युधिष्ठिर उवाच यदप्यल्पतरं कर्म तदप्येकेन दुष्करम्। पुरुषेणासहायेन किमु राज्ञा पितामह॥
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)?
किंशील: किंसमाचारो राज्ञोऽथ सचिवो भवेत्। कीदृशे विश्वसेद् राजा कीदृशे न च विश्वसेत्॥
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 राजन् भवन्त्युत। सहार्थो भजमानश्च सहजः कृत्रिमस्तथा॥
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 पञ्चमश्चापि मित्रं नैकस्य न द्वयोः यतो धर्मस्ततो वा स्याद् धर्मस्थो वा ततो भवेत्॥
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॥
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.
चतुर्णां मध्यमौ श्रेष्ठौ नित्यं शङ्कयौ तथापरौ। सर्वे नित्यं शङ्कितव्याः प्रत्यक्षं कार्यमात्मनः॥
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॥
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॥
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 पुरुषस्तस्मिन् को जातु विश्वसेत्। तस्मात्प्रधानं यत् कार्यं प्रत्यक्षं तत् समाचरेत्॥
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 च विशिष्यते॥
An absolute confidence (in his ministers) destroys both morality and profit. A want of confidence again in all worse is than death.
अकालमृत्युर्विश्वासो विश्वसन् हि विपद्यते। यस्मिन् करोति विश्वासमिच्छतस्तस्य जीवति॥
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.
तस्माद् विश्वसितव्यं च शङ्कितव्यं च केषुचित्। एषा नीतिगतिस्तात लक्ष्या चैव सनातनी॥
Therefore every one should be trusted as also mistrusted. This rule of policy, O sire, should always be kept in view.
यं मन्येत ममाभावादिममर्थागमं स्पृशेत्। नित्यं तस्माच्छङ्कितव्यममित्रं तद् विदुर्बुधाः॥
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 भिघेरन् सर्वसेतवः॥
From the field of any person the water enters into the other's field, the ridge should not be brocken without owner's wish.
तथैवात्युदकाद् भीतस्तस्य भेदनमिच्छति। यमेवंलक्षणं विद्यात् तममित्रं विनिर्दिशेत्॥
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.
यस्तु वृद्ध्या न तृप्येत क्षये दीनतरो भवेत्। एतदुत्तममित्रस्य निमित्तमिति चक्षते॥
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.
यन्मन्येत ममाभावादस्याभावो भवेदिति। तस्मिन् कुर्वीत विश्वासं यथा पितरि वै तथा॥ तं शक्त्या वर्धमानश्च सर्वतः परिबृंहयेत्। नित्यं क्षताद् वारयति यो धर्मेष्वपि कर्मसु॥ क्षताद् भीतं विजानीयादुत्तमं मित्रलक्षणम्। ये तस्य क्षतमिच्छन्ति ते तस्य रिपवः स्मृताः॥
He who would meet with ruin by your fall, should be trusted by you completely even as you should trust your father. You should, to the best of your power, advance him as you secure advancement for yourself. One who, in even your religious rites, tries to save you from harm, would try to save you from harm in every other transaction. Such a one should be known as your best friend. They, on the other hand, who wish one harm are one's enemies.
व्यसनान्नित्यभीतो यः समृद्ध्या यो न दुष्यति। यत् स्यादेवंविधं मित्रं तदात्मसममुच्यते॥
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। कुलीन: शीलसम्पन्नः स ते स्यात् प्रत्यनन्तरः॥
A person endued with beauty, fair complexion, sweet voice, liberality, highmindedness, and good birth, cannot be such a friend.
मेधावी स्मृतिमान् दक्षः प्रकृत्या चानृशंस्यवान्। यो मानितोऽमानितो वा न च दुष्येत् कदाचन॥ ऋत्विग्वा यदि वाऽऽचार्यः सखा वात्यन्तसंस्तुतः। गृहे वसेदमात्यस्ते स स्यात् परमपूजितः॥
That person who is endued with intelligence and memory, who is smart in transacting business, who is by nature shorn of cruelty, who is never wrathful, and who whether honoured or neglected is never dissatisfied, be he your priest or preceptor or trusted friend, should always receive your adoration if he accepts the office of your counsellor and lives in your palace.
