Critical Edition
वैशंपायन उवाच पुनरेव महर्षिस्तं कृष्णद्वैपायनोऽब्रवीत् अजातशत्रुं कौन्तेयमिदं वचनमर्थवत्
M. N. Dutt: Vaishampayana said Once the great sage KrishnaDvaipayana said these words to the son of Kunti, who had no enemies.
अरण्ये वसतां तात भ्रातॄणां ते तपस्विनाम् मनोरथा महाराज ये तत्रासन्युधिष्ठिर
AI Translation: O son, for your ascetic brothers who dwelt in the forest, O great king, the wishes that were in the mind of Yudhishthira,
तानिमे भरतश्रेष्ठ प्राप्नुवन्तु महारथाः प्रशाधि पृथिवीं पार्थ ययातिरिव नाहुषः
AI Translation: May these great warriors obtain them, best of Bharatas. Rule the earth, O Partha, like Yayati, son of Nahusha.
अरण्ये दुःखवसतिरनुभूता तपस्विभिः दुःखस्यान्ते नरव्याघ्राः सुखं त्वनुभवन्त्विमे
M. N. Dutt: Before this you suffered misery while living in the woods in the observance of ascetic penances. That misery has ended, O foremost of men. Enjoy happiness, therefore, for some time.
धर्ममर्थं च कामं च भ्रातृभिः सह भारत अनुभूय ततः पश्चात्प्रस्थातासि विशां पते
M. N. Dutt: Having, O Bharata, acquired and enjoyed religious merit and wealth and pleasure for some time with your brothers, you may then, O king, retire into the forest.
अतिथीनां च पितॄणां देवतानां च भारत आनृण्यं गच्छ कौन्तेय ततः स्वर्गं गमिष्यसि
M. N. Dutt: Be freed first, О Bharata, from the debt you owe to persons who may beg of you to the Pitris, and to the gods. You may then, O son of Kunti, follow all the other modes of life.
सर्वमेधाश्वमेधाभ्यां यजस्व कुरुनन्दन ततः पश्चान्महाराज गमिष्यसि परां गतिम्
M. N. Dutt: Do you, O son of Kuru's race, celebrate the sacrifices of Sarvamedha and Ashvainedha. You will then attain, O king, to the highest end hereafter.
भ्रातॄंश्च सर्वान्क्रतुभिः संयोज्य बहुदक्षिणैः संप्राप्तः कीर्तिमतुलां पाण्डवेय भविष्यसि
M. N. Dutt: Making your brothers also perform great sacrifices with profuse presents, you will, O son of Pandu, acquire great fame.
विद्म ते पुरुषव्याघ्र वचनं कुरुनन्दन शृणु मच्च यथा कुर्वन्धर्मान्न च्यवते नृपः
M. N. Dutt: There is a saying, O foremost of men and best of the Kurus! Listen to it, for by acting according to it, O king, you will not deviate from the path of virtue.
आददानस्य च धनं निग्रहं च युधिष्ठिर समानं धर्मकुशलाः स्थापयन्ति नरेश्वर
M. N. Dutt: Those men only O Yudhishthira, who behave like robbers, advise a king to undertake wars and acquire victory.
Supplementary Passages:
12.25.10 After 10, D7 S ins.: *31 प्रत्यक्षमनुमानं च उपमानं तथागमः अर्थापत्तिस्तथैतिह्यं संशयो निर्णयस्तथा आकारो हीङ्गितश्चैव गतिश्चेष्टा च भारत प्रतिज्ञा चैव हेतुश्च दृष्टान्तोपनयस्तथा उक्तिर्निगमनं तेषां प्रमेयं च प्रयोजनम् एतानि साधनान्याहुर्बहुवर्गप्रसिद्धये प्रत्यक्षमनुमानं च सर्वेषां योनिरिष्यते प्रमाणज्ञो हि शक्नोति दण्डयोनौ विचक्षणः अप्रमाणवता नीतो दण्डो हन्यान्महीपतिम्
देशकालप्रतीक्षे यो दस्योर्दर्शयते नृपः शास्त्रजां बुद्धिमास्थाय नैनसा स हि युज्यते
M. N. Dutt: That king who, knowing proper place and time and following the injunctions of the scriptures, pardons even a nuinber of robbers, incurs no sin.
आदाय बलिषड्भागं यो राष्ट्रं नाभिरक्षति प्रतिगृह्णाति तत्पापं चतुर्थांशेन पार्थिवः
M. N. Dutt: That king, who, realising his tribute of a sixth, does not protect his kingdom, shares a fourth part of the sins of his kingdom.
