12.098
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca॥
Yudhiṣṭhira said.
kṣatradharmān na pāpīyān dharmo 'sti bharatarṣabha। abhishyāne ca yuddhe ca rājā hanti mahājanam ॥12-98-1॥
O best of the Bharatas, there is no duty more sinful than the duty of a kṣatriya. In expeditions and battles, the king kills even great people.
atha sma karmaṇā yena lokāñjayati pārthivaḥ। vidvañjijñāsamānāya prabrūhi bharatarṣabha ॥12-98-2॥
Now, O best of the Bharatas, tell the inquirer, O learned one, by what action the king conquers the worlds.
bhīṣma uvāca॥
Bhīṣma said.
nigraheṇa ca pāpānāṃ sādhūnāṃ pragraheṇa ca। yajñairdānaiśca rājāno bhavanti śucayo'malāḥ ॥12-98-3॥
Kings become pure and spotless by restraining the wicked, favoring the virtuous, and through sacrifices and gifts.
uparundhanti rājāno bhūtāni vijayārthinaḥ। ta eva vijayaṃ prāpya vardhayanti punaḥ prajāḥ ॥12-98-4॥
Kings who seek victory obstruct beings, but once they have achieved victory, they again cause their subjects to prosper.
apavidhyanti pāpāni dānayajñatapobalaiḥ। anugraheṇa bhūtānāṃ puṇyameṣāṃ pravardhate ॥12-98-5॥
Sins are cast away by the strengths of charity, sacrifice, and austerity. By showing favor to beings, their merit increases.
yathaiva kṣetranirdātā nirdanvai kṣetram ekadā। hinasti kakṣaṃ dhānyaṃ ca na ca dhānyaṃ vinaśyati॥12-98-6॥
Just as a person who destroys a field, by uprooting it, at once destroys the field, its fence, and the grain, but the grain itself does not perish.
evaṃ śastrāṇi muñcanto ghnanti vadhyān atha ekadā। tasya eṣā niṣkṛtiḥ kṛtsnā bhūtānām bhāvanam punaḥ ॥12-98-7॥
Thus, when one releases weapons and kills those who are to be slain, then, at some point, this is his complete atonement: to restore all beings again.
yo bhūtāni dhanajyānād vadhāt kleśāc ca rakṣati। dasyubhyaḥ prāṇadānāt sa dhanadaḥ sukhadaḥ virāṭ ॥12-98-8॥
He who protects beings from the bowstring, from killing, from suffering, from robbers, and from giving up his life is the giver of wealth, the giver of happiness, the great one.
sa sarvayajñair ijānaḥ rājā atha abhayadakṣiṇaiḥ। anubhūya iha bhadrāṇi prāpnoti indrasalokatām ॥12-98-9॥
The king who performs all sacrifices and gives gifts of fearlessness, after experiencing auspicious things in this world, attains the realm of Indra.
brāhmaṇārthe samutpanne yo’bhiniḥsṛtya yudhyate। ātmānaṃ yūpamucchṛtya sa yajño’nantadakṣiṇaḥ ॥12-98-10॥
When a conflict arises for the sake of a Brāhmaṇa, whoever goes forth and fights, offering himself as the sacrificial post, that act is regarded as a sacrifice with endless rewards.
abhīto vikirañśatrūn pratigṛhṇañśarāṃs tathā। na tasmāt tridaśāḥ śreyo bhuvi paśyanti kiñcana ॥12-98-11॥
Fearlessly scattering his enemies and receiving arrows in return, the gods do not see anything better than him on earth.
tasya yāvanti śastrāṇi tvacaṃ bhindanti saṃyuge। tāvataḥ so'śnute lokān sarvakāmadukho'kṣayān ॥12-98-12॥
He attains as many imperishable worlds that grant all desires as the number of weapons that pierce his skin in battle.
na tasya rudhiraṃ gātrād āvedhebhyaḥ pravartate। sa ha tenaiva raktena sarvapāpaiḥ pramucyate ॥12-98-13॥
No blood flows from his body from wounds; by that very blood, he is indeed released from all sins.
yāni duḥkhāni sahate vraṇānām abhitāpane। na tato'sti tapo bhūya iti dharmavido viduḥ ॥12-98-14॥
The knowers of dharma say: 'There is no austerity greater than enduring the pains of burning wounds.'
pṛṣṭhato bhīravaḥ saṅkhye vartante'dhamapūruṣāḥ। śūrāccharaṇamicchantaḥ parjanyādiva jīvanam ॥12-98-15॥
The cowardly, who are many, remain behind; the lowest men seek protection from the brave, just as life depends on the rain-cloud.
yadi śūras tathā kṣeme pratirakṣet tathā bhaye। pratirūpaṃ janāḥ kuryur na ca tadvartate tathā ॥12-98-16॥
If a hero protects in times of safety, he should do so in times of danger as well; similarly, people ought to act, but it does not always happen that way.
