Critical Edition
युधिष्ठिर उवाच यदप्यल्पतरं कर्म तदप्येकेन दुष्करम् पुरुषेणासहायेन किमु राज्यं पितामह
M. N. Dutt: Yudhishthira said Even the most insignificant act, O grandfather, cannot be accomplished by any man without co-operation. What then need be said of the king (who has to govern a kingdom)?
किंशीलः किंसमाचारो राज्ञोऽर्थसचिवो भवेत् कीदृशे विश्वसेद्राजा कीदृशे नापि विश्वसेत्
M. N. Dutt: How should the king's minister act and behave? Upon whom should the king place confidence, and upon whom he should not?
भीष्म उवाच चतुर्विधानि मित्राणि राज्ञां राजन्भवन्त्युत सहार्थो भजमानश्च सहजः कृत्रिमस्तथा
M. N. Dutt: Bhishma said Kings, O monarch, have four sorts of friends. They are-one who has the same object, one who is devoted, one who is related by birth, and one who has been won over (by gifts and kindness).
धर्मात्मा पञ्चमं मित्रं स तु नैकस्य न द्वयोः यतो धर्मस्ततो वा स्यान्मध्यस्थो वा ततो भवेत्
M. N. Dutt: A righteous person, who would serve one and not both sides, is the fifth of the king's friends. Such a person follow that side on which righteousness is, and accordingly acts righteously.
यस्तस्यार्थो न रोचेत न तं तस्य प्रकाशयेत् धर्माधर्मेण राजानश्चरन्ति विजिगीषवः
M. N. Dutt: Regarding such a person, the king should never disclose such purpose of his as would not find his sympathy, Kings who wish to attain success are compelled to adopt both kinds of roads, fair and unfair.
Supplementary Passages:
12.81.5 After 5ab, D7 S ins.: *200 मित्राणां प्रकृतिर्नास्ति त्वमित्राणां च भारत उपकाराद्भवेन्मित्रमपकाराद्भवेदरिः यस्यैव हि मनुष्यस्य नरो मरणमिच्छति तस्य पर्यागते काले पुनर्जीवितमिच्छति
चतुर्णां मध्यमौ श्रेष्ठौ नित्यं शङ्क्यौ तथापरौ सर्वे नित्यं शङ्कितव्याः प्रत्यक्षं कार्यमात्मनः
M. N. Dutt: Of the four kinds of friends, the second and the third are superior, while the first and the fourth should always be looked upon with suspicion. Regarding those acts, however, which the king should do personally, he should always look with suspicion on all the four.
न हि राज्ञा प्रमादो वै कर्तव्यो मित्ररक्षणे प्रमादिनं हि राजानं लोकाः परिभवन्त्युत
M. N. Dutt: The king should never act carelessly in watching his friends. A king who is careless is always overpowered by others.
असाधुः साधुतामेति साधुर्भवति दारुणः अरिश्च मित्रं भवति मित्रं चापि प्रदुष्यति
M. N. Dutt: A wicked man puts on the appearance of honesty, and he who is honest becomes otherwise. An enemy may become a friend, and a friend may become an enemy.
अनित्यचित्तः पुरुषस्तस्मिन्को जातु विश्वसेत् तस्मात्प्रधानं यत्कार्यं प्रत्यक्षं तत्समाचरेत्
M. N. Dutt: A man cannot always be of the same mind. Who is there that would trust him implicitly? All the principal works, therefore, a king should perform in his own presence.
एकान्तेन हि विश्वासः कृत्स्नो धर्मार्थनाशकः अविश्वासश्च सर्वत्र मृत्युना न विशिष्यते
M. N. Dutt: An absolute confidence (in his ministers) destroys both morality and profit. A want of confidence again in all worse is than death.
अकालमृत्युर्विश्वासो विश्वसन्हि विपद्यते यस्मिन्करोति विश्वासमिच्छतस्तस्य जीवति
M. N. Dutt: Over-confidence is premature death. One incurs danger by over-confidence, If one trusts another completely, he is said to live by the favour of the trusted person.
तस्माद्विश्वसितव्यं च शङ्कितव्यं च केषुचित् एषा नीतिगतिस्तात लक्ष्मीश्चैव सनातनी
M. N. Dutt: Therefore every one should be trusted as also mistrusted. This rule of policy, O sire, should always be kept in view.