निबोध च यथातिष्ठन्धर्मान्न च्यवते नृपः निग्रहाद्धर्मशास्त्राणामनुरुध्यन्नपेतभीः कामक्रोधावनादृत्य पितेव समदर्शनः
M. N. Dutt: Listen also to that by which a king may not deviate from the path of virtue. By disregarding the scriptures one incurs sin, while by obeying them one may live fearlessly.
दैवेनोपहते राजा कर्मकाले महाद्युते प्रमादयति तत्कर्म न तत्राहुरतिक्रमम्
M. N. Dutt: O you of great splendour, if a king, possessed by destiny, fails to accomplish an act in proper time, such failure would not be called a trespass.
तरसा बुद्धिपूर्वं वा निग्राह्या एव शत्रवः पापैः सह न संदध्याद्राष्ट्रं पण्यं न कारयेत्
M. N. Dutt: By power and policy should the king subjugate his foes. He must not allow sin to be committed in his kingdom, but should cause virtue to be practised.
शूराश्चार्याश्च सत्कार्या विद्वांसश्च युधिष्ठिर गोमतो धनिनश्चैव परिपाल्या विशेषतः
M. N. Dutt: Brave men, the respectable, the virtuous, the learned, O Yudhishthira, Brahmanas conversant with Vedic texts and rites, and men of wcalth, should especially be protected.
व्यवहारेषु धर्म्येषु नियोज्याश्च बहुश्रुताः गुणयुक्तेऽपि नैकस्मिन्विश्वस्याच्च विचक्षणः
M. N. Dutt: In trying cases and performing religious acts, they who are possessed of great learning should alone be employed. A prudent king should never place his confidence in one individual however accomplished.
Supplementary Passages:
12.25.17 After 17ab, D7 S Cv ins.: *32 प्रमाणज्ञा महीपाल न्यायशास्त्रावलम्बिनः वेदार्थतत्त्वविद्राजंस्तर्कशास्त्रबहुश्रुतः मन्त्रे च व्यवहारे च नियोक्तव्यो विजानता तर्कशास्त्रकृता बुद्धिर्धर्मशास्त्रकृता च या दण्डनीतिकृता चैव त्रैलोक्यमपि साधयेत् नियोज्या वेदतत्त्वज्ञा यज्ञकर्मसु पार्थिव वेदज्ञा ये च शास्त्रज्ञास्ते च राजन्सुबुद्धयः आन्वीक्षिकीत्रयीवार्तादण्डनीतिषु पारगाः ते तु सर्वत्र योक्तव्यास्ते च बुद्धेः परां गताः
अरक्षिता दुर्विनीतो मानी स्तब्धोऽभ्यसूयकः एनसा युज्यते राजा दुर्दान्त इति चोच्यते
M. N. Dutt: That king who does not protect his subjects, whose passions are not under-control, who is full of vanity, who is haughty and malicious, incurs sin and becomes notorious as a tyrant.
येऽरक्ष्यमाणा हीयन्ते दैवेनोपहते नृपे तस्करैश्चापि हन्यन्ते सर्वं तद्राजकिल्बिषम्
M. N. Dutt: If the subjects of a king, O monarch, die from want of protection and are afflicted by the gods and oppressed by robbers, the sin of all this affects the king himself.
सुमन्त्रिते सुनीते च विधिवच्चोपपादिते पौरुषे कर्मणि कृते नास्त्यधर्मो युधिष्ठिर
M. N. Dutt: There is no sin, O Yudhishthira, in doing an act with full heart, after mature consideration and consultation with men capable of giving good advice.
विपद्यन्ते समारम्भाः सिध्यन्त्यपि च दैवतः कृते पुरुषकारे तु नैनः स्पृशति पार्थिवम्
M. N. Dutt: Our works fail or succeed through destiny. If activity, however, be applied, sin would not affect the king.
अत्र ते राजशार्दूल वर्तयिष्ये कथामिमाम् यद्वृत्तं पूर्वराजर्षेर्हयग्रीवस्य पार्थिव
AI Translation: Here, O best of kings, I shall relate to you this story, Which happened to the former royal sage Hayagriva, O king.
शत्रून्हत्वा हतस्याजौ शूरस्याक्लिष्टकर्मणः असहायस्य धीरस्य निर्जितस्य युधिष्ठिर
AI Translation: Having killed the enemies in battle, of the hero who has performed difficult deeds, of the one without a companion, of the brave one, of the one who has been defeated in battle, O Yudhishthira,
यत्कर्म वै निग्रहे शात्रवाणां; योगश्चाग्र्यः पालने मानवानाम् कृत्वा कर्म प्राप्य कीर्तिं सुयुद्धे; वाजिग्रीवो मोदते देवलोके
M. N. Dutt: Having done all for restraining his foes and adopted all those foremost of means by which men may be protected, Hayagriva won great fame from the battles he fought and is now enjoying great bliss in heaven.
