युधिष्ठिर उवाच यदा राजा समर्थोऽपि कोशार्थी स्यान्महामते। कथं प्रवर्तेत तदा तन्मे ब्रूहि पितामह॥
Tell me, O grandfather, how should the king behave if, despite his great wealth, he seeks more!
भीष्म उवाच यथादेशं यथाकालं यथाबुद्धि यथाबलम्। अनुशिष्यात् प्रजा राजा धर्मार्थी तद्धिते रतः॥
Bhishma said A king desirous of acquiring religious merit, should seek the good of his subjects and protect them according to considerations of place and time and to the best of his intelligence and power.
यथा तासां च मन्येत श्रेय आत्मन एव च। तथा कर्माणि सर्वाणि राजा राष्ट्रेषु वर्तयेत्॥
He should, in his kingdom, adopt such measures as would in his view secure their good as also his own.
मधुदोहं दुहेद् राष्ट्र भ्रमरा इव पादपम्। वत्सापेक्षी दुहेच्चैव स्तनांश्च न विकुट्टयेत्॥
A king should milk his kingdom like a bee collecting honey from plants. He should act like the cow-herd who takes milk from her without boring her udders and without starving the calf.
जलौकावत् पिबेद् राष्ट्र मृदुनैव नराधिपः। व्याघ्रीव च हरेत् पुत्रान् संदशेन्न च पीडयेत्॥
The king should act like the leech taking blood mildly. He should treat his subjects like a tigress carrying her cubs, touching them with her teeth but never cutting them therewith.
यथा शल्यकवानाखुः पदं धूनयते सदा। अतीक्ष्णेनाभ्युपायेन तथा राष्ट्र समापिबेत्॥
He should behave like a mouse which although has got sharp and pointed teeth yet cuts the feet of sleeping animals in such a way that they do not at all become conscious of it.
अल्पेनाल्पेन देयेन वर्धमानं प्रदापयेत्। ततो भूयस्ततो भूयः क्रमवृद्धिं समाचरेत्॥
Little by little should be drained from a prosperous subject. The demand should then be gradually increased till it reaches a fair amount.
दमयत्रिव दम्यानि शश्वद् भारं विवर्धयेत्। मृदुपूर्व प्रयत्नेन पाशानभ्यवहारयेत्॥
The king should increase the burden of his subjects by and by like a person gradually increasing the load of a young bullock. Treating them with care and mildness, he should at last put the reins on them.
सकृत्पाशावकीर्णास्ते न भविष्यन्ति दुर्दमाः। उचितेनैव भोक्तव्यास्ते भविष्यन्ति यत्नतः॥
If the reins are thus put, they would not refuse to to bear them. Indeed, sufficient measures should be taken for making them obedient. Mere entreaties to bring them to subjection would be of no avail.
तस्मात् सर्वसमारम्भो दुर्लभः पुरुषं प्रति। यथामुख्यान सान्त्वयित्वा भोक्तव्य इतरो जनः॥
It is impossible to treat all equally. Conciliating the leaders only, the ordinary people should be reduced to obedience.
ततस्तान् भेदयित्वा तु परस्परविवक्षितान्। भुजीत सान्त्वयंश्चैव यथासुखमयत्नतः॥
Creating dissensions among the common people who are to carry the burdens, the king should himself come forward to conciliate them and then enjoy happily what he would draw from them.
न चास्था ने न चाकाले करांस्तेभ्यो निपातयेत्। आनुपूर्वेण सान्त्वेन यथाकालं यथाविधि॥
The king should never impose taxes in a bad form and on persons who cannot pay them. He should impose them gradually and with mildness, in proper time and according to due forms.
उपायान् प्रब्रवीम्येतान् न मे माया विवक्षिता। अनुपायेन दमयन् प्रकोपयति वाजिनः॥
The ways I suggest you are the legitimate means of king craft. They are not known as deceitful means. One who tries to control horses by unfair methods only makes them furious.
पानागारनिवेशाच वेश्याः प्रापणिकास्तथा। कुशीलवाः सकितवा ये चान्ये केचिदीदृशाः॥ नियम्याः सर्व एवैते ये राष्ट्रस्योपघातकाः। एते राष्ट्रेऽभितिष्ठन्तो बाधन्ते भद्रिकाः प्रजाः॥
Drinking-shops, public women, pimps, actors, gamblers, and keepers of gambling houses, and other persons, of this sort, who always create disorders to the states, should all be checked. Living within the kingdom, these afflict and injure the better classes of the subjects.
न केनचिद् याचितव्यः कश्चित्किञ्चिदनापदि। इति व्यवस्था भूतानां पुरस्तान्मनुना कृता॥
No one should ask anything of any one when on distress prevails. Manu himself in days of yore has laid down this injunction regarding all men.
