12.097
Bhīṣma said.
A king should not wish to conquer the earth through unrighteous means. Who would approve of a king who gains victory by unrighteousness?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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,
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.
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?
One should quickly conciliate those who must be subdued, using gentle words and gifts; this is the highest policy among kings.
Afflicted by mismanagement and driven from their own kingdom, they sought out their enemies, expecting a flood of calamities.
O king, when calamity strikes, those corrupted from all sides and desiring royal misfortune would quickly act with hostility towards him.
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.
Even a wrongdoer is satisfied with little; such a person even considers a pure life to be of great value.
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.
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.
By this very conduct, the best of the gods obtained the earth; and after Indra, the kings too sought victory.
King Pratardana, having conquered the king in battle, brought the immortal herbs always, except for the earth itself.
Divodāsa took away the fire-sacrifices, the remnants of the fire, and the vessel for oblation; then he was wronged.
Nābhāga gave the kingdoms along with their kings as a gift. Elsewhere, O Bhārata, from the Brāhmaṇa and from the ascetic.
O Yudhishthira, the various deeds of the ancient righteous kings, all of these are pleasing to me.
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.
