12.081
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca॥
Yudhiṣṭhira said:
yad apy alpataraṃ karma tad apy ekena duṣkaram। puruṣeṇāsahāyena kimu rājyaṃ pitāmaha ॥12-81-1॥
Even a very small task is difficult for one person alone; how much more so is ruling a kingdom without assistance, O grandsire?
kiṃśīlaḥ kiṃsamācāro rājño'rthasacivo bhavet। kīdṛśe viśvasedrājā kīdṛśe nāpi viśvaset ॥12-81-2॥
What should be the character and conduct of the king's minister of wealth? Whom should the king trust, and whom should he not trust?
bhīṣma uvāca॥
Bhīṣma said:
caturvidhāni mitrāṇi rājñāṃ rājñbhavantyuta। sahārtho bhajamānaśca sahajaḥ kṛtrimastathā ॥12-81-3॥
O king, friends of kings are of four kinds: those who are companions in wealth, those who share, natural friends, and artificial friends.
dharmātmā pañcamaṃ mitraṃ sa tu naikasya na dvayoḥ। yato dharmastato vā syān madhyastho vā tato bhavet ॥12-81-4॥
The person whose nature is rooted in dharma is considered the fifth friend, but he does not belong to just one or two; wherever there is dharma, he is present, or he may remain neutral, or he may arise from there.
yas tasyārtho na roceta na taṃ tasya prakāśayet. dharmādharmeṇa rājānaś caranti vijigīṣavaḥ ॥12-81-5॥
One should not reveal to a person what does not please him. Kings who desire victory act using both righteousness and unrighteousness.
caturṇāṃ madhyamau śreṣṭhau nityaṃ śaṅkyau tathāparau। sarve nityaṃ śaṅkitavyāḥ pratyakṣaṃ kāryam ātmanaḥ ॥12-81-6॥
Among four, the two in the middle are considered the best and should always be doubted, as should the other two. All should always be regarded with suspicion; one should act directly for oneself.
na hi rājñā pramādo vai kartavyo mitrarakṣaṇe। pramādinaṃ hi rājānaṃ lokāḥ paribhavantyuta ॥12-81-7॥
A king must never be negligent in protecting his friends; for people indeed disregard a negligent king.
asādhuḥ sādhutāmeti sādhur bhavati dāruṇaḥ। ariś ca mitraṃ bhavati mitraṃ cāpi praduṣyati ॥12-81-8॥
An evil person can become good, and a good person can turn cruel. An enemy may become a friend, and even a friend may become corrupted.
anityacittaḥ puruṣas tasmin ko jātu viśvaset। tasmāt pradhānaṃ yat kāryaṃ pratyakṣaṃ tat samācaret ॥12-81-9॥
Who could ever trust a man whose mind is inconstant? Therefore, one should perform whatever principal duty is at hand.
ekāntena hi viśvāsaḥ kṛtsno dharmārthanāśakaḥ। aviśvāsaś ca sarvatra mṛtyunā na viśiṣyate ॥12-81-10॥
Exclusive trust is entirely destructive of righteousness and wealth; and everywhere, distrust is no different from death.
akālamṛtyurviśvāso viśvasan hi vipadyate। yasmin karoti viśvāsam icchatas tasya jīvati ॥12-81-11॥
Trust is like untimely death; for one who trusts is ruined. But the one in whom a person who desires places trust, that person lives.
tasmād viśvasitavyaṃ ca śaṅkitavyaṃ ca keṣucit। eṣā nītigatis tāta lakṣmīś caiva sanātanī ॥12-81-12॥
Therefore, one should both trust and be cautious with some people; this is the way of conduct, dear one, and fortune is indeed eternal.
yaṃ manyeta mamābhāvādimamarthāgamaḥ spṛśet। nityaṃ tasmācchaṅkitavyam amitraṃ taṃ vidur budhāḥ ॥12-81-13॥
The wise know that one whom you suspect of gaining wealth in your absence should always be regarded as an enemy.
