युधिष्ठिर उवाच क्षत्रधर्माद्धि पापीयान्न धर्मोऽस्ति नराधिप। अपयानेन युद्धेन राजा हन्ति महाजनम्॥
Yudhishthira said No action O king, is more sinful than that of the Kshatriyas! While marching or in battle, the king destroys the Vaishyas.
अथ स्म कर्मणा केन लोकान् जयति पार्थिवः। विद्वन् जिज्ञासमानाय प्रबूहि भरतर्षभ॥
By what acts then does the king acquire blessed regions? O foremost of Bharata's race, enlighten me on this, O learned one, I am as anxious to know.
भीष्म उवाच निग्रहेण च पापानां साधूनां संग्रहेण च। यज्ञैर्दानैश्च राजानो भवन्ति शुचयोऽमलाः॥
Bhishma said By punishing the wicked, by winning over and maintaining the good, by sacrifices and gifts, kings become pure and cleansed.
उपरुन्धन्ति राजानो भूतानि विजयार्थिनः। त एव विजयं प्राप्य वर्धयन्ति पुनः प्रजाः॥
It is true, kings, desirous of victory, torture many creatures, but after victory they secure the advancement of all,
अपविध्यन्ति पापानि दानयज्ञतपोबलैः। अनुग्रहाय भूतानां पुण्यमेषां विवर्धते॥
By the power of gifts, sacrifices, and penances, they dissipate their sins, and their merit increases so that they may be able to do good to all creatures.
यथैव क्षेत्रनिर्याता निर्यातं क्षेत्रमेव च। हिनस्ति धान्यं कक्षं च न च धान्यं विनश्यति॥
For reclaiming a field, the reclaimer takes up both paddy blades and weeds. His course, however, instead, of destroying the blades of paddy, he makes them grow more vigorously.
एवं शस्त्राणि मुञ्चन्तो प्रन्ति वध्याननेकथा। तस्यैषां निष्कृतिः कृत्स्ना भूतानां भावनं पुनः॥
Those, who use weapons, destroy many who deserve to be killed. Such wholesale destruction, however, helps the growth and advancement of the remnant.
यो भूतानि धनाक्रान्त्या वधात् क्लेशाच्च रक्षति। दस्युभ्यः प्राणदानात् स धनदः सुखदो विराट्॥
He who protects people from plunder, destruction, and affliction, he, for thus saving their lives from robbers, is regarded as the giver of wealth, of life, and of food.
स सर्वयज्ञैरीजानो राजाथाभयदक्षिणैः। अनुभूयेह भद्राणि प्राप्नोतीन्द्रसलोकताम्॥
Therefore, by thus worshipping the gods by means of a union of all sacrifices whose Dakshina is the removing of every body's fear, the king enjoys every king of happiness here and lives with Indra in heaven hereafter.
ब्राह्मणार्थे समुत्पन्ने योऽरिभिः सृत्य युध्यति। आत्मानं यूपमुत्सृज्य स यज्ञोऽनन्तदक्षिणः॥
That king, who, going out, fights his enemies in battles that have arisen for the sake of Brahmanas, and sacrifices his life, is regarded as the embodiment of a sacrifice with endless presents.
अभीतो विकिरशत्रून् प्रतिगृह्य शरांस्तथा। न तस्मात्रिदशा:श्रेयो भुवि पश्यन्ति किञ्चन॥
If a king, with his quivers full of arrows, shoots them fearlessly at his enemies, the very gods do not see any one superior to his on Earth.
तस्य शस्त्राणि यावन्ति त्वचं भिन्दन्ति संयुगे। तावतः सोऽश्नुते लोकान् सर्वकामदुहोऽक्षयान्॥
In such a case, regions eternal and capable of granting every desire proportionate to the number of arrows he discharges for wounding the enemies, await him.
यदस्य रुधिरं गात्रादाहये सम्प्रवर्तते। सह तेनैव रक्तेन सर्वपापैः प्रमुच्यते॥
The blood that flows from his body purges him off of all his sins along with the very pain that he feels then.
यानि दुःखानि सहते क्षत्रियो युधि तापितः। तेन तेन तपो भूय इति धर्मविदो विदुः॥
Persons well read in the scriptures say that the pains a Kshatriya suffers in battle act as penances for increasing his merit.
पृष्ठतो भीरवः संख्ये वर्तन्तेऽधर्मपूरुषाः। शूराच्छरणमिच्छन्तः पर्जन्यादिव जीवनम्॥
Righteous persons, stricken with fear, stay in the rear, begging for life from heroes that have rushed to battle, even as men pray for rain from the clouds.
यदि शूरस्तथा क्षेमं प्रतिरक्षेद् यथाभये। प्रतिरूपं जनं कुर्यान्न चेत् तद्वर्तते तथा॥
Without allowing the solicitors to incur the dangers of battle, if those heroes place them in the rear by themselves facing those dangers and defend them at that time of fear, they acquire great merit.