सर्वे तथानुजीवेयुर्न कुर्युः कर्म चेदिह। सर्व एव इमे लोका न भवेयुरसंशयम्॥
If all men were to live on alms and abstain from work, the world would, forsooth, come to an end.
प्रभुर्नियमने राजा य एतान् न नियच्छति। भुक्कते स तस्य पापस्य चतुर्भागपिति श्रुतिः॥
The king alone is able to restrain and check. That king who does not prevent his subjects (from committing sins) is visited by a fourth part of the sins committed by them. This is the injunction of the Shrutis.
भोक्ता तस्य तु पापस्य सुकृतस्य यथा तथा। नियन्तव्याः सदा राज्ञा पापा ये स्युनराधिप॥
Since the king shares the sins of his subjects like their merits, he should, therefore, O king, check his sinful subjects.
कृतपापस्त्वसौ राजा य एतान् न नियच्छति। तथा कृतस्य धर्मस्र चतुर्भागमुपारनुते॥
The king who fails to restrain himself commits a sin. He is visited by a fourth part of their sins as he does acquire a fourth part of their merits.
स्थानान्येतानि संयम्य प्रसंगो भूतिनाशनः। कामे प्रसक्तः पुरुषः किमकार्यं विवर्जयेत्॥
The following sins of which I speak should be checked. they are such as bring on penury on every one. What wicked act is there that a person under the influence of passion would not commit.
मद्यमांसपरस्वानि तथा दारा धनानि च। आहरेद् रागवशगस्तथा शास्त्रं प्रदर्शयेत्॥
A person under the control of passion indulges in stimulants and meat, and appropriates the wives and the wealth of other people, and sets a bad example to others.
आपद्येव त याचन्ते येषां नास्ति परिग्रहः। दातव्यं धर्मतस्तेभ्यस्त्वनुक्रोशाद् भयान तु॥
They who do not live upon alms may beg at the time of distress. The righteous king should make gifts to them from mercy but not from fear.
मा ते राष्ट्रे याचनका भूवनमा चापि दस्यवः। एषां दातार एवैते नैते भूतस्य भावकाः॥
Let there be no beggars or robbers in your kingdom. It is only the robbers who give to the beggars. Such givers are not benefactors of men.
ये भूतान्यनुगृह्णन्ति वर्धयन्ति च ये प्रजाः। ते ते राष्ट्रेषु वर्तन्त मा भूतानामभावकाः॥
Let such men live in your kingdom as advance the interests of others and do them good, but not such as root out others.
दण्ड्यास्ते च महाराज धनादानप्रयोजकाः। प्रयोगं कारयेयुस्तान् यथाबलिकरांस्तथा॥
Those officers, O king, who realize from the subjects more than what is due should be punished. You should then appoint others who will take only what is due.
कृषिगोरक्ष्यवाणिज्यं यच्चान्यत् किंचिदीदृशम्। पुरुषैः कारयेत् कर्म बहुभिः कर्मभेदतः॥
Agriculture, tending of cattle trade and similar other acts, should be pursued by many persons in such a way that tey may not suffer injury.
नरश्चेत्कृषिगोरक्ष्यवाणिज्यं चाप्यनुष्ठितः। संशयं लभते किंचित् तेन राजा विगीते॥
If a person engaged in agriculture, cattletending, or trade, feels a sense of insecurity, the king, incirs infamy thereby.
धनिनः पूजयेन्नित्यं पानाच्छादनभोजनैः। वक्तव्य.शानुगृह्णीध्वं प्रजाः सह मयेति वै॥
The king should always honour his rich su.bjects and should say to them,-Do you, with me, advance the interests of the people!
अङ्गमेतन्महद् राज्ये धनिनो नाम भारत। ककुदं सर्वभूतानां धनस्थो नात्र संशयः॥
In every kingdom, the wealthy form an estate in the realm. Forsooth, a wealthy person is the foremost of men.
प्राज्ञः शूरो धनस्थश्च स्वामी धार्मिक एव च। तपस्वी सत्यवादी च बुद्धिमांश्चापि रक्षति॥
He who is wise, or brave or rich. a influential, or righteous, or engaged in penances or truthful in speech, or endued with intelligence, assists in protecting his fellowsubjects,
तस्मात् सर्वेषु भूतेषु प्रीतिमान् भव पार्थिव सत्यमार्जवमक्रोधमानृशस्यं च पालय॥
For these reasons, O king, do you love all creatures, and show the qualities of truth, creatures, and show the qualities of truth, men. sincerity, absence of anger and abstention from injury.
एवं दण्डं च कोशं च मित्रं भूमि च लप्स्यसि। सत्यार्जवपरो राजन् मित्रकोशबलान्वितः॥
You should thus hold the rod of punishment, and multiply your treasury. and support your friends and consolidate your kingdom thus, practising the qualities of truthfulness and sincerity and supported by your friends, treasury, and army. sincerity, absence of anger and abstention from injury.