yasya kṣetrād apy udakaṃ kṣetram anyasya gacchati। na tatra anicchatas tasya bhidyeraṃ sarva-setavaḥ॥12-81-14॥
If from a person's field even water flows to another's field, then, even if the owner does not wish it, all the boundaries there would be broken.
tathaivātyudakādbhītas tasya bhedanam icchati। yam evaṃlakṣaṇaṃ vidyāt tam amitraṃ vinirdiśet ॥12-81-15॥
Just as one who is frightened by excessive water seeks to divide it, so too, whoever displays such characteristics should be recognized and designated as an enemy.
yaḥ samṛddhyā na tuṣyet kṣaye dīnataro bhavet। etaduttamamitrasy nimittamabhicakṣate ॥12-81-16॥
He who is not satisfied by prosperity and becomes even more miserable in decline, this is declared to be the mark of a supreme enemy.
yaṃ manyeta mamābhāvād asyābhāvo bhaved iti। tasmin kurvīta viśvāsaṃ yathā pitari vai tathā ॥12-81-17॥
One should place trust in that person whom one believes would cease to exist if oneself were absent, just as one trusts a father.
taṃ śaktyā vardhamānaś ca sarvataḥ paribṛṃhayet। nityaṃ kṣatād vārayati yo dharmeṣv api karmasu ॥12-81-18॥
He should be strengthened from all sides with power as he grows. He who always protects from harm, even in righteous acts and actions.
kṣatādbhītaṃ vijānīyāduttamaṃ mitralakṣaṇam। ye tasya kṣatamicchanti te tasya ripavaḥ smṛtāḥ ॥12-81-19॥
Recognize that fear of harm is the greatest sign of friendship; those who wish for his harm are regarded as his enemies.
vyasanānnityabhīto'sau samṛddhyāmeva tṛpyate। yatsyādevaṃvidhaṃ mitraṃ tadātmasamamucyate ॥12-81-20॥
A person who is always fearful of adversity and is satisfied only in prosperity—such a friend is said to be like oneself.
rūpavarṇasvaropetastitikṣuranasūyakaḥ। kulīnaḥ śīlasampannaḥ sa te syātpratyanantaraḥ ॥12-81-21॥
He who possesses beauty, good complexion, melodious voice, forbearance, is free from envy, is of noble birth, and endowed with good character, may be your immediate successor.
medhāvī smṛtimān dakṣaḥ prakṛtyā ca anṛśaṃsavān। yaḥ mānitaḥ amānitaḥ vā na saṃdūṣyeta kadācana॥12-81-22॥
A person who is intelligent, has a good memory, is skilful, naturally compassionate, and who is never corrupted whether honoured or dishonoured, is ideal.
ṛtvigvā yadi vācāryaḥ sakhā vātyantasaṃstutaḥ। gṛhe vasedamātyaste yaḥ syātparamapūjitaḥ ॥12-81-23॥
A priest, or if not, a teacher, or a friend who is highly praised, or a minister who resides in your house—whoever among these is supremely honored.
sa te vidyāt paraṃ mantraṃ prakṛtiṃ cārthadharmayoḥ। viśvāsas te bhavet tatra yathā pitari vai tathā ॥12-81-24॥
He should know your highest counsel and the essence of wealth and righteousness; your trust in him should be as it is in your own father.
naiva dvau na trayaḥ kāryā na mṛṣyeran parasparam। ekārthād eva bhūtānāṃ bhedo bhavati sarvadā ॥12-81-25॥
There should not be two or three (groups), nor should they tolerate each other; it is from a single purpose that the division among beings always arises.
kīrtipradhāno yaś ca syād yaś ca syāt samaye sthitaḥ। samarthān yaś ca na dveṣṭi samarthān kurute ca yaḥ॥12-81-26॥
He who is chiefly known for his fame, who is present at the right time, who does not hate the capable, and who employs the capable ones.
yo na kāmādbhayaallobhātkrodhādvā dharmamutsṛjet। dakṣaḥ paryāptavacanaḥ sa te syātpratyanantaraḥ ॥12-81-27॥
He who does not abandon dharma out of desire, fear, greed, or anger, who is capable and speaks sufficiently, let him be your immediate successor.
