युधिष्ठिर उवाच कथं राजा प्रजा रक्षन्नाधिबन्धेन युज्यते। धर्मेण नापराध्नोति तन्मे ब्रूहि पितामह॥
Yudhishthira said Tell me, O grandfather, how should the king protect his subjects so as to be able to avoid grief and so as not to militate against fairness?
भीष्म उवाच समासेनैव ते राजन् धर्मान् वक्ष्यामि शाश्वतान्। विस्तरेणैव धर्माणां न जात्वन्तमवाप्नुयात्॥
Bhishma said-'I shall recite in brief, O king, those eternal duties, for, if I were to mentioned them fully, I would never finish them.
धर्मनिष्ठाश्रुतवतो वेदव्रतसमाहितान्। अर्चयित्वा यजेथास्त्वं गृहे गुणवतो द्विजान्॥
You should always worship those Brahmanas who are ardent in the performance of their duties, are learned, regular in adoring the gods, observant of high vows, and gifted with other accomplishments, when they come to your mansion, engage them in officiating in your sacrifices.
प्रत्युत्थायोपसंगृह्य चरणावभिवाद्य च। अथ सर्वाणि कुर्वीथाः कार्याणि सपुरोहितः॥
With your priest accompanying you, you should rise up when they approach you, and touch and adore their feet, and do every other necessary act.
धर्मकार्याणि निर्वर्त्य मङ्गलानि प्रयुज्य च। ब्राह्मणान् वाचयेथास्त्वमर्थसिद्धिजयाशिषः॥
Doing these acts of piety and performing other acts that are for your own well-being, you should (by presents) make those Brahmanas utter benedictions on you for the success of your object.
आर्जवेन च सम्पन्नो धृत्या बुद्ध्या च भारत। यथार्थं प्रतिगृह्णीयात् कामक्रोधौ च वर्जयेत्॥
Gifted with sincerity, wisdom and intelligence, O Bharata, you should follow truth and avoid lust and anger.
कामक्रोधौ पुरस्कृत्य योऽर्थं रजानुतिष्ठति। न स धर्मं न चाप्यर्थं प्रतिगृह्णाति बालिशः॥
That foolish king, who pursues Profit without being shorn of lust and anger, fails to win virtue and ultimately losses Profit as well.
मा स्म लुब्धांश्च मूल्श्च च प्रयूयुजः। अलुब्धान् बुद्धिसम्पन्नान् सर्वकर्मसु योजयेत्॥
Never appoint persons covetous and foolish in matters of Pleasure and profit. You should always appointmen who are free from covetousness and intelligent.
मूर्यो ह्यधिकृतोऽर्थेषु कार्याणामविशारदः। प्रजाः क्लिश्नात्ययोगेन कामक्रोधसमन्वितः॥
Possessed of lust and anger and raw in the transaction of business, foolish persons, if vested with power in matters of Profit, always oppress the people by various mischievous means,
बलिषष्ठेन शुल्केन दण्डेनाथापराधिनाम्। शास्त्रानीतेन लिप्सेथा वेतनेन धनागमम्॥
With a sixth part, making a fair calculation of the produce of the soil, as his tribute, with fines and forfeitures collected from offenders, with the other taxes, according to the scriptures, upon merchants and traders in exchange for the safety granted to them, a king should fill his treasury.
दापयित्वा कर धऱ्या राष्ट्र नीत्या यथाविधि। तथैतं कल्पयेद् राजा योगक्षेममतन्द्रितः॥
Realising these just taxes and governing the kingdom properly, the king should carefully act in such a way that his subjects may not suffer from want.
गोपायितारं दातारं धर्मनित्यमतन्द्रितम्। अकामद्वेषसंयुक्तमनुरज्यन्ति मानवाः॥
Men become deeply attached to that king who satisfies the duty of protection properly, who is liberal, who is steady in the observance of righteousness, who is vigilant, and who is shorn of lust and hate.
मा स्माधर्मेण लोभेन लिप्सेथास्त्वं धनागमम्। धर्मार्थावध्रुवौ तस्य यो न शास्त्रपरो भवेत्॥
Never desire to fill your treasury by acting unfairly or from covetousness. That king who does not follow the scriptures fails to acquire riches and religious merit.
अपशास्त्रपरो राजा धर्मार्थान्नाधिगच्छति। अस्थाने चास्य तद् वित्तं सर्वमेव विनश्यति॥
That king, who is negligent about the means of acquiring riches, never succeeds in acquiring both religious merit and wealth. The wealth again that he acquires (by such means) is spent lavishly on unworthy objects.
अर्थमूलोऽपि हिंसां च कुरुते स्वयमात्मनः। करैरशास्त्रदृष्टैर्हि मोहात् सम्पीडयन् प्रजाः॥
That avaricious king, who foolishly oppresses his subjects by levying taxes not sanctioned by scriptures, is said to wrong his own self.
ऊपश्छिन्द्यात् तु यो धेन्वाः क्षीरार्थी न लभेत् पयः। एवं राष्ट्रमयोगेन पीडितं न विवर्धते॥
As a person wanting milk never gets any by cutting off the udders of a cow, similarly a kingdom, assailed by improper taxes, never gives any profit to the king.
यो हि दोग्ध्रीमुपास्ते च स नित्यं विन्दते पयः। एव राष्ट्रमुपायेन भुञ्जानो लभते फलम्॥
He, who treats a milch cow with kindness, always obtains milk from it. Likewise the king, who rules his kingdom by proper means, gets much fruits from it.