संत्यक्तात्मा समरेष्वाततायी; शस्त्रैश्छिन्नो दस्युभिरर्द्यमानः अश्वग्रीवः कर्मशीलो महात्मा; संसिद्धात्मा मोदते देवलोके
M. N. Dutt: Wounded by robbers with weapons, bravely fighting with them, and giving up his life in battle, the great Hayagriva, ever devoted to his royal duties, achieved the object of his life and is now enjoying great bliss in heaven.
धनुर्यूपो रशना ज्या शरः स्रु;क्स्रुवः खड्गो रुधिरं यत्र चाज्यम् रथो वेदी कामगो युद्धमग्नि;श्चातुर्होत्रं चतुरो वाजिमुख्याः
M. N. Dutt: The bow was his (sacrificial) stake and the bow-string was the cord for trying the animals. Arrows were the smaller ladle and the sword the larger one, and blood formed the clarified butter that he poured. The car constituted the altar and the anger he left in battle was the fire, and the four best of horses yoked to his vehicle were the four Hotris.
हुत्वा तस्मिन्यज्ञवह्नावथारी;न्पापान्मुक्तो राजसिंहस्तरस्वी प्राणान्हुत्वा चावभृथे रणे स; वाजिग्रीवो मोदते देवलोके
M. N. Dutt: Having poured upon that sacrificial fire his enemies as libations and then his own life at the termination of the sacrifice, that foremost of kings, Hayagriva, became freed from sin and is now playing in the regions of the celestials.
राष्ट्रं रक्षन्बुद्धिपूर्वं नयेन; संत्यक्तात्मा यज्ञशीलो महात्मा सर्वाँल्लोकान्व्याप्य कीर्त्या मनस्वी; वाजिग्रीवो मोदते देवलोके
M. N. Dutt: Having protected his kingdom with policy and intelligence, the great and self-controlled Hayagriva of great strength of mind and given to the performance of sacrifices filled all the worlds with his glory and is now sporting in the region of the celestials.
दैवीं सिद्धिं मानुषीं दण्डनीतिं; योगन्यायैः पालयित्वा महीं च तस्माद्राजा धर्मशीलो महात्मा; हयग्रीवो मोदते स्वर्गलोके
M. N. Dutt: Having acquired the merit of celebrating sacrifices as also every kind of merit of human worlds, he held the rod of chastisement and ruled the Earth with vigour and without pride. For this the virtuous and great Hayagriva is sporting in the region of the celestials.
विद्वांस्त्यागी श्रद्दधानः कृतज्ञ;स्त्यक्त्वा लोकं मानुषं कर्म कृत्वा मेधाविनां विदुषां संमतानां; तनुत्यजां लोकमाक्रम्य राजा
M. N. Dutt: Learned men practising renunciation, cherishing faith, and grateful, that king, having performed various acts, left this world of men and attained the regions that are reserved for the intelligent and the wise and those who are of approved conduct and behaviour and prepared to kill themselves in battle.
सम्यग्वेदान्प्राप्य शास्त्राण्यधीत्य; सम्यग्राष्ट्रं पालयित्वा महात्मा चातुर्वर्ण्यं स्थापयित्वा स्वधर्मे; वाजिग्रीवो मोदते देवलोके
M. N. Dutt: Having studied all the Vedas and the other scriptures duly, having protected the kingdom duly, and having made all the four orders follow their respective duties, a king become purified and finally sports in heaven.
जित्वा संग्रामान्पालयित्वा प्रजाश्च; सोमं पीत्वा तर्पयित्वा द्विजाग्र्यान् युक्त्या दण्डं धारयित्वा प्रजानां; युद्धे क्षीणो मोदते देवलोके
AI Translation: Having conquered battles, having protected the subjects, having drunk Soma, having satisfied the best of Brahmins, Having held the rod of punishment according to justice for the subjects, having been exhausted in battle
वृत्तं यस्य श्लाघनीयं मनुष्याः; सन्तो विद्वांसश्चार्हयन्त्यर्हणीयाः स्वर्गं जित्वा वीरलोकांश्च गत्वा; सिद्धिं प्राप्तः पुण्यकीर्तिर्महात्मा
AI Translation: Whose conduct is praiseworthy, the good and wise men honor him as worthy of honor. Having conquered heaven and gone to the world of heroes, he has attained perfection, the great one with merit