स ते विद्यात् परं मन्त्रं प्रकृतिं चार्थधर्मयोः। विश्वासस्ते भवेत् तत्र यथा पितरि वै तथा॥
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 मृष्येरन् परस्परम्। एकार्थे ह्येव भूतानां भेदो भवति सर्वदा॥
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 यस्तु स्याद् यश्च स्यात् समये स्थितः। समर्थान् यश्च न वश् िनानर्थान् कुरुते च यः॥ यो न कामाद् भयाल्लोभात् क्रोधाद् वा धर्ममुत्सृजेत्। दक्षः पर्याप्तवचनः स ते स्यात् प्रत्यनन्तरः॥
That person who acquires fame, who observes all restraints, who is never jealous of able and competent persons, who never does any evil act, who renounces righteousness from lust or fear or covetousness or wrath, who is smart in transaction business, and who always speaks wise and weighty words, should be your foremost of ministers.
कुलीनः शीलसम्पन्नस्तितिक्षुरविकत्थनः। शूरश्चार्यश्च विद्वांश्च प्रतिपत्तिविशारदः॥ एते ह्यमात्याः कर्तव्याः सर्वकर्मस्ववस्थिताः। पूजिताः संविभक्ताश्च सुसहायाः स्वनुष्ठिताः॥
Well-behaved persons and born in good families, who are liberal and never given to brag, who are brave and respectable, and learned and full of resources, should be appointed as ministers for supervising all your affairs. Respected by you and gratified with riches, they would act for your well-being and be of great help to you.
कृत्स्नमेते विनिक्षिप्ताः प्रतिरूपेषु कर्मसु। युक्ता महत्सु कार्येषु श्रेयांस्युत्थापयन्त्युत॥
Appointed of offices of emolument and of other important matters, they will always secure great prosperity.
एते कर्माणि कुर्वन्ति रूपर्धमाना मिथः सदा। अनुतिष्ठन्ति चैवार्थमाचक्षाणाः परस्परम्॥
Actuated by a feeling of healthy rivalry, they satisfy all duties regarding profit, consulting with one another when necessary.
ज्ञातिभ्यश्चैव बुद्ध्येथा मृत्योरिव भयं सदा। उपराजेव राजर्धि ज्ञातिर्न सहते सदा॥
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.
ऋजोर्मदोर्वदान्यस्य ह्रीमतः सत्यवादिनः। नान्यो ज्ञातेर्महाबाहो विनाशमभिनन्दति॥
None but a kinsman feels joy at the destruction of a kinsman endued with sincerity, mildness, liberality, modesty and truthfulness.
अज्ञातिनोऽपि न सुखा नावज्ञेयास्ततः परम्। अज्ञातिमन्तं पुरुषं परे चाभिभवन्त्युत॥
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 नरैरन्यैर्शातिरेव परायणम्। नान्यैनिकारं सहते ज्ञातिव्रते: कथञ्चन॥
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 चैव लक्ष्यते॥ नाज्ञातिरनुगृह्णाति न चाज्ञातिर्नमस्यति। उभयं ज्ञातिवर्गेषु दृश्यते साध्वसाधु च॥
When a kinsman is persecuted by even his friends, every kinsman of his considers the injury to be inflicted upon himself. In kinsmen, therefore, there both merits and shortcomings. A person having no kinsmen never shows favours to any one nor humbles himself to any one. In kinsmen, therefore, both mcrit and demerit are seen.
सम्मानयेत् पूजयेच्च वाचा नित्यं च कर्मणा। कुर्याच्च प्रियमेतेभ्यो नाप्रियं किञ्चिदाचरेत्॥
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 दोषा गुणो वेति निरूप्यस्तेषु दृश्यते॥
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.
अस्यैवं वर्तमानस्य पुरुषस्याप्रमादिनः। अमित्राः संप्रसीदन्ति तथा मित्रीभवन्त्यपि॥
A person who carefully conducts himself in this way finds his every enemies shorn of hostility and converted into friends.
य एवं वर्तते नित्यं ज्ञातिसम्बन्धिमण्डले। मित्रेष्वमित्रे मध्यस्थे चिरं यशसि तिष्ठति॥
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.'