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yudhiṣṭhira uvāca॥
Yudhishthira said:
kathaṁ svidiha rājendra pālayan pārthivaḥ prajāḥ। prati dharmaṁ viśeṣeṇa kīrtim āpnoti śāśvatīm ॥12-86-1॥
O King, how does a ruler, by especially protecting his subjects according to dharma, attain everlasting fame?
bhīṣma uvāca॥
Bhīṣma said:
vyavahāreṇa śuddhena prajāpālanatatparaḥ। prāpya dharmaṃ ca kīrtiṃ ca lokāvāpnotyubhau śuciḥ ॥12-86-2॥
One who is pure in conduct and devoted to protecting his people attains both righteousness and fame in the world.
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca॥
Yudhiṣṭhira said:
kīdṛśaṃ vyavahāraṃ tu kaiśca vyavaharen nṛpaḥ। etat pṛṣṭo mahāprājña yathāvad vaktum arhasi ॥12-86-3॥
O greatly wise one, you have been asked: 'Of what kind of conduct and with whom should a king interact?' Please explain this properly.
ye caite pūrvakathitā guṇās te puruṣaṃ prati। naik asmin puruṣe hy ete vidyanta iti me matiḥ ॥12-86-4॥
It is my opinion that these previously-mentioned qualities are not found together in any one person.
bhīṣma uvāca॥
Bhīṣma said:
evam etan mahāprājña yathā vadasi buddhimān। durlabhaḥ puruṣaḥ kaścid ebhir guṇaguṇair yutaḥ ॥12-86-5॥
O greatly wise one, it is just as you say, O intelligent one. A man endowed with these qualities and virtues is indeed rare.
kiṁ tu saṅkṣepataḥ śīlaṁ prayatne neha durlabham। vakṣyāmi tu yathāmātyānyādṛśāṁś ca kariṣyasi॥12-86-6॥
But, in brief, good conduct is not difficult to obtain here with effort. I shall tell you, however, how you should appoint ministers of such kind.
caturo brāhmaṇān vaidyān pragalbhān sāttvikāñ śucīn। trīṃś ca śūdrān vinītāṃś ca śucīn karmaṇi pūrvake ॥12-86-7॥
Four Brāhmaṇas who are physicians, eloquent, endowed with sattva, and pure; and three Śūdras who are humble and pure in their actions, were the former ones.
aṣṭābhiś ca guṇair yuktaṃ sūtaṃ paurāṇikaṃ caret। pañcāśad-varṣa-vayasaṃ pragalbham anasūyakam ॥12-86-8॥
A charioteer and reciter of the Purāṇas should possess eight qualities, be fifty years old, confident, and free from envy.
matismṛtisaṃyuktaṃ vinītaṃ samadarśanam। kārye vivadamānānāṃ śaktam artheṣv alolupam ॥12-86-9॥
One who is endowed with intellect and memory, is humble, sees all with equanimity; is capable in action among those who dispute, and is not greedy in matters.
vivarjitānāṃ vyasanaiḥ sughoraiḥ saptabhirbhṛśam। aṣṭānāṃ mantriṇāṃ madhye mantraṃ rājopadhārayet ॥12-86-10॥
The king should deliberate on counsel among the eight ministers who are completely free from the seven most severe calamities.
tataḥ sampreṣayed rāṣṭre rāṣṭrāyātha ca darśayet। anena vyavahāreṇa draṣṭavyās te prajāḥ sadā ॥12-86-11॥
Then, the message should be sent throughout the kingdom and shown for the benefit of the kingdom. By this conduct, the subjects should always be regarded.
na cāpi gūḍhaṃ kāryaṃ te grāhyaṃ kāryopaghātakam। kārye khalu vipanne tvāṃ so'dharmastāṃśca pīḍayet ॥12-86-12॥
You should not accept any hidden action of yours that is destructive to the task. Indeed, if the task fails, unrighteousness would afflict you and them.
vidraveccaiva rāṣṭraṃ te śyenātpakṣigaṇā iva| parisravecca satataṃ naurviśīrṇeva sāgare ||12-86-13||
Your kingdom would scatter like birds fleeing from a hawk, and would be lost continuously like a broken boat drifting in the ocean.
prajāḥ pālayato'samyagadharmeṇeha bhūpateḥ। hārdaṃ bhayaṃ sambhavati svargaścāsya virudhyate ॥12-86-14॥
If a king here protects his subjects improperly, with unrighteousness, fear arises in his heart and he is deprived of heaven.
atha yo'dharmataḥ pāti rājāmātyo'tha vātmajaḥ। dharmāsane niyuktaḥ sandharmamūlaṃ nararṣabha ॥12-86-15॥
O best of men, whoever, whether king, minister, or son, is appointed to the seat of justice but protects by unrighteous means, is (still) rooted in dharma.
kāryeṣvadhikṛtāḥ samyagakurvanto nṛpānugāḥ। ātmānaṃ purataḥ kṛtvā yāntyadhaḥ sahapārthivāḥ ॥12-86-16॥
Those appointed to duties who do not perform them properly, being followers of the king, put themselves first and fall along with the other kings.
