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yudhiṣṭhira uvāca॥
Yudhishthira said:
kathaṁ rājā prajā rakṣannādhibandhena yujyate। dharme ca nāparādhnoti tanme brūhi pitāmaha ॥12-72-1॥
O grandsire, tell me how the king, while protecting his subjects, becomes bound by obligation and how he does not transgress dharma.
bhīṣma uvāca॥
Bhīṣma said:
samāsenaiva te tāta dharmānvakṣyāmi niścitān। vistareṇa hi dharmāṇāṃ na jātvantamavāpnuyāt ॥12-72-2॥
O dear one, I will explain to you the established dharmas in summary only; for, in detail, the end of dharmas could never be reached.
dharmaniṣṭhāñśrutavato vedavratasamāhitān। arcitānvāsayethāstvaṃ gṛhe guṇavato dvijān ॥12-72-3॥
You should welcome into your home virtuous Brahmins who are steadfast in dharma, learned in the Vedas, devoted to Vedic vows, and honored.
pratyutthāyopasaṅgṛhya caraṇāvabhivādya ca। atha sarvāṇi kurvīthāḥ kāryāṇi sapurohitaḥ ॥12-72-4॥
After rising, approaching and respectfully saluting the feet, you should then perform all your duties together with the priest.
dharmakāryāṇi nirvartya maṅgalāni prayujya ca। brāhmaṇānvācayethāstvamarthasiddhijayāśiṣaḥ ॥12-72-5॥
After performing acts of dharma and auspicious rites, you should have the Brāhmaṇas recite blessings for your success and victory.
ārjavena ca sampanno dhṛtyā buddhyā ca bhārata। arthārthaṃ parigṛhṇīyātkāmakrodhau ca varjayet ॥12-72-6॥
O Bhārata, one should pursue wealth with honesty, fortitude, and intellect, and should avoid desire and anger.
kāmakrodhau puraskṛtya yo'rthaṃ rājānutiṣṭhati। na sa dharmaṃ na cāpyarthaṃ parigṛhṇāti bāliśaḥ ॥12-72-7॥
A foolish king who acts with desire and anger at the forefront attains neither righteousness nor even his purpose.
mā sma lubdhāṃś ca mūrkhāṃś ca kāme cārtheṣu yūyujaḥ| alubdhān buddhisampannān sarvakarmasu yojayet ॥12-72-8॥
Do not assign the greedy and the foolish to tasks involving desires and wealth; instead, employ those who are not greedy and who possess intelligence in all kinds of work.
mūrkho hy adhikṛto'rtheṣu kāryāṇām aviśāradaḥ। prajāḥ kliśnāty ayogena kāma-dveṣa-samanvitaḥ ॥12-72-9॥
A foolish person, when appointed to responsibilities and lacking skill in actions, afflicts the people through incompetence, being driven by desire and hatred.
baliṣaṣṭhena śulkena daṇḍenāthāparādhinām। śāstranītena lipsethā vetanena dhanāgamam ॥12-72-10॥
You should seek to obtain income through the sixth part of produce, taxes, penalties, or from offenders, and by scriptural policy and wages.
dāpayitvā karaṃ dharmyaṃ rāṣṭraṃ nityaṃ yathāvidhi। aśeṣān kalpayed rājā yogakṣemān atandritaḥ ॥12-72-11॥
The king, having always caused the righteous tax to be paid in the kingdom according to rule, should diligently provide for all prosperity and security without negligence.
gopāyitāraṃ dātāraṃ dharmanityamatandritam। akāmadveṣasaṃyuktamanurajyanti mānavāḥ ॥12-72-12॥
Humans become devoted to one who is a protector, a giver, always righteous, untiring, and free from desire and hatred.
mā smādharmeṇa lābhena lipsethāstvaṃ dhanāgamam। dharmārthāvadhruvau tasya yo'paśāstraparo bhavet ॥12-72-13॥
Do not ever seek to acquire wealth through unrighteous means; for one who follows ways contrary to the scriptures, both righteousness and wealth are unstable.
apaśāstraparo rājā sañcayānnādhigacchati। asthāne cāsya tadvittaṃ sarvameva vinaśyati ॥12-72-14॥
A king who follows unorthodox teachings gains nothing from accumulation; and all his wealth, if placed improperly, is entirely lost.
arthamūlo'payiṁsāṁ ca kurute svayamātmanaḥ। karairaśāstradṛṣṭairhi mohātsampīḍayanprajāḥ ॥12-72-15॥
He, whose foundation is wealth and who professes non-injury, himself, out of delusion, imposes taxes not sanctioned by śāstra, thereby oppressing his subjects.
