12.140
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca॥
Yudhiṣṭhira said.
yad idaṃ ghoram uddiṣṭam aśraddheyam iva anṛtam। asti svit dasyu-maryādā yām ahaṃ parivarjaye ॥12-140-1॥
Is there, perhaps, a robber's code among these terrible, declared, seemingly untrustworthy falsehoods, which I should avoid?
saṁmuhyāmi viṣīdāmi dharmo me śithilīkṛtaḥ। udyamaṁ nādhigacchāmi kutaścitparicintayan ॥12-140-2॥
I am completely confused and despondent; my sense of righteousness has become weak. No matter how much I ponder, I cannot muster any effort from anywhere.
bhīṣma uvāca॥
Bhīṣma said.
naitacchuddhāgamādeva tava dharmānuśāsanam। prajñāsamavatāro'yaṃ kavibhiḥ sambhṛtaṃ madhu ॥12-140-3॥
This instruction on dharma of yours is not purely from tradition. It is a honey collected by poets, a complete descent of wisdom.
bahvyaḥ pratividhātavyāḥ prajñā rājñā tatastataḥ। naikaśākhena dharmeṇa yātraiṣā sampravartate ॥12-140-4॥
A king must counter many kinds of wisdom in various ways. This undertaking does not advance by a single branch of dharma alone.
buddhisañjananaṃ rājñāṃ dharmamācaratāṃ sadā। jayo bhavati kauravya tadā tadviddhi me vacaḥ ॥12-140-5॥
O Kauravya, know this as my word: Victory comes to kings who always practice dharma and keep their intellect awakened.
buddhiśreṣṭhā hi rājāno jayanti vijayaiṣiṇaḥ। dharmaḥ pratividhātavyo buddhyā rājñā tatastataḥ ॥12-140-6॥
Kings who are superior in intellect and seek victory prevail. Righteousness must be established by the king's intellect, time and again.
naikaśākhena dharmeṇa rājñāṃ dharmo vidhīyate। durbalasya kutaḥ prajñā purastādanudāhṛtā ॥12-140-7॥
The dharma of kings is not determined by a single branch of dharma. How can the weak possess wisdom, which has not been previously mentioned?
advaiḍhajñaḥ pathi dvaidhe saṃśayaṃ prāptumarhati। buddhidvaidhaṃ veditavyaṃ purastādeva bhārata ॥12-140-8॥
O Bhārata, one who knows non-division, when on the path of duality, is liable to doubt; the division of intellect should be recognized beforehand.
pārśvataḥkaraṇaṃ prajñā viṣūcī tvāpagā iva। janastūccāritaṃ dharmaṃ vijānātyanyathānyathā ॥12-140-9॥
Wisdom that acts sidewise is crooked like a river; but people understand the dharma that is declared in various ways, each in their own way.
samyag-vijñāninaḥ kecin mithyā-vijñāninaḥ apare। tad vai yathā-tatham buddhvā jñānam ādadate satām ॥12-140-10॥
Some possess correct knowledge, others possess false knowledge. Having understood that as it truly is, the good acquire knowledge.
parimuṣṇanti śāstrāṇi dharmasya paripanthinaḥ। vaiṣamyam arthavidyānāṃ nairarthyāt khyāpayanti te ॥12-140-11॥
The enemies of righteousness destroy the scriptures and, because of inequality, declare the sciences of wealth to be futile.
ājijīviṣavo vidyāṃ yaśaskāmāḥ samantataḥ। te sarve narapāpiṣṭhā dharmasya paripanthinaḥ ॥12-140-12॥
Those who desire long life, knowledge, and fame everywhere— they are all, the most sinful among men, and are the enemies of dharma.
apakvamatayo mandā na jānanti yathātatham। sadā hyaśāstrakuśalāḥ sarvatrāpariniṣṭhitāḥ ॥12-140-13॥
Those with immature intellects, who are dull, do not understand things as they are; always unskilled in śāstra, they remain unsettled everywhere.
