Mahabharata, Book 12, Section XCVIशान्तिपर्व

Kisari Mohan Ganguli’s English prose (1883–96), beside the Sanskrit of adhyāya 12.96.

96Sanskrit adhyāya 12.96 · Sanskrit source · English source

Sanskrit

भीष्म उवाच।
नाधर्मेण महीं जेतुं लिप्सेत जगतीपतिः।
अधर्मविजयं लब्ध्वा को नु मन्येत भूमिपः।।
अधर्मयुक्तो विजयो ह्यध्रुवोऽस्वर्ग्य एव च।
पातयत्येव राजानं महीं च भरतर्षभ।।
विशीर्णकवचं चैव तवास्मीति च वादिनम्।
कृताञ्जलिं न्यस्तशस्त्रं गृहीत्वा न विहिंसयेत्।।
बलेन विजितो यश्च न तं युध्येत भूमिपः।
संवत्सरं विप्रणयेत्तस्माज्जातः पुनर्भवेत्।।
नार्वाक्संवत्सरात्कन्या प्रष्टव्या विक्रमाहृता।
एवमेव धनं सर्वं यच्चान्यत्सहसा हृतम्।।
न तु वध्ये धनं तिष्ठेत्पिबेयुर्ब्राह्मणाः पयः।
युञ्जीरन्नप्यनडुहः क्षन्तव्यं वा पुनर्भवेत्।।
राज्ञा राजैव योद्धव्यस्तथा धर्मो विधीयते।
नान्यो राजानमभ्यस्येदराजन्यः कथंचन।।
अनीकयोः संहतयोर्यदीयाद्ब्राह्मणोऽन्तरा।
शान्तिमिच्छन्नुभयतो न योद्धव्यं तदा भवेत्।।
मर्यादां शाश्वतीं भिन्द्याद्ब्राह्मणं योऽभिलङ्घयेत्।
अथ चेल्लङ्घयेदेव मर्यादां क्षत्रियब्रुवः।
असङ्ख्येपतदूर्ध्वं स्यादनादेयश्च संसदि।।
यस्तु धर्मविलोपेन मर्यादाभेदनेन च।
तां वृत्तिं नानुवर्तेत विजिगीषुर्महीपतिः।।
धर्मलब्धाद्धि विजयाल्लाभः कोऽभ्यधिको भवेत्।।
सहसा न्याय्यभूतानि क्षिप्रमेव प्रसादयेत्।
सान्त्वेन भोगदानेन स राज्ञां परमो नयः।।
भुज्यमाना ह्यभोगेन स्वराष्ट्रादभितापिताः।
अमित्रान्पर्युपासीरन्व्यसनौघप्रतीक्षिणः।।
अमित्रोपग्रहं चास्य ते कुर्युः क्षिप्रमापदि।
संतुष्टाः सर्वतो राजन्राजव्यसनकाङ्क्षिणः।।
नामित्रो विनिकर्तव्यो नातिच्छेद्यः कथंचन।
जीवितं ह्यप्यतिच्छिन्नः संत्यजेदेकदा नरः।।
अल्पेनापि च संयुक्तस्तुष्यते नापराधितः।
शुद्धं जीवितमेवापि तादृशो बहुमन्यते।।
यस्य स्फीतो जनपदः संपन्नः प्रियराजकः।
संतुष्टभृत्यसचिवो दृढमूलः स पार्थिवः।।
ऋत्विक्पुरोहिताचार्या ये चान्ये श्रुतसत्तमाः।
पूजार्हाः पूजिता यस्य स वै लोकविदुच्यते।।
एतेनैव च वृत्तेन महीं प्राप सुरोत्तमः।
अन्येऽपि चैव विजयं विजिगीषन्ति पार्थिवाः।।
भूमिवर्जं धनं राजा जित्वा राजन्महाहवे।
अपि चान्नोषधीः शश्वदाजहार प्रतर्दनः।।
अग्रिहोत्राग्निशेषं च हविर्भोजनमेव च।
आजहार दिवोदासस्ततो विप्रकृतोऽभवत्।।
सराजकानि राष्ट्राणि नाभागो दक्षिणां ददौ।
अन्यत्र श्रोत्रियस्वाच्च तापसार्थाच्च भारत।।
उच्चावचानि वित्तानि धर्मज्ञानां युधिष्ठिर।
आसन्राज्ञां पुराणानां सर्वं तन्मम रोचते।।
सर्वविद्यातिरेकेण जयमिच्छेन्महीपतिः।
न मायया न दम्भेन य इच्छेद्भूतिमात्मनः।।
।। इति श्रीमन्महाभारते शान्तिपर्वणि
जधर्मपर्वणि षण्णवतितमोऽध्यायः।। 96।।

