युधिष्ठिर उवाच कथं धर्मे स्थातुमिच्छन् राजा वर्तेत धार्षिकः। पृच्छामि त्वं कुरुश्रेष्ठ तन्मे ब्रूहि पितामह॥
How should a righteous king, who wishes to follow the ways of righteousness, behave? I ask you this, O foremost of men! Answer me, O grand-father!
भीष्म उवाच अत्राप्युदाहरन्तीममितिहासं पुरातनम्। गीतं दृष्टार्थतत्त्वेन वामदेवेन धीमता॥
Regarding it is cited the old story of what the highly intelligent Vamadeva acquainted with the true import of everything sang in days of yore.
राजा वसुमना नाम ज्ञानवान् धृतिमाशुचिः। महर्षि परिपप्रच्छ वामदेवं तपस्विनम्॥
Once upon a time, king Vasumanas, endued with knowledge, fortitude, purity of conduct, asked the great Rishi Vamadeva of great ascetic merit, sayingधर्मार्थसहितैर्वाक्यैर्भगवन्ननुशाधि माम्।
येन वृत्तेन वै तिष्ठन् न हीयेयं स्वधर्मतः॥
Instruct me, O holy one, in words fraught with fairness and great significance as to what that conduct is by observing which I may not deviate from the duties prescribed for me!
तमब्रवीद् वामदेवस्तेजस्वी तपतां वरः। हेमवर्णं सुखासीनं ययातिमिव नाहुषम्॥
To him having a golden hue and seated at his ease like Yayati the son of Nahusha, that foremost of ascetics, viz., Vamadeva of great energy, said as follows.
वासुदेव उवाच धर्ममेवानुवर्तस्व न धर्माद् विद्यते परम्। धर्मे स्थिता हि राजानो जयन्ति पृथिवीमिमाम्॥
Vamadeva said Do you act righteously. There is nothing superior to Righteousness. The righteous kings succeed in conquering the whole Earth.
अर्थसिद्धेः परं धर्मं मन्यते यो महीपतिः। वृद्ध्यां च कुरुते बुद्धिं स धर्मेण विराजते॥
That king who considers Righteousness as the most effectual instrument for accomplishing his objects, and who follows the advice of the righteous, shines with righteousness.
अधर्मदर्शी यो राजा बलादेव प्रवर्तते। क्षिप्रमेवापयातोऽस्मादुभौ प्रथममध्यमौ॥
That king who neglects Righteousness and wishes to act with brute force, soon falls away from Righteousness and loses both Virtue and Profit.
असत्पापिष्ठसचिवो वध्यो लोकस्य धर्महा। सहैव परिवारेण क्षिप्रमेवावसीदति॥
That king who follows the advice of a vicious and sinful minister becomes a destroyer of righteousness and deserves to be killed by his subjects with all his family. Indeed, he very soon meets with destruction,
अर्थानामननुष्ठाता कामचारी विकत्यनः। अपि सर्वां महीं लब्ध्वा क्षिप्रमेव विनश्यति॥
That king who cannot satisfy his royal duties, who is governed by caprice in all his acts, and who vaunts, soon meets with destruction even if he happen to be the king of whole Earth.
अथाददानः कल्याणमनसूयुर्जितेन्द्रियः। वर्धते मतिमान् राजा स्त्रोतोभिरिव सागरः॥
That king, however, who seeks prosperity, who is shorn of malice, who has his senses under restraint, and who is endued with intelligence, rolls in wealth like the ocean swelling with the waters put into it by a hundred rivers.
न पूर्णोऽस्मीति मन्येत धर्मतः कामतोऽर्थतः। बुद्धितो मित्रतश्चापि सततं वसुधाधिपः॥
He should never consider himself as possessing enough of Virtue, enjoyment, wealth, intelligence, and friends.
एतेष्वेव हि सर्वेषु लोकयात्रा प्रतिष्ठिता। एतानि शृण्वल्लभते यशः कीर्ति श्रियं प्रजाः॥
Upon these depends the word. By listening to this advice, a king acquires fame, great deeds, prosperity and subjects.
एवं यो धर्मसंरम्भी धर्मार्थपरिचिन्तकः। अर्थान् समीक्ष्य भजते स ध्रुवं महदश्नुते॥
Being virtuous that king, who tries to acquire virtue and wealth by such means, and who undertakes all his measures after thinking upon their objects, succeeds in acquiring great prosperity.
अदाता ह्यनतिस्नेहो दण्डेनावर्तयन् प्रजाः। साहसप्रकृती राजा क्षिप्रमेव विनश्यति॥
That king, who is illiberal, and shorn of affection, who oppresses his subjects by undue punishment, and who is rash in his acts, soon meets with destruction.
अथ पापकृतं बुद्ध्या न च पश्यत्यबुद्धिमान्। अकीर्त्याभिसमायुक्तो भूयो नरकमश्नुते॥
That king, who is not intelligent, fails to see his own faults. Best with infamy here, he sinks into hell hereafter.
अथ मानयितुर्दाम्नः श्लक्ष्णस्य वशवर्तिनः। व्यसनं स्वमिवोत्पन्नं विजिघांसन्ति मानवाः॥
If the king honours them properly that deserve it, makes gifts, and recognises the value of sweet speeches by himself uttering them always, his subjects then remove the calamities that overtake him as if these had fallen upon themselves.
यस्य नास्ति गुरुर्धर्मे न चान्यानपि पृच्छति। सुखतन्त्रोऽर्थलाभेषु न चिरं सुखमश्नुते॥
The king, who has none to instruct him in the ways of righteousness and who never seeks advice from others, and who seeks to acquire wealth by means that caprice suggests, never enjoys happiness long.
गुरुप्रधानो धर्मेषु स्वयमर्थानवेक्षिता। धर्मप्रधानो लाभेषु स चिरं सुखमश्नुते॥
That king, on the other hand, who follows the advice of his preceptors in matters of virtue, who supervises the affairs of his kingdom himself, and who in all his acquisitions follows virtue, succeeds in enjoying happiness for a long time.