balātkṛtānāṃ balibhiḥ kṛpaṇaṃ bahu jalpatām। nātho vai bhūmipo nityamanāthānāṃ nṛṇāṃ bhavet॥12-86-17॥
The king should always be the protector of helpless people, especially those who are oppressed by the powerful and those who are miserable and talk much.
tataḥ sākṣibalaṃ sādhu dvaidhe vādakṛtaṃ bhavet। asākṣikam anāthaṃ vā parīkṣyaṃ tad viśeṣataḥ ॥12-86-18॥
Therefore, in cases of dispute involving two sides, the strength of witnesses should be properly considered; but if there are no witnesses or no support, that case should be especially examined.
aparādhānurūpaṃ ca daṇḍaṃ pāpeṣu pātayet। udvejayed dhanair ṛddhān daridrān vadha-bandhanaiḥ ॥12-86-19॥
Punishment should be inflicted in proportion to the offense upon the sinful. The wealthy should be penalized with fines, and the poor with execution or imprisonment.
vinayair api durvṛttān prahārair api pārthivaḥ। sāntvena upapradānena śiṣṭān ca paripālayet ॥12-86-20॥
The king should protect the wicked even by humility or by punishments, and the virtuous by conciliation and by giving gifts.
rājño vadhaṃ cikīrṣedyas tasya citro vadho bhavet। ājīvakasya stenasya varṇasaṅkarakasya ca ॥12-86-21॥
Whoever intends to kill the king will meet with a peculiar death; the same fate applies to an ājīvika, a thief, or one who causes caste-mixing.
samyak-praṇayato daṇḍaṃ bhūmipasya viśāṃ pate। yuktasya vā nāstyadharmo dharma eveha śāśvataḥ ॥12-86-22॥
O lord of the people, when the king properly administers punishment, for one who is just there is no unrighteousness; here, righteousness alone is eternal.
kāmakāreṇa daṇḍaṃ tu yaḥ kuryād avicakṣaṇaḥ। sa ihākīrtisaṃyukto mṛto narakam āpnuyāt ॥12-86-23॥
But if an unwise person inflicts punishment out of personal desire, he will be disgraced here and, after death, will attain hell.
na parasya śravādeva pareṣāṃ daṇḍamarpayet। āgamānugamaṃ kṛtvā badhnīyānmokṣayeta vā ॥12-86-24॥
One should not impose punishment on others merely based on hearsay. After following scriptural authority, one should either bind or release.
na tu hanyān nṛpo jātu dūtaṃ kasyāñcid āpadi। dūtasya hantā nirayam āviśet sacivaiḥ saha ॥12-86-25॥
A king must never kill a messenger, even in the gravest adversity. Whoever kills a messenger will enter hell along with his ministers.
yathoktavādinaṃ dūtaṃ kṣatradharmarato nṛpaḥ। yo hanyātpitarastasya bhrūṇahatyāmavāpnuyuḥ ॥12-86-26॥
If a king devoted to kṣatriya duty kills a messenger who speaks as instructed, his ancestors would incur the sin of killing an embryo.
kulīnaḥ śīlasampanno vāgmī dakṣaḥ priyaṃvadaḥ। yathoktavādī smṛtimāndūtaḥ syātsaptabhirguṇaiḥ ॥12-86-27॥
A messenger should possess seven qualities: noble lineage, good conduct, eloquence, skill, pleasant speech, fidelity to instructions, and a good memory.
etaireva guṇairyuktaḥ pratīhāro'sya rakṣitā। śirorakṣaśca bhavati guṇairetaiḥ samanvitaḥ ॥12-86-28॥
Endowed with these very virtues, the doorkeeper becomes his protector. The head-guard too, when endowed with these virtues, fulfills his role.
dharmārthaśāstratattvajñaḥ sandhivigrahako bhavet। matimāndhṛtimāndhīmānrahasyavinigūhitā ॥12-86-29॥
One who knows the principles of the treatises on righteousness and wealth, who is capable of making alliances and resolving conflicts, should be intelligent, steadfast, wise, and able to keep secrets.
kulīnaḥ satyasampannaḥ śakto'mātyaḥ praśaṃsitaḥ। etaireva guṇairyuktastathā senāpatirbhavet ॥12-86-30॥
A minister should be of noble birth, truthful, capable, and praised; likewise, the commander should possess only these qualities.
vyūhayantrāyudhīyānāṃ tattvajño vikramānvitaḥ। varṣaśītoṣṇavātānāṃ sahiṣṇuḥ pararandhravit ॥12-86-31॥
He is one who knows the principles of formations, machines, and weapons, is endowed with valor, endures rain, cold, heat, and winds, and knows the weaknesses of others.
viśvāsayet parāṃś caiva viśvasen na tu kasyacit। putreṣv api hi rājendra viśvāso na praśasyate ॥12-86-32॥
You may inspire trust in others, but do not place your trust in anyone. O king, even trust in one's own sons is not considered wise.
etacchāstrārthatattvaṃ tu tavākhyātaṃ mayānagha। aviśvāso narendrāṇāṃ guhyaṃ paramamucyate ॥12-86-33॥
O sinless one, I have revealed to you the true essence of the meaning of the śāstra. The supreme secret is said to be the distrust of kings.