yadi te kṛtamājñāya namaskuryuḥ sadaiva tam। yuktaṃ nyāyyaṃ ca kuryuste na ca tadvartate tathā ॥12-98-17॥
If they, having understood what has been done, always show respect to him, and act in a proper and just manner, and do not behave otherwise, then it is appropriate.
puruṣāṇāṃ samānānāṃ dṛśyate mahadantaram। saṅgrāme'níkavelāyāmutkṛṣṭe'bhipatatsu ca ॥12-98-18॥
Even among men who are otherwise equal, a great difference is seen—especially in battle, at the time of arraying troops, when the ranks are raised and the attack begins.
pataty abhimukhaḥ śūraḥ parān bhīruḥ palāyate। āsthāyāsvargyam adhvānaṃ sahāyān viṣame tyajan ॥12-98-19॥
A hero falls facing the enemy, while a coward flees from the enemy. One who undertakes a path that does not lead to heaven abandons his companions in times of difficulty.
mā sma tāṃstādṛśāṃstāta janiṣṭhāḥ puruṣādhamān। ye sahāyāṇraṇe hitvā svastimanto gṛhānyayuḥ ॥12-98-20॥
O dear, never become like those base men who, having deserted their companions in battle, returned safely to their homes.
asvasti tebhyaḥ kurvanti devā indrapurogamāḥ। tyāgena yaḥ sahāyānāṃ svānprāṇāṃstrātumicchati ॥12-98-21॥
The gods led by Indra do not grant welfare to those who, by renunciation, desire to protect the lives of their own companions.
taṃ hanyuḥ kāṣṭhaloṣṭair vā daheyur vā kaṭāgninā| paśuvan mārayeyur vā kṣatriyā ye syur īdṛśāḥ ||12-98-22||
Kṣatriyas who are of such kind would kill him with sticks and clods, or burn him with funeral fire, or slay him like an animal.
adharmaḥ kṣatriyasya eṣa yat śayyāmaraṇaṃ bhavet। visṛjan śleṣmapittāni kṛpaṇaṃ paridevayan ॥12-98-23॥
For a kṣatriya, it is unrighteous to die on a bed, lying miserable, lamenting, and releasing phlegm and bile.
avikṣatena dehena pralayaṃ yo'dhigacchati। kṣatriyo nāsya tatkarma praśaṃsanti purāvidaḥ ॥12-98-24॥
The knowers of ancient tradition do not praise that act of a Kshatriya who meets death with an uninjured body.
na gṛhe maraṇaṃ tāta kṣatriyāṇāṃ praśasyate। śauṭīrāṇāmaśauṭīramadharmyaṃ kṛpaṇaṃ ca tat ॥12-98-25॥
O dear, death in the house is not praised for kṣatriyas. For warriors, such a death is unwarrior-like, unrighteous, and wretched.
idaṃ duḥkhamaho kaṣṭaṃ pāpīya iti niṣṭanan। pratidhvastamukhaḥ pūtiramātyānbahu śocayan ॥12-98-26॥
Groaning, 'This is great suffering, painful, even more sinful,' with his face cast down, he greatly lamented his impure ministers.
arogāṇāṃ spṛhayate muhurmṛtyumapīcchati. vīro dṛpto'bhimānī ca nedṛśaṃ mṛtyumarhati ॥12-98-27॥
The healthy sometimes even long for death repeatedly. But a hero, proud and arrogant, does not deserve such a death.
raṇeṣu kadanaṃ kṛtvā jñātibhiḥ parivāritaḥ। tīkṣṇaiḥ śastraiḥ suvikliṣṭaḥ kṣatriyo mṛtyum arhati ॥12-98-28॥
A Kṣatriya, after engaging in slaughter in battle, surrounded by his kinsmen and grievously wounded by sharp weapons, is worthy of death.
śūro hi satyamanyubhyām āviṣṭo yudhyate bhṛśam। kṛtyamānāni gātrāṇi parair naivāvabudhyate॥12-98-29॥
Indeed, a hero overpowered by true anger fights fiercely; even when his limbs are injured by others, he does not perceive it.
sa saṅkhye nidhanaṃ prāpya praśastaṃ lokapūjitam। svadharmaṃ vipulaṃ prāpya śakrasya iti salokatām ॥12-98-30॥
He who meets his end in battle, honored and renowned, having fulfilled his own great duty, thus attains the same world as Indra.
sarvo yodhaḥ paraṃ tyaktum āviṣṭas tyaktajīvitaḥ। prāpnotīndrasya sālokaṃ śūraḥ pṛṣṭham adarśayan ॥12-98-31॥
Every warrior who is determined to abandon even his life for the highest cause attains the world of Indra; the hero never turns his back in battle.