ūdhaś chindyād dhi yo dhenvāḥ kṣīrārthī na labheta payaḥ। evaṃ rāṣṭram ayogena pīḍitaṃ na vivardhate ॥12-72-16॥
If someone were to cut the udder of cows, a person seeking milk would not get any. In the same way, a kingdom afflicted by mismanagement does not prosper.
yo hi dogdhṛīm upāste tu sa nityaṃ labhate payaḥ। evaṃ rāṣṭram upāyena bhuñjānaḥ labhate phalam ॥12-72-17॥
He who tends the milch cow always obtains milk; likewise, one who enjoys the kingdom by proper means obtains its rewards.
atha rāṣṭram-upāyena bhujyamānaṃ surakṣitam। janayaty-atulāṃ nityaṃ kośavṛddhiṃ yudhiṣṭhira ॥12-72-18॥
O Yudhiṣṭhira, when a kingdom is governed with strategy and kept secure, it always produces an unsurpassed growth of wealth.
dogdhi dhānyaṃ hiraṇyaṃ ca prajā rājñi surakṣitā। nityaṃ svebhyaḥ parebhyaś ca tṛptā mātā yathā payaḥ ॥12-72-19॥
O queen, when the subjects are well-protected, the land yields grain and gold; just as a mother, always satisfied, gives milk to her own and to others.
mālākāropamo rājan bhava māṅgārikopamaḥ। tathā yuktaś ciraṃ rāṣṭraṃ bhoktuṃ śakyasi pālayan ॥12-72-20॥
O king, be like a garland-maker and a gardener. In this way, by being diligent, you will be able to rule and enjoy your kingdom for a long time while protecting it.
paracakrābhiyānena yadi te syād dhanakṣayaḥ। atha sāmnaiva lipsethā dhanam abrāhmaṇeṣu yat ॥12-72-21॥
If, by campaigning against the enemy, you suffer loss of wealth, then you should seek to recover wealth from non-Brahmins by conciliation alone.
mā sma te brāhmaṇaṃ dṛṣṭvā dhanasthaṃ pracalenmanaḥ। antyāyāmapyavasthāyāṃ kimu sphītasya bhārata ॥12-72-22॥
O Bhārata, do not let your mind be disturbed upon seeing a wealthy brāhmaṇa. If this is so even in a lowly state, how much more so in a prosperous one.
dhanāni tebhyo dadyāstvaṃ yathāśakti yathārhataḥ। sāntvayan parirakṣaṃś ca svargam āpsyasi durjayam ॥12-72-23॥
You should give wealth to them according to your ability and their worthiness; by soothing and protecting them, you will attain the heaven that is difficult to conquer.
evaṃ dharmeṇa vṛttena prajāstvaṃ paripālayan। svantaṃ puṇyaṃ yaśovantaṃ prāpsyase kurunandana ॥12-72-24॥
O joy of the Kurus, by protecting your subjects in this way, with righteous conduct, you will attain your own merit and enduring fame.
dharmeṇa vyavahāreṇa prajāḥ pālaya pāṇḍava। yudhiṣṭhira tathā yukto nādhibandhena yokṣyase ॥12-72-25॥
O Pāṇḍava, govern your subjects with righteousness and proper conduct. Yudhiṣṭhira, if you act in this way, you will rule without being bound by attachment.
eṣa eva paro dharmo yadrājā rakṣate prajāḥ। bhūtānāṃ hi yathā dharme rakṣaṇaṃ ca parā dayā ॥12-72-26॥
This is truly the highest duty: when the king protects his subjects. For all beings, protection in accordance with righteousness and supreme compassion are paramount.
tasmādevaṃ paraṃ dharmaṃ manyante dharmakovidāḥ। yadrājā rakṣaṇe yukto bhūteṣu kurute dayām ॥12-72-27॥
Therefore, the knowers of dharma consider that to be the highest dharma when the king, engaged in protection, shows compassion towards all beings.
yad-ahnā kurute pāpam arakṣan bhayataḥ prajāḥ। rājā varṣa-sahasreṇa tasya antam adhigacchati॥12-72-28॥
Whatever evil a king commits in a day by not protecting his subjects out of fear, he attains the consequences of that even after a thousand years.
yad-ahnā kurute puṇyaṃ prajā dharmeṇa pālayan। daśa varṣasahasrāṇi tasya bhuṅkte phalaṃ divi ॥12-72-29॥
For every day a king protects his subjects with righteousness and performs meritorious acts, he enjoys the fruit of that action in heaven for ten thousand years.
sviṣṭiḥ svadhītiḥ sutapā lokāñjayati yāvataḥ। kṣaṇena tānavāpnoti prajā dharmeṇa pālayan ॥12-72-30॥
One who has performed proper sacrifices, is well-studied, and has practiced good austerities conquers as many worlds as there are; by protecting his subjects with righteousness, he attains those worlds in a moment.
evaṃ dharmaṃ prayatnena kaunteya paripālayan। iha puṇyaphalaṃ labdhvā nādhibandhena yokṣyase ॥12-72-31॥
O son of Kunti, thus protecting duty with effort, you will enjoy the fruit of merit here, having obtained it without bondage.
svargaloke ca mahatīṃ śriyaṃ prāpsyasi pāṇḍava। asambhavaś ca dharmāṇām īdṛśānām rājasu॥ tasmād rājaiva nānyo'sti yo mahat phalam āpnuyāt॥ 12-72-32॥
O Pāṇḍava, you will attain great prosperity in the heavenly world. Such dharmas are impossible among kings. Therefore, only a king, and no one else, can obtain such great rewards.
sa rājyam ṛddhimat prāpya dharmeṇa paripālayan। indraṃ tarpaya somena kāmaiś ca suhṛdo janān ॥12-72-33॥
Having attained a prosperous kingdom, he protected it with righteousness, satisfied Indra with Soma, and fulfilled the desires of his friends and people.
