12.073
bhīṣma uvāca॥
Bhīṣma said:
ya eva tu sato rakṣed asataś ca nibarhayet। sa eva rājñā kartavyo rājan rājapurohitaḥ ॥12-73-1॥
O king, the one who protects the good and restrains the wicked should alone be appointed by the king as the royal priest.
atrāpy udāharantīmam itihāsaṃ purātanam। purūravas ailasya saṃvādaṃ mātariśvanaḥ ॥12-73-2॥
Here too, an ancient story is told: the conversation between Purūravas, son of Ila, and Mātariśvan.
aila uvāca॥
Aila said:
kutaḥ svid brāhmaṇo jāto varṇāś cāpi kutas trayaḥ| kasmāc ca bhavati śreyān etad vāyo vicakṣva me ||12-73-3||
From where is the brāhmaṇa born, and from where are the three classes? From what does one become superior? O Vāyu, please explain this to me.
vāyuruvāca॥
Vāyu said:
brahmaṇo mukhataḥ sṛṣṭo brāhmaṇo rājasattama। bāhubhyāṃ kṣatriyaḥ sṛṣṭa ūrubhyāṃ vaiśya ucyate ॥12-73-4॥
O best of kings, it is said that the Brāhmaṇa was created from the mouth of Brahman, the Kṣatriya from the arms, and the Vaiśya from the thighs.
varṇānāṃ paricaryārthaṃ trayāṇāṃ puruṣarṣabha। varṇaścaturthaḥ paścāttu padbhyāṃ śūdro vinirmitaḥ ॥12-73-5॥
O best of men, the Śūdra, the fourth class, was created from the feet for the service of the other three classes.
brāhmaṇo jāta-mātras tu pṛthivīm anv ajāyata। īśvaraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṃ dharma-kośasya guptaye ॥12-73-6॥
The brāhmaṇa, though just born, was born after the earth. The lord (brāhmaṇa) exists for the protection of the treasury of dharma for all beings.
tataḥ pṛthivyā goptāraṃ kṣatriyaṃ daṇḍadhāriṇam। dvitīyaṃ varṇamakarot prajānām anuguptaye ॥12-73-7॥
Then he created the second class, the Kṣatriya, as the protector of the earth and wielder of authority, for the protection of the people.
vaiśyastu dhanadhānyena trīnvarṇānbibhṛyādimān | śūdro hyenānparicarediti brahmānuśāsanam ॥12-73-8॥
But the Vaiśya, through wealth and grain, should support the three varṇas; the Śūdra should serve them—this is the command of the Veda.
aila uvāca॥
Aila said:
dvijasya kṣatrabandhorvā kasyeyaṃ pṛthivī bhavet। dharmataḥ saha vittena samyagvāyo pracakṣva me ॥12-73-9॥
Tell me, does this earth belong to the twice-born, to a degraded Kṣatriya, or to whom? Is it by righteousness, with wealth, or truly by force? Declare this to me.
vāyuruvāca॥
Vāyu said:
viprasya sarvam evaitad yat kiñcid jagatīgatam। jyeṣṭhenābhijaneneha tad dharmakuśalā viduḥ ॥12-73-10॥
Those skilled in dharma know that all this in the world belonging to the Brāhmaṇa, whatever it may be, is due to the eldest and noble birth.
svam-eva brāhmaṇo bhuṅkte svaṃ vaste svaṃ dadāti ca। gurur-hi sarva-varṇānāṃ jyeṣṭhaḥ śreṣṭhaś-ca vai dvijaḥ ॥12-73-11॥
A brāhmaṇa enjoys, wears, and gives only what is his own. The teacher is indeed the eldest and best among all castes, and truly the foremost among the twice-born.
patyabhāve yathā strī hi devaraṃ kurute patim। ānantaryāttathā kṣatraṃ pṛthivī kurute patim ॥12-73-12॥
When her husband is absent, a woman indeed accepts the husband's younger brother as her husband; in the same way, due to succession, the earth accepts the Kṣatriya class as her lord.
