Critical Edition
मुनिरुवाच अथ चेत्पौरुषं किंचित्क्षत्रियात्मनि पश्यसि ब्रवीमि हन्त ते नीतिं राज्यस्य प्रतिपत्तये
M. N. Dutt: If, on the other hand, O Kshatriya, you think that you still possess any prowess, I shall describe to you about that line of policy which you may follow for recovering your kingdom.
तां चेच्छक्ष्यस्यनुष्ठातुं कर्म चैव करिष्यसि शृणु सर्वमशेषेण यत्त्वां वक्ष्यामि तत्त्वतः
M. N. Dutt: If you can adopt that policy and try to exert yourself, you can still regain your prosperity. Listen attentively to all that I say to you fully.
आचरिष्यसि चेत्कर्म महतोऽर्थानवाप्स्यसि राज्यं राज्यस्य मन्त्रं वा महतीं वा पुनः श्रियम् यद्येतद्रोचते राजन्पुनर्ब्रूहि ब्रवीमि ते
M. N. Dutt: If you act according to those counsels, you may acquire immense wealth, your kingdom and kingly power and great prosperity. If you like it, O king, tell me, for then I shall describe to you that policy.
राजपुत्र उवाच ब्रवीतु भगवान्नीतिमुपपन्नोऽस्म्यहं प्रभो अमोघमिदमद्यास्तु त्वया सह समागतम्
M. N. Dutt: The king said Tell me, O holy one, what you wish to say. I am willing to hear and act according to your advice. Let this my meeting with you to-day produce mighty results.
मुनिरुवाच हित्वा स्तम्भं च मानं च क्रोधहर्षौ भयं तथा प्रत्यमित्रं निषेवस्व प्रणिपत्य कृताञ्जलिः
M. N. Dutt: Casting off pride, desire, anger and joy and fear, wait upon your very foes, humbling yourself and joining your hands.
तमुत्तमेन शौचेन कर्मणा चाभिराधय दातुमर्हति ते वृत्तिं वैदेहः सत्यसंगरः
M. N. Dutt: Do you wait upon Janaka the king of Mithila, always performing good and pure acts. The highly truthful king of Videha will, forsooth, give you great wealth.
प्रमाणं सर्वभूतेषु प्रग्रहं च गमिष्यसि ततः सहायान्सोत्साहाँल्लप्स्यसेऽव्यसनाञ्शुचीन्
M. N. Dutt: You will then become the right arm of that king and secure the confidence of all persons. As an outcome of this, you will win over many courageous and persevering allies, pure in behaviour, and free from the seven cardinal faults.
वर्तमानः स्वशास्त्रे वै संयतात्मा जितेन्द्रियः अभ्युद्धरति चात्मानं प्रसादयति च प्रजाः
M. N. Dutt: By following his duties, à person of subdued self and having his senses under control, succeeds in raising himself and cheering others.
तेनैव त्वं धृतिमता श्रीमता चाभिसत्कृतः प्रमाणं सर्वभूतेषु गत्वा प्रग्रहणं महत्
M. N. Dutt: Honoured by Janaka enducd with intelligence and prosperity, you will certainly become the right hand of that king and enjoy the confidence of all.
ततः सुहृद्बलं लब्ध्वा मन्त्रयित्वा सुमन्त्रितम् अन्तरैर्भेदयित्वारीन्बिल्वं बिल्वेन शातय परैर्वा संविदं कृत्वा बलमप्यस्य घातय
M. N. Dutt: Having then mustered a large force and held consultations with good ministers, do you create dissensions among your enemies, and setting them against one another, break them all like a person breaking a Vilva with a Vilva. Or, making peace with the enemies of your foe, destroy the latter's power.
अलभ्या ये शुभा भावाः स्त्रियश्चाच्छादनानि च शय्यासनानि यानानि महार्हाणि गृहाणि च
AI Translation: The good things that are not to be had, the women, the clothes, The beds, the seats, the vehicles, the costly houses,
पक्षिणो मृगजातानि रसा गन्धाः फलानि च तेष्वेव सज्जयेथास्त्वं यथा नश्येत्स्वयं परः
AI Translation: Birds, animals, tastes, smells, and fruits You should befriend them so that the enemy is destroyed.
