भीष्म उवाच अत्र धर्मानुवचनं कीर्तयन्ति पुराविदः। प्रत्यक्षावेव धर्मार्थो क्षत्रियस्य विजानतः॥ तत्र न व्यवधातव्यं परोक्षा धर्मयापना।
Bhishma said 'Regarding it, persons well read in the scriptures declare this text about duty, viz., for a learned and intelligent Kshatriya, (the acquisition) of religious merit and wealth is his obvious duty. By ingenuous discussions on duty and about the future world, he should not, abstain from performing those two duties.
अधर्मो धर्म इत्येतद् यथा वृकपदं तथा॥ धर्माधर्मफले जातु ददर्शेह न कश्चन।
As it is useless, upon seeing certain footprints on the ground, to argue, whether they are the wolf's or not, is all discussion regarding the nature of righteousness and unrighteousness. Nobody in this world ever witnesses the fruits of righteousness and unrighteousness.
बुभूषेद् बलमेवैतत् सर्वं बलवतो वशे॥ श्रियो बलममात्यांश्च बलवानिह विन्दति।
A Kshatriya, therefore, should try to acquire power. A powerful person is master of everything. Wealth secures the possession of an army. He, who is powerful, gets intelligent advisers.
यो ह्यनाढ्यः स पतितस्तदुच्छिष्टं यदल्पकम्॥ बह्वपथ्यं बलवति न किंचित् क्रियते भयात्। उभौ सत्यधिकारस्थौ त्रायते महतो भयात्॥
He is truly degraded who has no wealth. A little is considered as the filthy residue of a feast. If a strong men commits even many bed deeds, nobody, through fear, speaks ill of him. If Righteousness and Power be associated with Truth, they can save men from great dangers.
अतिधर्माद् बलं मन्ये बलाद् धर्मः प्रवर्तते। बले प्रतिष्ठितो धर्मो धरण्यामिव जङ्गमम्॥
If, however, the two be compared, Power will appear as superior to Righteousness. From Power originates Righteousness. Righteousness depends upon Power as all immobile things upon the Earth.
धूमो वायोरिव वशे बलं धर्मोऽनुवर्तते। अनीश्वरो बले धर्मो दुमे वल्लीव संश्रिता॥
As smoke depends upon the wind, so Righteousness depends upon Power. Righteousness which is the weaker of the two depends upon a tree.
वशे बलवतां धर्मः सुखं भोगवतामिव। नास्त्यसाध्यं बलवतां सर्वं बलवतां शुचि॥
Righteousness depends on the powerful does as pleasure on the pleasure hunters. There is nothing which powerful men cannot do. Everything is pure with the powerful.
दुराचारः क्षीणबलः परित्राणं न गच्छति। अथ तस्मादुद्विजते सर्वो लोको वृकादिव॥
By committing evil acts, a powerless men, can never escape. Men fear his conduct even as they are alarmed on seeing a wolf.
अपध्वस्तो ह्यवमतो दुःखं जीवति जीवितम्। जीवितं यदपक्रुष्टं यथैव मरणं तथा॥
One becoming poor after being rich leads a life of humiliation and sorrow. A life of humiliation and censure is like death itself.
यदेवमाहुः पापेन चारित्रेण विवर्जितः। सुभृशं तप्यते तेन वाक्शल्येन परिक्षतः॥
The learned have said that when on account of one's sinful deeds he is forsaken by friends and companions, he is cut again and again by the wordy arrows of others and has to burn with grief on that account.
अत्रैतदाहुराचार्याः पापस्य परिमोक्षणे। त्रयीं विद्यामवेक्षेत तथोपासीत वै द्विजान्॥ प्रसादयेच्चक्षुषा वाचा चाप्यथ कर्मणा। महामनाश्चापि भवेद् विवहेच्च महाकुले॥ इत्यस्मीति वदेदेवं परेषां कीर्तयेद् गुणान्। जपेदुदकशीलः स्यात् पेशलो नातिजल्पकः॥ ब्रह्मक्षत्रं सम्प्रविशेद् बहु कृत्वा सुदुष्करम्। उच्यमानो हि लोकेन बहुकृत् तदचिन्तयन्॥
Teachers of scriptures have held that for the expiation of sins one should study the three Vedas, serve and adore the Brahmanas, please all men by looks, words, and acts, shake off all meanness, merry in high families, sing the praises of others while admitting his own worthlessness, recite Mantras, perform the usual water-rites, assume a mildness of conduct, and abstain from too much speaking, and practise austere penances, seek refuge with the Brahmanas and Kshatriyas. Indeed, one who has perpretrated many evil acts, should do all this, without being angry at the censures of other man.
अपापो ह्येवमाचारः क्षिप्रं बहुमतो भवेत्। सुखं च चित्रं भुञ्जीत कृतेनैकेन गोपयेत्॥ लोके च लभते पूजां परत्रेह महत् फलम्॥
By behaving thus, one is soon purged off of all his sins and wins the esteem of the world. Indeed, one acquires great respect in this world and meed in the next, and enjoys various sorts of happiness here by behaving thus and by sharing his riches with others.'