुर्वन्ति पुरुषाः कर्म फलमीश्वरगामि तत् ॥१२-३२-१२॥
O king, men perform both good and bad actions as appointed by the Lord; the result of those actions goes to the Lord.
यथा हि पुरुषश्छिन्द्याद्वृक्षं परशुना वने। छेत्तुरेव भवेत्पापं परशोर्न कथञ्चन ॥१२-३२-१३॥
Just as when a man cuts a tree with an axe in the forest, only the cutter incurs sin, never the axe in any way.
अथ वा तदुपादानात्प्राप्नुयुः कर्मणः फलम्। दण्डशस्त्रकृतं पापं पुरुषे तन्न विद्यते ॥१२-३२-१४॥
Alternatively, if one appropriates that, they may obtain the result of the action. However, the sin committed through punishment or by weapon does not remain in the person; it does not exist there.
न चैतदिष्टं कौन्तेय यदन्येन फलं कृतम्। प्राप्नुयादिति तस्माच्च ईश्वरे तन्निवेशय ॥१२-३२-१५॥
O son of Kunti, it is not desired that one should obtain the fruit of an action done by another; therefore, place that (action) in the Lord.
अथ वा पुरुषः कर्ता कर्मणोः शुभपापयोः। न परं विद्यते तस्मादेवमन्यच्छुभं कुरु ॥१२-३२-१६॥
Alternatively, the person is the agent of actions, both meritorious and sinful. There is nothing else beyond this; therefore, act in this way and perform other good deeds.
न हि कश्चित्क्वचिद्राजन्दिष्टात्प्रतिनिवर्तते। दण्डशस्त्रकृतं पापं पुरुषे तन्न विद्यते ॥१२-३२-१७॥
O king, no one anywhere can escape what is destined. The sin committed by punishment or weapon does not attach to the person.
यदि वा मन्यसे राजन्हठे लोकं प्रतिष्ठितम्। एवमप्यशुभं कर्म न भूतं न भविष्यति ॥१२-३२-१८॥
O king, if you think by obstinacy that the world is established thus, even then, unrighteous action has not been and will not be.
अथाभिपत्तिर्लोकस्य कर्तव्या शुभपापयोः। अभिपन्नतमं लोके राज्ञामुद्यतदण्डनम् ॥१२-३२-१९॥
Now, the way the world acts regarding good and evil deeds is that the greatest consequence in society is the punishment imposed by kings.
अथापि लोके कर्माणि समावर्तन्त भारत। शुभाशुभफलं चेमे प्राप्नुवन्तीति मे मतिः ॥१२-३२-२०॥
O Bhārata, in this world, actions continue to revolve; it is my opinion that these attain both auspicious and inauspicious results.
एवं सत्यं शुभादेशं कर्मणस्तत्फलं ध्रुवम्। त्यज तद्राजशार्दूल मैवं शोके मनः कृथाः ॥१२-३२-२१॥
Thus, O tiger among kings, it is certain that the fruit of auspicious instruction and action is true. Abandon that (grief); do not let your mind be thus in sorrow.
स्वधर्मे वर्तमानस्य सापवादेऽपि भारत। एवमात्मपरित्यागस्तव राजन्न शोभनः ॥१२-३२-२२॥
O Bhārata, even if there is reproach, for one abiding in one's own duty, thus, abandonment of yourself is not commendable, O king.
विहितानीह कौन्तेय प्रायश्चित्तानि कर्मिणाम्। शरीरवांस्तानि कुर्यादशरीरः पराभवेत् ॥१२-३२-२३॥
O son of Kunti, here the expiations prescribed for those who act should be performed by those possessing a body; one without a body would be overcome.
तद्राजञ्जीवमानस्त्वं प्रायश्चित्तं चरिष्यसि। प्रायश्चित्तमकृत्वा तु प्रेत्य तप्तासि भारत ॥१२-३२-२४॥
O king, while you are alive, you must perform expiation. If you do not do expiation and die, O Bhārata, you will be tormented after death.
