Mahabharata, Book 12, Section CXXXI: Apaddharmanusasana Parvaशान्तिपर्व

Kisari Mohan Ganguli’s English prose (1883–96), beside the Sanskrit of adhyāya 12.131.

131Sanskrit adhyāya 12.131 · Sanskrit source · English source

Sanskrit

युधिष्ठिर उवाच।
क्षीणस्य दीर्घसूत्रस्य सानुक्रोशस्य बन्धुषु।
परिशङ्कितमुख्यस्य दुष्टमन्त्रस्य भारत।।
विरक्तराज्यपौरस्य निर्द्रव्यनिचयस्य च।
असंभावितमित्रस्य भिन्नामात्यस्य सर्वतः।।
परचक्राभियातस्य दुर्बलस्य बलीयसा।
आपन्नचेतसो ब्रूहि किं कार्यमवशिष्यते।।
भीष्म उवाच।
बाह्यश्चेद्विजिगीषुः स्याद्धर्मार्थकुशलः शुचिः।
जवेन सन्धिं कुर्वीत पूर्वं पूर्वं विमोक्षयेत्।।
[योऽधर्मविजिगीषुः स्याद्बलवान्पापनिश्चयः।]
आत्मनः सन्निरोधेन सन्धिं तेनापि रोचयेत्।।
अपास्य राजधानीं वा तरेदन्येन वाऽऽपदम्।
तद्भावभावो द्रव्याणि जीवन्पुनरुपार्जयेत्।।
यास्तु कोशबलत्यागाच्छक्यास्तरितुमापदः।
कस्तत्राधिकमात्मानं संत्यजेदर्थधर्मवित्।।
अपराधाज्जुगुप्सेत का सपत्नधने दया।
न त्वेवात्मा प्रदातव्यः शक्ये सति कथंचन।।
युधिष्ठिर उवाच।
आभ्यन्तरे च कुपिते बाह्ये चोपनिपीडिते।
क्षीणे कोशे श्रुते मन्त्रे किं कार्यमवशिष्यते।।
भीष्म उवाच।
क्षिप्रं वा सन्धिकामः स्यात्क्षिप्रं वा तीक्ष्णविक्रम।
यदाऽपनयनं क्षिप्रमेतद्वै सांपरायिकम्।।
अनुरक्तेन पुष्टेन हृष्टेन जगतीपतिः।
अल्पेनापि स्वसैन्येन भूमिं जयति भूमिपः।।
हतो वा दिवमारोहेद्धत्वा च सुखमावहेत्।
युद्धे हि संत्यजन्प्राणाञ्शक्रस्यैति सलोकताम्।।
सर्वलोकागसं कृत्वा मृदुत्वं गन्तुमेव च।
विश्वासाद्विनयं कुर्यात्संजह्याद्वाऽप्युपानहौ।।
अपचिक्रमिषुः क्षिप्रं सेनां स्वां परिसान्त्वयन्।
विलङ्घयित्वा सत्रेण ततः स्वयमुपक्रमेत्।।
।। इति श्रीमन्महाभारते शान्तिपर्वणि
आपद्धर्मपर्वणि एकत्रिंशदधिकशततमोऽध्यायः।। 131।।

English Ganguli

"'Yudhishthira said, "What, besides this, should be done by a king that is weak and procrastinating, that does not engage in battle from anxiety for the lives of his friends, that is always under the influence of fear, and that cannot keep his counsels secret? What, indeed, should that king do whose cities and kingdom have been partitioned and appropriated by foes, who is divested of wealth, who is incapable (through such poverty) of honouring his friends and attaching them to himself, whose ministers are disunited or bought over by his enemies, who is obliged to stand in the face of foes, whose army has dwindled away, and whose heart has been agitated by some strong enemy?"

"'Bhishma said, "If the invading enemy be of pure heart and if he be conversant with both morality and profit, a king of the kind you have indicated should, with no loss of time, make peace with the invader and bring about the restoration of those portions of the kingdom that have already been conquered. If, again, the invader be strong and sinful and seek to obtain victory by unrighteous means, the king should make peace with him, too, by abandoning a portion of his territories. If the invader be unwilling to make peace, the king should then abandon his very capital and all his possessions for escaping from danger. If he can save his life he may hope for similar acquisitions in future. What man conversant with morality is there that would sacrifice his own self, which is a more valuable possession, for encountering that danger from which escape can be had by the abandonment of his treasury and army? A king should protect the ladies of his household. If these fall into the hands of the enemy, he should not show any compassion for them (by incurring the risk of his own arrest in delivering them). As long as it is in his power, he should never surrender his own self to the enemy."

"'Yudhishthira said, "When his own people are dissatisfied with him, when he is oppressed by invaders, when his treasury is exhausted, and when his counsels are divulged, what should the king then do?"

"'Bhishma said, "A king, under such circumstances, should (if his enemy be righteous) seek to make peace with him. If the enemy be unrighteous, he should then put forth his valour. He should, by such means, seek to cause the foe to withdraw from his kingdom; or fighting bravely, he should lay down his life and ascend to heaven. A king can conquer the whole earth with the help of even a small force if that force be loyal, cheerful, and devoted to his good. If slain in battle, he is sure to ascend to heaven. If he succeeds in slaying (his enemies), he is sure to enjoy the earth. By laying down one's life in battle, one obtains the companionship of Indra himself."'"