युधिष्ठिर उवाच किं पार्थिवेन कर्तव्यं किं च कृत्वा सुखी भवेत्। एतदाचक्ष्व तत्त्वेन सर्वधर्मभृतां वर॥
Yudhishthira said What works should be done by a king, and what are those works by doing which a king may become happy? Tell me this fully, O you who are the foremost of all persons acquainted with duties.
भीष्म उवाच हन्त तेऽहं प्रवक्ष्यामि शृणु कार्यकनिश्चयम्। यथा राज्ञेह कर्तव्यं यच्च कृत्वा सुखी भवेत्॥
Bhishma said 'I shall tell you what you wish to know! Hear what should be done in this world by a king and what those works are by doing which a king may become happy.
न चैवं वर्तितव्यं स्म यथेदमनुशुश्रुमा उष्ट्रस्य तु महद् वृत्तं तन्निबोध युधिष्ठिर॥
A king should not act like a camel of which we have heard. Listen to that history then, O Yudhishthira.
जातिस्मरो महानुष्ट्रः प्राजापत्ये युगेऽभवत्। तपः सुमहदातिष्ठदरण्ये संशितव्रतः॥
There was, in the golden cycle, a huge camel who had recollection of his pristine deeds. Practising the most rigid vows, that camel practised very severe austerities in the woods.
तपसस्तस्य चान्तेऽथ प्रीतिमानभवद् विभुः। वरेण च्छन्दयामास ततश्चैनं पितामहः॥
When his penances were terminated the powerful Brahman became pleased with him. The Grandfather, therefore, desired to grant him boons.
उष्ट्र उवाच भगवंस्त्वत्प्रसादान्मे दीर्घा ग्रीवा भवेदियम्। योजनानां शतं साग्रं गच्छामि चरितुं विभो॥
The camel said Let my neck, O holy one, become long through your favour, so that, O powerful lord, I may be able to get any food that may be even at the end of even a hundred Yojanas.
एवमस्त्विति चोक्तः स वरदेन महात्मना। प्रतिलभ्य वरं श्रेष्ठं ययावुष्टः स्वकं वनम्॥
The great giver of boons said-Let it be so-Having got that boon, the camel then returned to his own forest.
स चकार तदाऽऽलस्यं वरदानात् सुदुर्मतिः। न चैच्छच्चरितुं गन्तुं दुरात्मा कालमोहितः॥
Since the day of securing the boon, the foolish animal became idle. Indeed, stupefied by fate, the wretch did not from that day go out for grazing.
स कदाचित् प्रसायैव तां ग्रीवां शतयोजनाम्। चचाराश्रान्तहृदयो वातश्चागात् ततो महान्॥
One day, while extending his long neck of a hundred Yojanas, the animal was engaged in picking his food without any trouble, there uprose a great storm.
स गुहायां शिरो ग्रीवां निधाय पशुरात्मनः। आस्ते तु वर्षमभ्यागात् सुमहत् प्लावयज्जगत्॥
Keeping his head and a portion of the neck within the cave of a mountain, the camel resolved to wait till the storm would be over. Meanwhile rain came down in torrents, deluging the whole Earth.
अथ शीतपरीताङ्गो जम्बुकः क्षुच्छ्रमान्वितः। सदारस्तां गुहामाशु प्रविवेश जलार्दितः॥
Wetted by the rain and shivering with cold, a jackal, with his wife, dragged himself with difficulty towards that very cave and entered it quickly for protection,
स दृष्ट्वा मांसजीवी तु सुभृशं क्षुच्छ्रमान्वितः। तु अभक्षयत् ततो ग्रीवामुष्ट्रस्य भरतर्षभ॥ यदा त्वबुध्यतात्मानं भक्ष्यमाणं स वै पशुः। तदा संकोचने यत्नमकरोद् भृशदुःखितः॥
Living as he did upon meat, and greatly hungry and tried as he was, O foremnost of Bharata's race, the jackal, seeing the camel's neck, began to eat as much of it as he could. When he perceived that his neck was being eaten, the camel tried sorrowfully to shorten it.
यावदूर्ध्वमधश्चैव ग्रीवां संक्षिपते पशुः। तावत् तेन सदारेण जम्बुकेन स भक्षितः॥
But as he moved it up and down, the jackal and his wife, catching it, continued to eat it away.
स हत्वा भक्षयित्वा च तमुष्ट्र जम्बुकस्तदा। विगते वातवर्षे निश्चक्राम गुहामुखात्॥
Within a short time the camel was dead. Having thus killed and eaten the camel, the jackal then came out of the cave after the storm and shower had ceased.
एवं दुर्बुद्धिना प्राप्तमुष्ट्रेण निधनं तदा। आलस्यस्य क्रमात् पश्य महान्तं दोषमागतम्॥
Thus did that foolish camel die. See what a great evil followed idleness.
त्वमप्येवंविधं हित्वा योगेन नियतेन्द्रियः। वर्तस्व बुद्धिमूलं तु विजयं मनुरब्रवीत्॥
As for yourself, avoiding idleness and controlling your senses, do everything in the world with proper means. Manu himself has declared that victory rests upon intelligence.
बुद्धिश्रेष्ठानि कर्माणि बाहुमध्यानि भारत। तानि जवाजघन्यानि भारप्रत्यवराणि च॥
All acts that are performed with the help of intelligence are regarded as the highest, those performed, with the help of feet are inferior, while those done by carrying loads are the worst.
राज्यं तिष्ठति दक्षस्य संगृहीतेन्द्रियस्य च। आर्तस्य बुद्धिमूलं हि विजयं मनुरब्रवीत्॥
If the king cleverly does his business and controls his senses, his kingdom lasts. Manu himself has declared that an ambitious person succeeds in gaining victories.
गुह्यं मन्त्रं श्रुतवतः सुसहायस्य चानघ। परीक्ष्यकारिणो ह्यास्तिष्ठन्तीह युधिष्ठिर। सहाययुक्तेन मही कृत्स्ना शक्या प्रशासितुम्॥
In this world, O Yudhishthira, those, who listen to wise advice, those, O sinless one, who have allies, and act after proper scrutiny, succeeds in achieving all their objects. A person with such means succeeds in ruling the entire Earth.
इदं हि सद्भिः कथितं विधिज्ञैः पुरा महेन्द्रप्रतिमप्रभाव। मयापि चोक्तं तव शास्त्रदृष्ट्या यथैव बुद्ध्वा प्रचरस्व राजन्॥
O you powerful like Indra himself, this has been declared by ancient sages conversant with the scriptural injunctions! I, also, having my eyes on the scriptures, have said the same to you. Using your intelligence, do you act in this world, O king.'