अथ राष्ट्रमुपायेन भुज्यमानं सुरक्षितम्। जनयत्यतुलां नित्यं कोशवृद्धिं युधिष्ठिर॥
By protecting a kingdom properly and ruling it judiciously a king, O Yudhishthira, may succeed in always acquiring immense wealth.
दोग्ध्री धान्यं हिरण्यं च मही राज्ञा सुरक्षिता। नित्यं स्वेभ्यः परेभ्यश्च तृप्ता माता यथा पयः॥
The Earth, well protected by the king, yields crops and gold like a mother giving milk willingly to her child.
मालाकारोपमो राजन् भव माऽऽङ्गारिकोपमः। तथायुक्तश्चिरं राज्यं भोक्तं शक्ष्यसि पालयन्॥
Follow the example, O king, of the flower vendor and not of the charcoalmaker. Acting thus and satisfying the duty of protection you may be able to enjoy the Earth for ever.
परचक्राभियानेन यदि ते स्याद् धनक्षयः। अथ साम्नैव लिप्सेथा धनमब्राह्मणेषु यत्॥
If in attacking an enemy's kingdom your treasury is exhausted, you may replenish it by taking wealth from all except Brahmanas.
मा स्म ते ब्राह्मणं दृष्ट्वा धनस्थं प्रचलेन्मनः। अन्त्यायामप्यवस्थायां किमु स्फीतस्य भारत।॥
Your heart should not be agitated even when you are in great distress, upon seeing Brahmanas having wealth. I need not mention then of what you should do when you are well off.
धनानि तेभ्यो दद्यास्त्वं यथाशक्ति यथार्हतः। सान्त्वयन् परिरक्षश्च स्वर्गमाप्स्यसि दुर्जयम्॥
You should give them wealth to the best of your power and according to their worthiness, and protect them, comforting them at all times. By acting thus you may acquire regions which are acquired with difficulty.
एवं धर्मेण वृत्तेन प्रजास्त्वं परिपालय। स्वन्तं पुण्यं यशो नित्यं प्राप्स्यसे कुरुनन्दन॥
Behaving thus virtuously you should protect your subjects. You may then acquire, O delighter of the Kurus, fame that is eternal, high, and pure.
धर्मेण व्यवहारेण प्रजाः पालय पाण्डव। युधिष्ठिर यथा युक्तो नाधिबन्धेन योक्ष्यसे।॥
Protect your subjects piously, O son of Pandu, for you will then suffer no regret or pain.
एष एव परो धर्मो यद् राजा रक्षति प्रजाः। भूतानां हि यथा धर्मो रक्षणं परमा दया॥
Protection of the subject is the greatest duty of the king, since mercy for all creatures and protecting them from injury has been said to be the highest merit.
तस्मादेवं परं धर्मं मन्यन्ते धर्मकोविदाः। यो राजा रक्षणे युक्तो भूतेषु कुरुते दयाम्॥
Persons, conversant with duties, consider that to be the greatest merit of the king, when, engaged in protecting all creatures, he shows mercy towards them.
यदह्ना कुरुते पापमरक्षन् भयतः प्रजाः। राजा वर्षसहस्रेण तस्यान्तमधिगच्छति॥
The sin, a king incurs by neglecting for a single day to protect his subjects from fear, is such that his sufferings are not terminated in hell till after a thousand years.
यदह्ना कुरुते धर्मं प्रजा धर्मेण पालयन्। दशवर्षसहस्राणि तस्य भुक्ते फलं दिवि॥
The merit, of a king by protecting his subjects righteously for a single day, is such that he enjoys its reward in heaven for ten thousand years.
स्विष्टिः स्वधीतिः सुतपा लोकाञ्जयति यावतः। क्षणेन तानवाप्नोति प्रजा धर्मेण पालयन्॥
A king, by only protecting his subjects virtuously, soon gains those regions that are acquired by persons leading duly the Garhasthya, the Brahmacharya, and the Vanaprastha modes of life.
एवं धर्मं प्रयत्नेन कौन्तेय परिपालय। ततः पुण्यफलं लब्ध्वा नाधिबधेन योक्ष्यसे॥ स्वर्गलोके सुमहतीं श्रियं प्राप्स्यसि पाण्डव।
Do you, O son of Kunti, follow with great care this duty (of protection). You will then obtain the reward of righteousness and suffer no grief and pain. You shall,, O son of Pandu, obtain great prosperity in heaven.
असम्भवश्च धर्माणामीदृशानामराजसु॥ तस्माद् राजैव नान्योऽस्ति यो धर्मफलमाप्नुयात्।
Persons who are not kings do not gain merit like this. A person, therefore, who is a king, and no other can earn such rewards of virtue.
स राज्यं धृतिमान् प्राप्य धर्मेण परिपालय। इन्द्रं तर्पय सोमेन कामैश्च सुहृदो जनान्॥
Endued with intelligence, you have obtained a kingdom. Do you protect your subjects righteously. Please Indra with offerings of Soma and your friends and wellwishers with the objects they desire for.'
स राज्यं धृतिमान् प्राप्य धर्मेण परिपालय। इन्द्रं तर्पय सोमेन कामैश्च सुहृदो जनान्॥
Endued with intelligence, you have obtained a kingdom. Do you protect your subjects righteously. Please Indra with offerings of Soma and your friends and wellwishers with the objects they desire for.'