parimuṣṇanti śāstrāṇi śāstradoṣānudarśinaḥ। vijñānamatha vidyānāṃ na samyagiti vartate ॥12-140-14॥
Those who point out the faults in the scriptures destroy the scriptures; thus, true knowledge of the sciences does not properly exist.
nindayā paravidyānāṃ svāṃ vidyāṃ khyāpayanti ye। vāgastrā vākchurīmatvā dugdhavidyāphalā iva ॥ tānvidyāvaṇijo viddhi rākṣasāniva bhārata ॥12-140-15॥
O Bhārata, know those who publicize their own knowledge by disparaging the knowledge of others, whose words are sharp and whose knowledge is as fruitless as milk that has already been milked, as knowledge-merchants, like demons.
vyājena kṛtsno vidito dharmas te parihāsyate। na dharmavacanaṃ vācā na buddhyā ceti naḥ śrutam ॥12-140-16॥
By deceit, your entire righteousness is understood and ridiculed. We have heard that the word of dharma is not to be followed merely by words or by intellect.
iti bārhaspataṃ jñānaṃ provāca maghavā svayam। na tveva vacanaṃ kiñcidanimittādihocyate ॥12-140-17॥
Thus, Maghavan himself spoke the knowledge of Bṛhaspati. However, no statement here is ever made without a reason.
svavinītena śāstreṇa vyavasyanti tathāpare। lokayātrām iha eke tu dharmam āhur manīṣiṇaḥ ॥12-140-18॥
Some determine worldly conduct by what is mastered by oneself and by the śāstra; but here, some declare it as worldly conduct, while the wise declare it as dharma.
samuddiṣṭaṃ satāṃ dharmaṃ svayamūhe nna paṇḍitaḥ। amarṣāc chāstrasaṃmohād avijñānāc ca bhārata॥12-140-19॥
O Bhārata, a learned person should not independently infer the dharma of the virtuous that has already been explicitly stated, due to impatience, confusion about the scriptures, or ignorance.
śāstraṃ prājñasya vadataḥ samūhe yātyadarśanam। āgatāgamayā buddhyā vacanena praśasyate ॥12-140-20॥
When a wise person's treatise is spoken in an assembly, it may go unnoticed; but when articulated with intellect derived from both acquired and traditional knowledge, it is praised.
ajñānāj-jñānahetutvād-vacanaṃ sādhu manyate। anapāhatam-evedaṃ nedaṃ śāstram-apārthakam ॥12-140-21॥
Because it arises from ignorance and serves as a cause for knowledge, the statement is considered valid. This is indeed not refuted; this treatise is not without purpose.
daiteyānuśanāḥ prāha saṃśayacchedane purā। jñānamavyapadeśyaṃ hi yathā nāsti tathaiva tat ॥12-140-22॥
The teachers of the Daityas once said, in order to dispel doubt: 'Knowledge is truly indescribable; just as it does not exist, so it is.'
tena tvaṃ chinnamūlena kaṃ toṣayitum arhasi। atathyavihitaṃ yo vā nedaṃ vākyam upāśnuyāt ॥12-140-23॥
Therefore, with your roots cut, whom do you hope to please? Whoever does not accept this statement, which is not based on truth, or does not hear it, is not worthy.
ugrāyaiva hi sṛṣṭo'si karmaṇe na tvavekṣase। aṅgemāmanvavekṣasva rājanītiṃ bubhūṣitum ॥ yayā pramucyate tvanyo yadarthaṃ ca pramodate ॥12-140-24॥
You have been created for fierce action, not for self-contemplation. O dear, examine this statecraft if you wish to master it, for it is by this that another is liberated and for which one finds joy.
ajo'śvaḥ kṣatramityetatsadṛśaṃ brahmaṇā kṛtam। tasmānnatīkṣṇabhūtānāṃ yātrā kācitprasidhyati ॥12-140-25॥
Brahman created the goat, the horse, and the warrior class as similar. Therefore, those who are not very fierce do not succeed in any undertaking.