eṣa te prathamaḥ kalpa āpadyanyo bhavedataḥ। yadi svarge paraṃ sthānaṃ dharmataḥ parimārgasi ॥12-73-13॥
This is the first method for you; if you encounter adversity, there may be another. If you seek the highest place in heaven through righteousness.
yaḥ kaścid vijayed bhūmiṃ brāhmaṇāya nivedayet। śrutavṛttopapannāya dharmajñāya tapasvine ॥12-73-14॥
Whoever conquers land should offer it to a Brāhmaṇa who is learned in the Vedas, of good conduct, knowledgeable in dharma, and an ascetic.
svadharmaparitṛptāya yo na vittaparo bhavet। yo rājānaṃ nayedbuddhyā sarvataḥ paripūrṇayā ॥12-73-15॥
He who is fully content with his own duty, not attached to wealth, and who guides the king with intelligence that is complete in every way.
brāhmaṇo hi kule jātaḥ kṛtaprajño vinītavāk। śreyo nayati rājānaṃ bruvaṃścitrāṃ sarasvatīm ॥12-73-16॥
A Brāhmaṇa, who is born in a noble family, endowed with wisdom and gentle speech, and who speaks with eloquence, leads the king to prosperity.
rājā carati yaṃ dharmaṃ brāhmaṇena nidarśitam। śuśrūṣur anahaṃvādī kṣatradharmavrate sthitaḥ ॥12-73-17॥
The king, eager to listen and free from self-boasting, follows the dharma demonstrated by the brāhmaṇa, firmly established in the vow of a kṣatriya.
tāvatā sa kṛtaprajñaś ciraṃ yaśasi tiṣṭhati। tasya dharmasya sarvasya bhāgī rājapurohitaḥ ॥12-73-18॥
By that much, the wise one remains long in glory; the royal priest partakes in all his righteousness.
evameva prajāḥ sarvā rājānam abhisaṃśritāḥ। samyagvṛttāḥ svadharmasthā na kutaścidbhayānvitāḥ ॥12-73-19॥
In this way, all the subjects, having sought refuge in the king, behaved properly, remained steadfast in their own duties, and were free from any kind of fear.
rāṣṭre caranti yaṃ dharmaṃ rājñā sādhvabhirakṣitāḥ। caturthaṃ tasya dharmasya rājā bhāgaṃ sa vindati ॥12-73-20॥
In a kingdom, when dharma is practiced and protected by the king and the virtuous, the king receives a fourth share of that dharma as his own.
devā manuṣyāḥ pitaro gandharvoragarākṣasāḥ। yajñamevopajīvanti nāsti ceṣṭamarājake ॥12-73-21॥
Gods, humans, ancestors, gandharvas, serpents, and rākṣasas all live only by sacrifice; where there is no ruler, there is no activity.
ito dattena jīvanti devatāḥ pitaras tathā। rājanye vā asya dharmasya yogakṣemaḥ pratiṣṭhitaḥ ॥12-73-22॥
It is through giving here that the gods and ancestors are sustained. Among the kṣatriyas, the security and prosperity of this dharma is established.
chāyāyām apsu vāyau ca sukham uṣṇe ’dhigacchati। agnau vāsasi sūrye ca sukham śīte ’dhigacchati ॥12-73-23॥
One finds comfort in shade, water, and wind during heat; and in fire, clothing, and the sun during cold.
śabde sparśe rase rūpe gandhe ca ramate manaḥ। teṣu bhogeṣu sarveṣu nabhīto labhate sukham ॥12-73-24॥
The mind delights in sound, touch, taste, form, and smell; among all these enjoyments, the fearless person attains happiness.
abhayasyaiva yo dātā tasyaiva sumahatphalam। na hi prāṇasamaṃ dānaṃ triṣu lokeṣu vidyate ॥12-73-25॥
Only the one who gives fearlessness receives the greatest reward. Indeed, there is no gift equal to life in all the three worlds.
indro rājā yamo rājā dharmo rājā tathaiva ca। rājā bibharti rūpāṇi rājñā sarvam idaṃ dhṛtam ॥12-73-26॥
Indra is the king, Yama is the king, Dharma is the king, and so too in the same way. The king assumes many forms; by the king, all this is upheld.