यदि ते कृतमाज्ञाय नमस्कुर्युः सदैवतम्। युक्तं न्याय्यं च कुर्युस्ते न च तद् वर्तते तथा॥
And, if appreciating that act of bravery, those timid persons always respect those defenders, they do simply what is proper and just. By acting otherwise they cannot overcome fear.
पुरुषाणां समानानां दृश्यते महदन्तरम्। संग्रामेऽनीकवेलायामुत्क्रुष्टेऽभिपतन्त्युत॥
There is really a great difference between men who seem outwardly equal. Some rush to battle, arnid its dreadful din, against armed enemies.
पतत्यभिमुखः शूरः परान् भीरुः पलायते। आस्थाय स्वय॑मध्वानं सहायान् विषमे त्यजेत्॥
Indeed, it is the hero who only rushes against crowds of enemies, that leads him to the road to heaven. The coward, on the contrary, stricken with fear, seeks safety in flight, leaving behind his comrades in danger.
मा स्म तांस्तादृशांस्तात जनिष्ठाः पुरुषाधमान्। ये सहायान् रणे हित्वा स्वस्तिमन्तो गृहान् ययुः॥ अस्वस्ति तेभ्यः कुर्वन्ति देवा इन्द्रपुरोगमाः। त्यागेन यः सहायानां स्वान् प्राणांस्त्रातुमिच्छति।॥ तं हन्युः काष्ठलोष्ठैर्वा दहेयुर्वा कटाग्निना। पशुवन्मारयेयुर्वा क्षत्रिया ये स्युरीदृशाः॥
Let not such wretches of men be born in your family! The very gods headed by Indra send calamities to them who leave behind their comrades in battle and come home unscathed and uninjured. He who desires to save his own life by leaving behind his comrades, should be killed with sticks or stones or rolled in a mat of dry grass for being burnt to death. The Kshatriyas who would be guilty of slich conduct should be slain like animals.
अधर्मः क्षत्रियस्यैष यच्छय्यामरणं भवेत्। विसृजश्लेष्ममूत्राणि कृपणं परिदेवयन्॥
Quiet death on a bed, after throwing out phlegm and urine and uttering piteous cries, is sinful for a Kshatriya.
अविक्षतेन देहेन प्रलयं योऽधिगच्छति। क्षत्रियो नास्य तत् कर्म प्रशंसन्ति पुराविदः॥
Persons well-read in the scriptures do not praise the death of a Kshatriya with unwounded body.
न गृहे मरणं तात क्षत्रियाणां प्रशस्यते। शौटीराणामशौटीर्यमधर्म कृपणं च तत्॥
The death of a Kshatriya at home is not praiseworthy. They are heroes. Any unheroic act on their part is sinful and censurable.
इदं दुःखं महत् कष्टं पापीय इति नष्टनन्। प्रतिध्वस्तमुखः पूतिरमात्याननुशोचयन्॥
In disease, people hear one crying,-What। sorrow! How painful! I must be a great sinner! : With face emaciated and bad smell coming out of his body and clothes, the sick man drowns his relatives into grief.
अरोगाणां स्पृहयते मुहुर्मृत्युमपीच्छति। वीरो दृप्तोऽभिमानी च नेदृशं मृत्युमर्हति॥
Hankering after the condition of healthy men, such a man again and again desires for death itself. A hero, having dignity and pride, does not deserve such an inglorious death.
रणेषु कदनं कृत्वा ज्ञातिभिः परिवारितः। तीक्ष्णैः शस्त्रैरभिक्लिष्टः क्षत्रियो मृत्युमर्हति॥
Surrounded by kinsmen and killing his enemies in battle, a Kshatriya should die at the edge of keen weapons.
शूरो हि काममन्युभ्यामाविष्टो युद्ध्यते भृशम्। हन्यमानानि गात्राणि परैर्नैवावबुध्यते॥
Actuated by lustful desire and filled with rage, a hero fights furiously and does not feel the wounds inflicted on his person by enemies.
स संख्ये निधनं प्राप्य प्रशस्तं लोकपूजितम्। स्वधर्मं विपुलं प्राप्य शक्रस्येति सलोकताम्॥
Meeting with death in battle, he acquires great merit, fame and the respect of the world which belongs to his order and in the end lives with Indra in heaven.
सर्वोपायै रणमुखमातिष्ठंस्त्यक्तजीवितः। प्राप्नोतीन्द्रस्य सालोक्यं शूरः पृष्ठमदर्शयन्॥
The hero, by not retreating from battle and fighting by every means in his power, careless of life itself, at the van of battle, lives with Indra.
यत्र यत्र हतः शूरः शत्रुभिः परिवारितः। अक्षयाँल्लभते लोकान् यदि दैन्यं न सेवते॥
Wherever the hero has met with death in the inidst of enemies without showing ignoble fear or cheerlessness, he has succeeded in acquiring blessed regions hereafter.