English Ganguli

"'Bhishma said, "A king should never desire to subjugate the earth by unrighteous means, even if such subjugation would make him the sovereign of the whole earth. What king is there that would rejoice after obtaining victory by unfair means? A victory stained by unrighteousness is uncertain and never leads to heaven. Such a victory, O bull of Bharata's race, weakens both the king and the earth. A warrior whose armour has fallen off, or who begs for quarter, saying, 'I am thine' or joining his hands, or who has laid aside his weapon, may simply be seized but never slain. If a hostile king be vanquished by the troops of the invader, the latter should not himself fight his vanquished foe. On the other hand, he should bring him to his palace and persuade him for a whole year to say, 'I am thy slave!' Whether he says or does not say this, the vanquished foe, by living for a year in the house of his victor, gains a new lease of life.[282] If a king succeeds in bringing by force a maiden from the house of his vanquished foe, he should keep her for a year and ask her whether she would wed him or any one else. If she does not agree, she should then be sent back. He should behave similarly in respect of all other kinds of wealth (such as slaves) that are acquired by force. The king should never appropriate the wealth confiscated from thieves and others awaiting execution. The kine taken from the enemy by force should be given away to the Brahmanas so that they may drink the milk of those animals. The bulls taken from the enemy should be set to agriculture work or returned to the enemy.[283] It is laid down that a king should fight one that is a king. One that is not a king should never strike one that is a king. If a Brahmana, desirous of peace, fearlessly goes between two contending armies, both should immediately abstain from fight. He would break an eternal rule that would slay or wound a Brahmana. If any Kshatriya breaks that rule, he would become a wretch of his order. In addition to this, that Kshatriya who destroys righteousness and transgresses all wholesome barriers does not deserve to be reckoned as a Kshatriya and should be driven from society. A king desirous of obtaining victory should never follow such conduct. What gain can be greater than victory won righteously? The excitable classes (of a kingdom recently conquered) should, without delay, be conciliated with soothing speeches and gifts. This is a good policy for the king to adopt. If instead of doing this, these men be sought to be governed with impolicy, they would then leave the kingdom and side with (the victor's) foes and wait for the accession of calamities (in order that they may then make head against the victor). Discontented men, watching for the calamities of the king, promptly side with the latter's foes, O monarch, in times of danger. An enemy should not be deceived by unfair means, nor should be wounded mortally. For, if struck mortally, his very life may pass away.[284] If a king possessed of little resources be gratified therewith, he would regard life alone to be much.[285] That king whose dominions are extensive and full of wealth, whose subjects are loyal, whose servants and officers are all contented, is said to have his roots firm. That king whose Ritwijas and priests and preceptors and others about him that are well-versed in all scriptures and deserving of honours are duly respected, is said to be conversant with the ways of the world. It was by such behaviour that Indra got the sovereignty of the world. It is by this behaviour that earthly kings succeed in obtaining the status of Indra. King Pratardana, subjugating his foes in a great battle, took all their wealth, including their very grain and medicinal herbs, but left their land untouched. King Divodasa, after subjugating his foes, brought away the very remnants of their sacrificial fires, their clarified butter (intended for libations), and their food. For this reason he was deprived of the merit of his conquests.[286] King Nabhaga (after his conquests) gave away whole kingdoms with their rulers as sacrificial presents unto the Brahmanas, excepting the wealth of learned Brahmanas and ascetics. The behaviour, O Yudhishthira, of all the righteous kings of old, was excellent, and I approve of it wholly. That king who desires his own prosperity should seek for conquests by the aid of every kind of excellence but never with that of deceit or with pride."'"