12.097
bhīṣma uvāca॥
Bhīṣma said.
nādharmeṇa mahīṃ jetuṃ lipseta jagatīpatiḥ। adharmavijayaṃ labdhvā ko'numanyeta bhūmipaḥ॥12-97-1॥
A king should not wish to conquer the earth through unrighteous means. Who would approve of a king who gains victory by unrighteousness?
adharmayukto vijayo hyadhruvo'svargya eva ca। sādayatyeṣa rājānaṃ mahīṃ ca bharatarṣabha ॥12-97-2॥
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.
viśīrṇakavacaṃ caiva tavāsmīti ca vādinam। kṛtāñjaliṃ nyastaśastraṃ gṛhītvā na vihiṃsayet ॥12-97-3॥
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.
balenāvajito yaś ca na taṃ yudhyeta bhūmipaḥ। saṃvatsaraṃ vipraṇayettasmājjātaḥ punarbhavet ॥12-97-4॥
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.
nārvāksaṃvatsarāt kanyā spraṣṭavyā vikramāhṛtā। evameva dhanaṃ sarvaṃ yac cānyat sahasāhṛtam ॥12-97-5॥
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.
na tu vandhyaṃ dhanaṃ tiṣṭhet pibeyur brāhmaṇāḥ payaḥ। yuñjīran vā api anaḍuhaḥ kṣantavyaṃ vā tadā bhavet ॥12-97-6॥
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.
rājñā rājaiva yoddhavyas tathā dharmo vidhīyate। nānyo rājānam abhyased rājanyaḥ kathañcana ॥12-97-7॥
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.
anīkayoḥ saṃhatayor yadīyād brāhmaṇo'ntarā। śāntim icchan ubhayato na yoddhavyaṃ tadā bhavet॥ maryādāṃ śāśvatīṃ bhindyād brāhmaṇaṃ yo'bhilaṅghayet॥12-97-8॥
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,
atha cellaṅghayed enāṃ maryādāṃ kṣatriyabruvaḥ। apraśasyas tad ūrdhvaṃ syād anādeyaś ca saṃsadi ॥12-97-9॥
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.
yā tu dharmavilopena maryādābhedena ca। tāṃ vṛttiṃ nānuvarteta vijigīṣurmahīpatiḥ ॥ dharmalabdhāddhi vijayātko lābho'bhyadhiko bhavet ॥12-97-10॥
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?
sahasā nāmya bhūtāni kṣiprameva prasādayet। sāntvena bhogadānena sa rājñāṃ paramo nayaḥ ॥12-97-11॥
One should quickly conciliate those who must be subdued, using gentle words and gifts; this is the highest policy among kings.
bhujyamānā hyayogena svarāṣṭrādabhitāpitāḥ। amitrān paryupāsīran vyasanaugha-pratīkṣiṇaḥ ॥12-97-12॥
Afflicted by mismanagement and driven from their own kingdom, they sought out their enemies, expecting a flood of calamities.
amitropagrahaṃ cāsya te kuryuḥ kṣipramāpadi. saṃduṣṭāḥ sarvato rājan rājavyasanakāṅkṣiṇaḥ ॥12-97-13॥
O king, when calamity strikes, those corrupted from all sides and desiring royal misfortune would quickly act with hostility towards him.
nāmitro vinikartavyo nāticchedyaḥ kathañcana। jīvitaṃ hyapyaticchinnaḥ santyajatyekadā naraḥ ॥12-97-14॥
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.
alpenāpi hi saṁyuktastuṣyaty evāparādhikaḥ। śuddhaṁ jīvitam evāpi tādṛśo bahu manyate ॥12-97-15॥
Even a wrongdoer is satisfied with little; such a person even considers a pure life to be of great value.
yasya sphīto janapadaḥ sampannaḥ priyarājakaḥ। santuṣṭabhṛtyasacivo dṛḍhamūlaḥ sa pārthivaḥ ॥12-97-16॥
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.
ṛtvikpurohitācāryā ye cānye śrutasaṃmatāḥ। pūjārhāḥ pūjitā yasya sa vai lokajiducyate ॥12-97-17॥
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.
etenaiva ca vṛttena mahīṃ prāpa surottamaḥ। anveva ca indraṃ vijayaṃ vyajigīṣanta pārthivāḥ ॥12-97-18॥
By this very conduct, the best of the gods obtained the earth; and after Indra, the kings too sought victory.
bhūmivarjaṃ puraṃ rājā jitvā rājānamāhave। amṛtāś cauṣadhīḥ śaśvad ājahāra pratardanaḥ ॥12-97-19॥
King Pratardana, having conquered the king in battle, brought the immortal herbs always, except for the earth itself.
agnihotrāṇy agniśeṣaṃ havirbhājanam eva ca। ājahāra divodāsas tato viprakṛto'bhavat ॥12-97-20॥
Divodāsa took away the fire-sacrifices, the remnants of the fire, and the vessel for oblation; then he was wronged.
sarājakāni rāṣṭrāṇi nābhāgo dakṣiṇāṃ dadau। anyatra śrotriyasvācca tāpasasvācca bhārata ॥12-97-21॥
Nābhāga gave the kingdoms along with their kings as a gift. Elsewhere, O Bhārata, from the Brāhmaṇa and from the ascetic.
uccāvacāni vṛttāni dharmajñānāṃ yudhiṣṭhira। āsan rājñāṃ purāṇānāṃ sarvaṃ tan mama rocate ॥12-97-22॥
O Yudhishthira, the various deeds of the ancient righteous kings, all of these are pleasing to me.
sarvavidyātirekād vā jayamicchen mahīpatiḥ। na māyayā na dambhena ya icched bhūtim ātmanaḥ॥12-97-23॥
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.
