12.056
Pancharatra: Bhishma starts instructing Yudhishthira the kingly duties: restraint is regarded as the means of governance; royal duties in the world dispel the path of inauspiciousness; prosperity is never attained by fate alone, but only through effort; when an undertaking fails, do not grieve, humility is the highest policy; there is no greater cause for trust than truth; gentle and harsh - practice both qualities; human fortress is the most difficult to overcome; king must act for the welfare of his subjects without self care.
Vaiśampāyana said.
Yudhiṣṭhira, after bowing to Hṛṣīkeśa, saluting the grandsire, and taking leave of all the elders, asked his question.
The knowers of dharma have declared, 'The kingdom is indeed the highest duty.' I consider this a great burden; tell me about that, O king.
O grandsire, please explain in detail the kingly duties. The kingly duties are the highest refuge for all living beings.
O Kaurava, here the three aims of life are connected with royal duties, and the law of liberation is also clearly and entirely collected here.
Just as reins control a horse and a goad controls an elephant, so too, the king's duty is to govern the people; thus, restraint is regarded as the means of governance.
Here, when the dharma upheld by royal sages is utterly confused, the order of society would not exist, and everyone would be thrown into distress.
Just as the rising sun destroys demonic darkness, so too do royal duties in the world dispel the path of inauspiciousness.
O grandsire, in front of all, please declare the true principle of the duties of kings regarding wealth, O best of the Bharatas, for you are indeed the foremost among the wise.
O Parantapa, tradition and the highest knowledge among all of us comes from you; Vasudeva indeed considers you supreme in wisdom.
Bhīṣma said.
I offer my salutations to the great Dharma and to Kṛṣṇa, the creator. Having bowed to the Brāhmaṇas, I will now explain the eternal dharmas.
O Yudhishthira, listen from me in full about the kingly duties as they are being explained, and also whatever else you wish to know, listen with attention.
O best of the Kurus, at the outset, the king, wishing to please the deities and the twice-born, should act according to the prescribed rules.
O best of Kurus, one who has worshipped the divinities and Brāhmaṇas attains freedom from the debt of righteousness and is honored by people.
O Yudhiṣṭhira, always strive with effort, my son. For kings, prosperity is never attained by fate alone, but only through effort.
Both fate and effort are generally regarded as common factors; but I consider human effort to be supreme. Fate is spoken of only after effort has been made.
When an undertaking fails, do not grieve; humility is the highest policy for kings, dear one.
For kings, there is truly no cause of success other than truth; a king devoted to truth rejoices both in this world and after death.
O King, even for the seers, truth alone is the highest wealth. Likewise, for a king, there is no greater cause for trust than truth.
He who possesses virtues, good conduct, self-restraint, gentleness, righteousness, mastery over the senses, is handsome, has a prominent aim, and should never lose prosperity.
O Kurunandana, you should always act with straightforwardness in all matters; further, act with discernment of policy and with restraint as prescribed by the three Vedas.
A king who is always gentle is disregarded in every way; people shrink from one who is harsh. Therefore, practice both qualities. 12-56-21.
O Bhārata, Brāhmaṇas, those who give, should always be considered not to be punished, O best one. This has become the supreme law in the world, that they are called Brāhmaṇas.
O King, the two verses sung by the great-souled Manu regarding one's own duties, O Kauravya, you should keep in your heart and act accordingly.
Fire arises from water, the Kṣatriya from Brahman, and iron from stone. The energy that pervades all of them returns and subsides in their respective sources.
Iron destroys stone, fire and water attack each other, brāhmaṇa and kṣatriya hate each other; then, all three perish.
O great king, having understood this and having bowed, the Brahmins indeed bear the earthly Brahman, O best of the twice-born, endowed with tranquility.
Therefore, O best of men, those who are destroyers of the people's order, such as these, must always be restrained by force.
O king, O greatly wise one, listen with a concentrated mind to these two verses that were formerly sung by the great sage Uśanas.
If, in battle, someone approaches with a weapon—even if he is a knower of Vedānta—the king who is intent on righteousness should restrain him according to his own duty.
He who protects righteousness when it is perishing is truly a knower of dharma; such a person is not considered a destroyer of embryo by Manu, and anger does not approach him.
Thus, O best of men, the twice-born must always be protected. Even if they are offenders, they should be released at the end of the jurisdiction.
O lord of the people, even to those among them who are cursed—such as a Brahmin-killer, one who has violated the teacher's bed, or one who has killed an embryo—compassion should indeed be shown.
If a Brāhmaṇa is hated by the king, expulsion at the border of the kingdom is prescribed; they should never be subjected to bodily harm or fear.
O best among men, those beloved men may always be with you; for kings, there is no treasure greater than the gathering of loyal people.
O great king, among the six types of fortresses described in the scriptures, all agree that the human fortress is the most difficult to overcome.
Therefore, the wise should always practice compassion towards all four social orders. A righteous and truthful king brings happiness to his people.
O best among men, you should not always be patient; for a gentle king is indeed unrighteous, like an elephant that is only forbearing.
O great king, in the treatise of Bṛhaspati and in the scripture, verses were formerly set down. Now, listen to what was spoken to me on this matter.
A vile person continually insults a patient king, just as a mahout always seeks to mount only the head of the elephant.
Therefore, a king should be neither always gentle nor always harsh; he should be like the radiant sun in spring—neither cold nor excessively hot.
O great king, one's own and others' actions should always be examined by direct perception, inference, comparison, and instruction.
One should renounce all vices and misfortunes; a generous giver should never engage in them, and should avoid any association with them.
A person who is always afflicted by vice is disregarded in the world and also agitates the people; likewise, a king who is excessively hateful does the same.
O great king, listen to the reason why it is always proper for the king and his pregnant wife to act thus, and why this is desired.
Just as a pregnant woman, setting aside her own personal desires, cares for the welfare of her unborn child, so too, without doubt, must a king act for the welfare of his subjects.
O best of the Kurus, one who always follows dharma should always act by completely abandoning his own preferences, in whatever way may be beneficial to the world.
O Pāṇḍava, your fortitude should never be abandoned at any time. The command of a steadfast person with clear authority is never indeed obstructed.
O best of speakers, jesting by your servants should not always be done, O tiger among kings; now hear my fault in this matter.
Dependents, due to arrogance, disrespect the husband; they do not stay in their proper place and indeed violate his commands.
Those who are sent hesitate, employ even secrets, beg for what should not be begged, and bring things that are not to be enjoyed.
They get angry, flare up, occupy his land, and by means of bribes and deceit, continually hinder his undertakings.
They make the object of this worn out by counterfeits; women-guards, similarly dressed, are equipped and become of like appearance.
O tiger among men, the shameless ones do things like passing wind and spitting in his presence, and they also utter such words.
They mount a horse, elephant, or even a chariot approved by the king, disregarding the joyful and gentle king.
O king, your act is difficult and wrongly done—thus do your so-called friends say in the assembly.
When this person is angry, they laugh but do not feel joy even when honored; and they are always quarrelsome with each other for mutual reasons.
They scatter the mantra, reveal evil deeds, and playfully disregard his commands; they treat his ornaments, food, bath, and unguents with similar disrespect.
O Bhārata, those who are negligent and indifferent, O tiger among men, listen to him; they criticize and abandon their own authorities.
They are not satisfied with their livelihood; they take the royal tax and wish to play with it, like a bird with a string. In the world, people also say, 'The king is brought by us.'
O Yudhiṣṭhira, these and other faults also arise in a king who is gentle and joyful.
