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भीष्म उवाच॥
Bhīṣma said.
नाधर्मेण महीं जेतुं लिप्सेत जगतीपतिः। अधर्मविजयं लब्ध्वा कोऽनुमन्येत भूमिपः ॥१२-९७-१॥
A king should not wish to conquer the earth through unrighteous means. Who would approve of a king who gains victory by unrighteousness?
अधर्मयुक्तो विजयो ह्यध्रुवोऽस्वर्ग्य एव च। सादयत्येष राजानं महीं च भरतर्षभ ॥१२-९७-२॥
O best of the Bharatas, victory gained through unrighteousness is unstable, does not lead to heaven, and indeed destroys both the king and the kingdom.
विशीर्णकवचं चैव तवास्मीति च वादिनम्। कृताञ्जलिं न्यस्तशस्त्रं गृहीत्वा न विहिंसयेत् ॥१२-९७-३॥
One should not harm a person whose armor is broken, who declares "I am yours", who stands with joined palms, or who has laid down his weapons.
बलेनावजितो यश्च न तं युध्येत भूमिपः। संवत्सरं विप्रणयेत्तस्माज्जातः पुनर्भवेत् ॥१२-९७-४॥
If a king is overpowered by strength and does not fight him, he should banish him for one year; after that, he may be reinstated.
नार्वाक्संवत्सरात्कन्या स्प्रष्टव्या विक्रमाहृता। एवमेव धनं सर्वं यच्चान्यत्सहसाहृतम् ॥१२-९७-५॥
A maiden seized by force should not be touched for a year; likewise, all wealth and anything else seized by force must be treated in the same way.
न तु वन्ध्यं धनं तिष्ठेत्पिबेयुर्ब्राह्मणाः पयः। युञ्जीरन्वाप्यनडुहः क्षन्तव्यं वा तदा भवेत् ॥१२-९७-६॥
A barren cow should not be kept; Brāhmaṇas should not drink its milk; nor should a non-milking cow be yoked; otherwise, it should be forgiven at that time.
राज्ञा राजैव योद्धव्यस्तथा धर्मो विधीयते। नान्यो राजानमभ्यसेदराजन्यः कथञ्चन ॥१२-९७-७॥
It is prescribed that only a king may fight another king; this is the duty. No other kṣatriya should ever attack a king in any way.
अनीकयोः संहतयोर्यदीयाद्ब्राह्मणोऽन्तरा। शान्तिमिच्छन्नुभयतो न योद्धव्यं तदा भवेत् ॥ मर्यादां शाश्वतीं भिन्द्याद्ब्राह्मणं योऽभिलङ्घयेत् ॥१२-९७-८॥
If a Brāhmaṇa comes between the two armies joined together, seeking peace from both sides, then fighting should not occur. Whoever breaks the eternal boundary, whoever transgresses a Brāhmaṇa,
अथ चेल्लङ्घयेदेनां मर्यादां क्षत्रियब्रुवः। अप्रशस्यस्तदूर्ध्वं स्यादनादेयश्च संसदि ॥१२-९७-९॥
If a person claiming to be a Kṣatriya crosses this boundary, then from that point onward he is censured and not to be accepted in the assembly.
या तु धर्मविलोपेन मर्यादाभेदनेन च। तां वृत्तिं नानुवर्तेत विजिगीषुर्महीपतिः ॥ धर्मलब्धाद्धि विजयात्को लाभोऽभ्यधिको भवेत् ॥१२-९७-१०॥
But a king who desires victory should not follow that conduct which involves the destruction of dharma and the transgression of boundaries. For what gain from victory can be greater than that which is obtained through righteousness?
सहसा नाम्य भूतानि क्षिप्रमेव प्रसादयेत्। सान्त्वेन भोगदानेन स राज्ञां परमो नयः ॥१२-९७-११॥
One should quickly conciliate those who must be subdued, using gentle words and gifts; this is the highest policy among kings.
भुज्यमाना ह्ययोगेन स्वराष्ट्रादभितापिताः। अमित्रान्पर्युपासीरन्व्यसनौघप्रतीक्षिणः ॥१२-९७-१२॥
Afflicted by mismanagement and driven from their own kingdom, they sought out their enemies, expecting a flood of calamities.
अमित्रोपग्रहं चास्य ते कुर्युः क्षिप्रमापदि। संदुष्टाः सर्वतो राजन्राजव्यसनकाङ्क्षिणः ॥१२-९७-१३॥
O king, when calamity strikes, those corrupted from all sides and desiring royal misfortune would quickly act with hostility towards him.
नामित्रो विनिकर्तव्यो नातिच्छेद्यः कथञ्चन। जीवितं ह्यप्यतिच्छिन्नः सन्त्यजत्येकदा नरः ॥१२-९७-१४॥
One should not completely sever ties even with a non-enemy, nor should one ever go to extremes. For even if life is excessively troubled, a man may abandon it at once.
अल्पेनापि हि संयुक्तस्तुष्यत्येवापराधिकः। शुद्धं जीवितमेवापि तादृशो बहु मन्यते ॥१२-९७-१५॥
Even a wrongdoer is satisfied with little; such a person even considers a pure life to be of great value.
यस्य स्फीतो जनपदः सम्पन्नः प्रियराजकः। सन्तुष्टभृत्यसचिवो दृढमूलः स पार्थिवः ॥१२-९७-१६॥
He is the king whose country is prosperous and endowed, who is dear to his people, whose servants and ministers are content, and whose rule is firmly established.
ऋत्विक्पुरोहिताचार्या ये चान्ये श्रुतसंमताः। पूजार्हाः पूजिता यस्य स वै लोकजिदुच्यते ॥१२-९७-१७॥
He who has worshipped priests, family priests, teachers, and others approved by the Vedas and worthy of worship is truly called a conqueror of the world.
एतेनैव च वृत्तेन महीं प्राप सुरोत्तमः। अन्वेव चैन्द्रं विजयं व्यजिगीषन्त पार्थिवाः ॥१२-९७-१८॥
By this very conduct, the best of the gods obtained the earth; and after Indra, the kings too sought victory.
भूमिवर्जं पुरं राजा जित्वा राजानमाहवे। अमृताश्चौषधीः शश्वदाजहार प्रतर्दनः ॥१२-९७-१९॥
King Pratardana, having conquered the king in battle, brought the immortal herbs always, except for the earth itself.
अग्निहोत्राण्यग्निशेषं हविर्भाजनमेव च। आजहार दिवोदासस्ततो विप्रकृतोऽभवत् ॥१२-९७-२०॥
Divodāsa took away the fire-sacrifices, the remnants of the fire, and the vessel for oblation; then he was wronged.
सराजकानि राष्ट्राणि नाभागो दक्षिणां ददौ। अन्यत्र श्रोत्रियस्वाच्च तापसस्वाच्च भारत ॥१२-९७-२१॥
Nābhāga gave the kingdoms along with their kings as a gift. Elsewhere, O Bhārata, from the Brāhmaṇa and from the ascetic.
उच्चावचानि वृत्तानि धर्मज्ञानां युधिष्ठिर। आसन्राज्ञां पुराणानां सर्वं तन्मम रोचते ॥१२-९७-२२॥
O Yudhishthira, the various deeds of the ancient righteous kings, all of these are pleasing to me.
सर्वविद्यातिरेकाद्वा जयमिच्छेन्महीपतिः। न मायया न दम्भेन य इच्छेद्भूतिमात्मनः ॥१२-९७-२३॥
If a king wishes to achieve victory through the superiority of all knowledge, he should not seek prosperity for himself by means of deceit or hypocrisy.