यद्येव प्रतिषेद्धव्यो यद्युपेक्षणमर्हति न जातु विवृतः कार्यः शत्रुर्विनयमिच्छता
M. N. Dutt: If one's enemy be thus managed, or if he is treated in differently, one, who wishes to act according to good policy, should never allow that foe to know it at all.
Supplementary Passages:
12.106.13 After 13ab, D7 S ins.: *247 सदैव राजशार्दूल विदुषा हितमिच्छता
वसस्व परमामित्रविषये प्राज्ञसंमते भजस्व श्वेतकाकीयैर्मित्राधममनर्थकैः
M. N. Dutt: Following the conduct approved of the wise, do you enjoy every king of pleasure in the territories of your enemy, and imitating the conduct of the dog, the deer and the crow, be outwardly a friend to your enemies.
आरम्भांश्चास्य महतो दुष्करांस्त्वं प्रयोजय नदीबन्धविरोधांश्च बलवद्भिर्विरुध्यताम्
M. N. Dutt: Make them undertake works which are difficult of accomplishment. See also that they enter into hostilities with powerful enemies.
उद्यानानि महार्हाणि शयनान्यासनानि च प्रतिभोगसुखेनैव कोशमस्य विरेचय
M. N. Dutt: Making them attached to pleasure gardens and rich beds and seats, do you, by offering such objects of enjoyment, exhaust your eneiny's treasury.
यज्ञदानप्रशंसास्मै ब्राह्मणेष्वनुवर्ण्यताम् ते त्वत्प्रियं करिष्यन्ति तं चेष्यन्ति वृका इव
M. N. Dutt: Advising your enemy to celebrate sacrifices and making gifts, do you please the Brahmanas. The latter will do good to you in return, and devour your enemy like wolves.
असंशयं पुण्यशीलः प्राप्नोति परमां गतिम् त्रिविष्टपे पुण्यतमं स्थानं प्राप्नोति पार्थिवः कोशक्षये त्वमित्राणां वशं कौसल्य गच्छति
M. N. Dutt: Forsooth, a person of righteous deeds acquires a high end. By such deeds men earn highly happy regions in heaven.
उभयत्र प्रसक्तस्य धर्मे चाधर्म एव च बलार्थमूलं व्युच्छिद्येत्तेन नन्दन्ति शत्रवः
AI Translation: When both are equally possible, Dharma and Adharma, the root of strength is cut off, and enemies rejoice.
निन्द्यास्य मानुषं कर्म दैवमस्योपवर्णय असंशयं दैवपरः क्षिप्रमेव विनश्यति
AI Translation: "You should criticize his human actions and describe his divine ones. " "There is no doubt that one who is devoted to the divine will quickly perish."
याजयैनं विश्वजिता सर्वस्वेन वियुज्यताम् ततो गच्छत्वसिद्धार्थः पीड्यमानो महाजनम्
AI Translation: Let him be initiated by Viśvajit, and let him be deprived of all his wealth. Then let Asiddhārtha go, oppressed by the great people.
त्यागधर्मविदं मुण्डं कंचिदस्योपवर्णय अपि त्यागं बुभूषेत कच्चिद्गच्छेदनामयम्
AI Translation: Tell me about a certain shaven-headed man who knows the Dharma of renunciation. Does he aspire to renunciation? Does he go to a place free from disease?
सिद्धेनौषधयोगेन सर्वशत्रुविनाशिना नागानश्वान्मनुष्यांश्च कृतकैरुपघातय
M. N. Dutt: Your enemy will then desire to adopt renunciation and retire into the woods seeking liberation. You will then, with the help of drugs prepared by boiling highly efficacious herbs and plants, and of artificial salts, kill the elephants and horses and men.
एते चान्ये च बहवो दम्भयोगाः सुनिश्चिताः शक्या विषहता कर्तुं नक्लीबेन नृपात्मज
M. N. Dutt: These and the many other well-laid plans exist, but they are all connected with fraud. An intelligent person can thus destroy the denizens of a hostile kingdom with poison,