yastvavadhyavādhe doṣaḥ sa vadhyasyāvādhe smṛtaḥ। eṣaiva khalu maryādā yāmayaṃ parivarjayet ॥12-140-26॥
However, the sin of killing one who should not be killed is regarded as equal to that of killing one who is to be killed. This is truly the boundary that one must not cross.
tasmāttīkṣṇaḥ prajā rājā svadharme sthāpayeduta। anyonyaṃ bhakṣayanto hi pracareyurvṛkā iva ॥12-140-27॥
Therefore, the king must be strict and establish his subjects in their own duties, for otherwise, they would devour one another like wolves.
yasya dasyugaṇā rāṣṭre dhvāṅkṣā matsyāñjalādiva। viharanti parasvāni sa vai kṣatriyapāṃsanaḥ ॥12-140-28॥
He whose kingdom is overrun by bands of robbers who seize others' possessions like vultures snatching fish from the palm, is truly a disgrace among kṣatriyas.
kulīnān sacivān kṛtvā vedavidyāsamanvitān। praśādhi pṛthivīṃ rājan prajā dharmeṇa pālayan ॥12-140-29॥
O king, appoint noble ministers who possess Vedic knowledge, and rule the earth by protecting your subjects with righteousness.
vihīnajamakarmāṇaṃ yaḥ pragṛhṇāti bhūmipaḥ। ubhayasyāviśeṣajñastadvai kṣatraṃ napuṃsakam ॥12-140-30॥
A king who accepts actions arising from deprivation, without knowing the distinction between the two, is indeed considered a neuter kṣatriya (warrior class).
naivograṃ naiva cānugraṃ dharmeṇeha praśasyate। ubhayaṃ na vyatikrāmed ugro bhūtvā mṛdur bhava॥12-140-31॥
Neither harshness nor gentleness alone is praised by dharma here. One should not transgress either; even if you become harsh, be gentle.
kaṣṭaḥ kṣatriyadharmo'yaṃ sauhṛdaṃ tvayi yatsthitam। ugre karmaṇi sṛṣṭo'si tasmādrājyaṃ praśādhi vai ॥12-140-32॥
The duty of a kṣatriya is difficult; this friendship that is in you is unusual. You were created for fierce deeds; therefore, rule the kingdom indeed.
aśiṣṭanigraho nityaṃ śiṣṭasya paripālanam। iti śakro'bravīddhīmānāpatsu bharatarṣabha ॥12-140-33॥
O best of the Bharatas, the wise Śakra said: "One must always restrain the unrighteous and protect the righteous, especially in times of calamity."
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca॥
Yudhiṣṭhira said.
asti svid dasyu-maryādā yām anyo nāti-laṅghayet। pṛcchāmi tvām satāṃ śreṣṭha tan me brūhi pitāmaha ॥12-140-34॥
Is there truly a limit to the robber that no one else should cross? I ask you, O foremost of the virtuous, please tell me that, O grandsire.
bhīṣma uvāca॥
Bhīṣma said.
brāhmaṇān eva seveta vidyā-vṛddhāṁs tapasvinaḥ। śruta-cāritra-vṛtta-āḍhyān pavitraṁ hy etad uttamam ॥12-140-35॥
One should serve only Brāhmaṇas—those advanced in knowledge, ascetics, and those endowed with learning, good conduct, and good behaviour—for this is truly the highest purity.
yā devatāsu vṛttis te sāstu vipreṣu sarvadā। kruddhair hi vipraiḥ karmāṇi kṛtāni bahudhā nṛpa ॥12-140-36॥
May the conduct you have among the gods be always maintained among the Brāhmaṇas. Indeed, O king, many actions have been performed in various ways by angered Brāhmaṇas.
teṣāṃ prītyā yaśo mukhyam aprītyā tu viparyayaḥ। prītyā hy amṛtavad viprāḥ kruddhāś caiva yathā viṣam ॥12-140-37॥
For them, fame is greatest when there is affection; but with disaffection, the opposite occurs. When Brāhmaṇas are pleased, they are like nectar; but when angered, they are like poison.