यं मन्येत ममाभावादिममर्थागमः स्पृशेत् नित्यं तस्माच्छङ्कितव्यममित्रं तं विदुर्बुधाः
M. N. Dutt: One should always mistrust that person who would upon one's death, obtain one's wealth. The wise men describe such a person to be one's enemy.
यस्य क्षेत्रादप्युदकं क्षेत्रमन्यस्य गच्छति न तत्रानिच्छतस्तस्य भिद्येरन्सर्वसेतवः
M. N. Dutt: From the field of any person the water enters into the other's field, the ridge should not be brocken without owner's wish.
तथैवात्युदकाद्भीतस्तस्य भेदनमिच्छति यमेवंलक्षणं विद्यात्तममित्रं विनिर्दिशेत्
M. N. Dutt: Terrified with the fear of huge quantity of water that might fill up in the field, one who wants to break the ridge, he is said as enemy.
यः समृद्ध्या न तुष्येत क्षये दीनतरो भवेत् एतदुत्तममित्रस्य निमित्तमभिचक्षते
M. N. Dutt: A person whose joy knows no limit upon seeing the advancement of the king and who feels pain upon seeing the king's decay, is one of the best friends of the king.
यं मन्येत ममाभावादस्याभावो भवेदिति तस्मिन्कुर्वीत विश्वासं यथा पितरि वै तथा
AI Translation: One should have confidence in that which one thinks, "If I am not, it will not be." One should have confidence in that, just as in a father.
तं शक्त्या वर्धमानश्च सर्वतः परिबृंहयेत् नित्यं क्षताद्वारयति यो धर्मेष्वपि कर्मसु
AI Translation: He should increase it everywhere with the power of growth. He always prevents injury in the case of even those who are engaged in virtuous deeds.
क्षताद्भीतं विजानीयादुत्तमं मित्रलक्षणम् ये तस्य क्षतमिच्छन्ति ते तस्य रिपवः स्मृताः
AI Translation: One should know that one who is afraid of being injured is of the highest character as a friend. Those who desire his injury are known to be his enemies.
व्यसनान्नित्यभीतोऽसौ समृद्ध्यामेव तृप्यते यत्स्यादेवंविधं मित्रं तदात्मसममुच्यते
M. N. Dutt: That friend is like your own self who is filled with fear when calamity befalls you and with joy when prosperity smiles on you.
रूपवर्णस्वरोपेतस्तितिक्षुरनसूयकः कुलीनः शीलसंपन्नः स ते स्यात्प्रत्यनन्तरः
M. N. Dutt: A person endued with beauty, fair complexion, sweet voice, liberality, highmindedness, and good birth, cannot be such a friend.
मेधावी स्मृतिमान्दक्षः प्रकृत्या चानृशंसवान् यो मानितोऽमानितो वा न संदूष्येत्कदाचन
AI Translation: Intelligent, mindful, skillful, and naturally compassionate, One who is honored or not honored should never be corrupted.
ऋत्विग्वा यदि वाचार्यः सखा वात्यन्तसंस्तुतः गृहे वसेदमात्यस्ते यः स्यात्परमपूजितः
AI Translation: A priest, a teacher, a friend who is very dear, or a minister who lives in your house and is greatly honored,
स ते विद्यात्परं मन्त्रं प्रकृतिं चार्थधर्मयोः विश्वासस्ते भवेत्तत्र यथा पितरि वै तथा
M. N. Dutt: You may communicate to such a person your most secret counsels and the true state of never all your affairs, spiritual or temporal. You may trust him as you may your own father.
नैव द्वौ न त्रयः कार्या न मृष्येरन्परस्परम् एकार्थादेव भूतानां भेदो भवति सर्वदा
M. N. Dutt: One person should be appointed to one work, and not two or three. These may not tolerate each other. It is always seen that several persons, if engaged in one and the same work, disagree with one another.
कीर्तिप्रधानो यश्च स्याद्यश्च स्यात्समये स्थितः समर्थान्यश्च न द्वेष्टि समर्थान्कुरुते च यः
AI Translation: One who is devoted to fame, one who is established in time, One who does not hate the capable, and one who makes the capable.
यो न कामाद्भयाल्लोभात्क्रोधाद्वा धर्ममुत्सृजेत् दक्षः पर्याप्तवचनः स ते स्यात्प्रत्यनन्तरः
AI Translation: One who does not abandon the Dharma out of desire, fear, greed, or anger, and who is skillful and speaks appropriately, will be your immediate successor.
