Mahabharata · Book 12 · Shanti Parva
Mahabharata, Book 12, Section LXXशान्तिपर्व
Kisari Mohan Ganguli’s English prose (1883–96), beside the Sanskrit of adhyāya 12.70.
Sanskrit
केन वृत्तेन वृत्तज्ञः वर्तमानो महीपतिः।
सुखेनार्थान् सुखोदर्कानिह च प्रेत्य चाश्नुते।।
भीष्म उवाच।
इत्थं गुणानां षट्त्रिंशी षट्त्रिंशद्गुणसंयुता।
यान्गुणांस्तु गुणोपेतः कुर्वन्गुणमवाप्नुयात्।।
चरेद्धर्मानकटुको मुञ्चेत्स्नेहं न चास्तिकः।
अनृशंसश्चरेदर्थं चरेत्काममनुद्धतः।।
प्रियं ब्रूयादकृपणः शूरः स्यादविकत्थनः।
दाता नापात्रवर्षी स्यात्प्रगल्भः स्यादनिष्ठुरः।।
संदधीत न चानार्यैर्विगृह्णीयाच्च शत्रुभिः।
नानाप्तैश्चारयेच्चारं कुर्यात्कार्यमपीडया।।
अर्थं ब्रूयान्न चासत्सु गुणान्ब्रूयान्न चात्मनः।
आदद्यान्न च साधुभ्यो नासत्पुरुषमाश्रयेत्।।
नापरीक्ष्य नयेद्दण्डं न च मन्त्रं प्रकाशयेत्।
विसृजेन्न च लुब्धेभ्यो विश्वसेन्नापकारिषु।।
अनीर्षुर्गुप्तदारः स्याच्चोक्षः स्यादघृणी नृपः।
स्त्रियः सेवेत नात्यर्थं मृष्टं भुञ्जीत नाहितम्।।
अस्तब्धः पूजयन्मान्यान्गुरून्सेवेदमायया।
अर्चेद्देवानदम्भेन श्रियमिच्छेदकृत्सिताम्।।
सेवेत प्रणयं हित्वा दक्षः स्यान्न त्वकालवित्।
सान्त्वयेन्न च मोक्षाय अनुगृह्णन्न चाक्षिपेत्।।
प्रहरेन्न त्वविज्ञाय हत्वा शत्रून्न शोचयेत्।
क्रोधं कुर्यान्न चाकस्मान्मृदुः स्यान्नापकारिषु।।
एवं चरस्व राज्यस्थो यदि श्रेय इहेच्छसि।
अतोऽन्यथा नरपतिर्भयमृच्छत्यनुत्तमम्।।
इति सर्वान्गुणानेतान्यथोक्तान्योऽनुवर्तते।
अनुभूयेह भद्राणि प्रेत्य स्वर्गे महीयते।।
वैशंपायन उवाच।
इदं वचः शान्तनवस्य शुश्रुवा
न्युधिष्ठिरः पार्थिवमुख्यसंवृतः।
तदा ववन्दे च पितामहं नृपो
यथोक्तमेतच्च चकार बुद्धिमान्।।
English Ganguli
"'Yudhishthira said, "By adopting that conduct, O thou that art conversant with every kind of behaviour, can a king succeed in easily acquiring, both here and hereafter, objects productive of happiness in the end?"
"'Bhishma said, "There are these thirty-six virtues (which a king should observe). They are connected with thirty-six others. A virtuous person, by attending to those qualities, can certainly acquire great merit. The king should observe his duties without wrath and malice. He should not abandon kindness. He should have faith. He should acquire wealth without persecution and cruelty. He should pursue pleasure without attachments. He should, with cheerfulness, utter what is the agreeable, and be brave without brag. He should be liberal but should not make gifts to persons that are unobserving. He should have prowess without cruelty. He should make alliance, avoiding those that are wicked. He should not act with hostility towards friends. He should never employ persons not devoted to him as his spies and secret agents. He should never accomplish his objects by persecution. He should never disclose his purposes before persons that are wicked. He should speak of the merits of others but never his own. He should take wealth from his subjects but never from those that are good. He should never employ or take the assistance of persons that are wicked. He should never inflict punishment without careful enquiry. He should never disclose his counsels. He should give away, but not to persons that are covetous. He should repose confidence on others but never on those that have injured him. He should not cherish malice. He should protect his wedded wives. He should be pure and should not always be melted by compassion. He should not indulge much in female companionship. He should take food that is wholesome and never that which is otherwise. He should without pride pay regards to those that deserve them, and serve his preceptors and seniors with sincerity. He should worship the gods without pride. He should seek prosperity, but never do anything that brings infamy. He should wait (upon his seniors) with humility. He should be clever in business but should always wait for the proper time. He should comfort men and never send them away with empty speeches. Having favoured a person, he should not abandon him. He should never strike in ignorance. Having slain his foe he should never indulge in sorrow. He should display temper, but should never do so when there is no occasion. He should be mild, but never to those that have offended. Conduct thyself thus while ruling thy kingdom if thou wishest to have prosperity. The king that behaves otherwise incurs great danger. That king who observes all these virtues that I have mentioned, reaps many blessings on earth and great rewards in heaven."'
"Vaisampayana continued, 'Hearing these words of Santanu's son, king Yudhishthira, docile in receiving instructions, possessed of great intelligence, and protected by Bhima and others, then worshipped his grandsire and from that time began to rule according to that teaching.'"