śūraś cāryaś ca vidvāṃś ca pratipattiviśāradaḥ। kulīnaḥ śīlasampannas titikṣur anasūyakaḥ ॥12-81-28॥
He is brave, noble, learned, skilled in understanding, of good family, endowed with good conduct, patient, and free from envy.
ete hy amātyāḥ kartavyāḥ sarvakarmasv avasthitāḥ। pūjitāḥ saṃvibhaktāś ca susahāyāḥ svanuṣṭhitāḥ ॥12-81-29॥
These ministers, indeed, should be appointed to all duties, established, honored, properly assigned, with good assistants, and well accomplished in their own tasks.
kṛtsnam ete vinikṣiptāḥ pratirūpeṣu karmasu। yuktā mahatsu kāryeṣu śreyāṃsi utpādayanti ca ॥12-81-30॥
All these, having been placed in various forms of actions, when engaged in great deeds, produce excellent results.
ete karmāṇi kurvanti spardhamānā mithaḥ sadā। anutiṣṭhanti caivārthānācakṣāṇāḥ parasparam ॥12-81-31॥
They always perform these actions, constantly competing with each other; and they carry out their purposes, declaring them to one another.
jñātibhyaś caiva bibhyethā mṛtyor iva yataḥ sadā। uparājeva rājar dhiṃ jñātir na sahate sadā॥12-81-32॥
You should always fear your kinsmen as you fear death; just as a viceroy cannot tolerate the king's wealth, a kinsman can never tolerate it either.
ṛjor mṛdor vadānyasya hrīmataḥ satyavādinaḥ। nānyo jñāter mahābāho vināśam abhinandati॥12-81-33॥
O mighty-armed, no other kinsman rejoices in the destruction of the upright, the gentle, the generous, the modest, or the truth-speaker.
ajñātitā nātisukhā nāvajñeyāstvataḥ param। ajñātimantaṃ puruṣaṃ pare paribhavantyuta ॥12-81-34॥
Being unknown is not very pleasant; others indeed disregard a man who is obscure.
nikṛtasya narair anyair jñātir eva parāyaṇam। nānyair nikāraṃ sahate jñāter jñātiḥ kadācana ॥12-81-35॥
For one who has been deceived by others, only a relative is the refuge. A relative never endures insult to a relative from others at any time.
ātmānam eva jānāti nikṛtaṃ bāndhavair api। teṣu santi guṇāś caiva nairguṇyaṃ teṣu lakṣyate ॥12-81-36॥
A person recognizes only himself as deceived even by his relatives. Among them, though virtues exist, their lack of virtue is also apparent.
nā-jñātir-anugṛhṇāti nā-jñātir-digdham-asyati। ubhayaṃ jñātilokeṣu dṛśyate sādhv-asādhu ca ॥12-81-37॥
A non-relative neither shows favor nor abandons one who is injured; among relatives, both good and bad behavior are seen.
tān mānayet pūjayec ca nityaṃ vācā ca karmaṇā। kuryāc ca priyam etebhyo nāpriyaṃ kiñcid ācaret ॥12-81-38॥
One should always honor and worship them, both by speech and by action; one should do what is pleasing to them and should not do anything unpleasing.
viśvastavadaviśvastasteṣu varteta sarvadā। na hi doṣo guṇo veti nispṛktasteṣu dṛśyate ॥12-81-39॥
One should always conduct oneself among such people as if trusted yet not trusting. For, in their case, a detached person perceives neither fault nor virtue.
tasyai vaṃ vartamānasya puruṣasyāpramādinaḥ। amitrāḥ samprasīdanti tathā mitrī bhavanty api ॥12-81-40॥
When a man thus lives vigilantly, even his enemies become well-disposed, and his friends become even more friendly.
ya evaṃ vartate nityaṃ jñātisambandhimaṇḍale। mitreṣvamitreṣvaiśvarye ciraṃ yaśasi tiṣṭhati ॥12-81-41॥
He who always conducts himself in this manner among his circle of kinsmen and relations, among friends and enemies, and in positions of power, remains renowned for a long time.