शूरश्चार्यश्च विद्वांश्च प्रतिपत्तिविशारदः कुलीनः शीलसंपन्नस्तितिक्षुरनसूयकः
AI Translation: He is a hero, a noble one, a learned one, skilled in practice, of noble birth, endowed with good conduct, patient, not envious,
एते ह्यमात्याः कर्तव्याः सर्वकर्मस्ववस्थिताः पूजिताः संविभक्ताश्च सुसहायाः स्वनुष्ठिताः
AI Translation: These ministers should be appointed to all tasks, honored, shared with, well-supported, and well-practiced.
कृत्स्नमेते विनिक्षिप्ताः प्रतिरूपेषु कर्मसु युक्ता महत्सु कार्येषु श्रेयांस्युत्पादयन्ति च
M. N. Dutt: Appointed of offices of emolument and of other important matters, they will always secure great prosperity.
एते कर्माणि कुर्वन्ति स्पर्धमाना मिथः सदा अनुतिष्ठन्ति चैवार्थानाचक्षाणाः परस्परम्
M. N. Dutt: Actuated by a feeling of healthy rivalry, they satisfy all duties regarding profit, consulting with one another when necessary.
ज्ञातिभ्यश्चैव बिभ्येथा मृत्योरिव यतः सदा उपराजेव राजर्धिं ज्ञातिर्न सहते सदा
M. N. Dutt: You should fear your kinsmen as you should death itself. A kinsman can never bear a kinsmen's prosperity even as a feudatory chief cannot bear to see the prosperity of his lord.
ऋजोर्मृदोर्वदान्यस्य ह्रीमतः सत्यवादिनः नान्यो ज्ञातेर्महाबाहो विनाशमभिनन्दति
M. N. Dutt: None but a kinsman feels joy at the destruction of a kinsman endued with sincerity, mildness, liberality, modesty and truthfulness.
अज्ञातिता नातिसुखा नावज्ञेयास्त्वतः परम् अज्ञातिमन्तं पुरुषं परे परिभवन्त्युत
M. N. Dutt: They, again, who have no kinsmen, can not be happy. No man is more contemptible than he who has no kinsman. A person who has no kinsman is easily overthrown by enemies.
निकृतस्य नरैरन्यैर्ज्ञातिरेव परायणम् नान्यैर्निकारं सहते ज्ञातेर्ज्ञातिः कदाचन
M. N. Dutt: Kinsmen are the refuge of one who is attacked by others, for kinsmen can never bear to see a kinsman assailed by other people.
आत्मानमेव जानाति निकृतं बान्धवैरपि तेषु सन्ति गुणाश्चैव नैर्गुण्यं तेषु लक्ष्यते
AI Translation: He alone knows himself, even when he is deceived by his relatives. In them there are virtues and also the absence of virtues is seen.
नाज्ञातिरनुगृह्णाति नाज्ञातिर्दिग्धमस्यति उभयं ज्ञातिलोकेषु दृश्यते साध्वसाधु च
AI Translation: The ignorant do not help, the ignorant do not harm. Both good and bad are seen in the world of the ignorant.
तान्मानयेत्पूजयेच्च नित्यं वाचा च कर्मणा कुर्याच्च प्रियमेतेभ्यो नाप्रियं किंचिदाचरेत्
M. N. Dutt: One should, for this reason, always honour and adore his kinsmen in words and deeds, and are do what pleases them without injuring them at any time.
विश्वस्तवदविश्वस्तस्तेषु वर्तेत सर्वदा न हि दोषो गुणो वेति निस्पृक्तस्तेषु दृश्यते
M. N. Dutt: Though one may mistrust them at heart, he should behave towards them as if he trusted them completely. Thinking of their nature, it seems that they have neither demerits nor merits.
तस्यैवं वर्तमानस्य पुरुषस्याप्रमादिनः अमित्राः संप्रसीदन्ति तथा मित्रीभवन्त्यपि
M. N. Dutt: A person who carefully conducts himself in this way finds his every enemies shorn of hostility and converted into friends.
य एवं वर्तते नित्यं ज्ञातिसंबन्धिमण्डले मित्रेष्वमित्रेष्वैश्वर्ये चिरं यशसि तिष्ठति
M. N. Dutt: One who always conducts himself in this way with his kinsmen and relatives and treats thus his friends and enemies, succeeds in acquiring everlasting fame.'