Asramawasika Parwa 11

Mahabharata 15.11

 

Asramawasika Parwa 11

 

1 [धृ]
     मण्डलानि च बुध्येथाः परेषाम आत्मनस तथा
     उदासीनगुणानां च मध्यमानां तथैव च
 2 चतुर्णां शत्रुजातानां सर्वेषाम आततायिनाम
     मित्रं चामित्रमित्रं च बॊद्धव्यं ते ऽरिकर्शन
 3 तथामात्या जनपदा दुर्गाणि विषमाणि च
     बलानिच कुरुश्रेष्ठ भवन्त्य एषां यथेच्च्छकम
 4 ते च दवादश कौन्तेय राज्ञां वै विविधात्मकाः
     मन्त्रिप्रधानाश च गुणाः षष्टिर दवादश च परभॊ
 5 एतान मण्डलम इत्य आहुर आचार्या नीतिकॊविदाः
     अत्र षाड्गुण्यम आयत्तं युधिष्ठिर निबॊध तत
 6 वृद्धिक्षयौ च विज्ञेयौ सथानं च कुरुनन्दन
     दविसप्तत्या महाबाहॊ ततः षाड्गुण्य चारिणः
 7 यदा सवपक्षॊ बलवान परपक्षस तथा बलः
     विगृह्य शत्रून कौन्तेय यायात कषितिपतिस तदा
     यदा सवपक्षे ऽबलवांस तदा संधिं समाश्रयेत
 8 दरव्याणां संचयश चैव कर्तव्यः सयान महांस तथा
     यदा समर्थॊ यानाय नचिरेणैव भारत
 9 तदा सर्वं विधेयं सयात सथानं च न विभाजयेत
     भूमिर अल्पफला देया विपरीतस्य भारत
 10 हिरण्यं कुप्य भूयिष्ठं मित्रं कषीणम अकॊशवत
    विपरीतान न गृह्णीयात सवयं संधिविशारदः
 11 संध्यर्थं राजपुत्रं च लिप्सेथा भरतर्षभ
    वविपरीतस तु ते ऽदेयः पुत्र कस्यां चिद आपदि
    तस्य परमॊक्षे यत्नं च कुर्याः सॊपाय मन्त्रवित
 12 परकृतीनां च कौन्तेय राजा दीनां विभावयेत
    करमेण युगपद दवंद्वं वयसनानां बलाबलम
 13 पीडनं सतम्भनं चैव कॊशभङ्गस तथैव च
    कार्यं यत्नेन शत्रूणां सवराष्ट्रं रक्षता सवयम
 14 न च हिंस्यॊ ऽभयुपगतः सामन्तॊ वृद्धिम इछता
    कौन्तेय तं न हिंसेत यॊ महीं विजिगीषते
 15 गणानां भेदने यॊगं गच्छेथाः सह मन्त्रिभिः
    साधु संग्रहणाच चैव पापनिग्रहणात तथा
 16 दुर्बलाश चापि सततं नावष्टभ्या बलीयसा
    तिष्ठेथा राजशार्दूल वैतसीं वृत्तिम आस्थितः
 17 यद्य एवम अभियायाच च दुर्बलं बलवान नृपः
    सामादिभिर उपायैस तं करमेण विनिवर्तयेत
 18 अशक्नुवंस तु युद्धाय निस्पतेत सह मन्त्रिभिः
    कॊशेन पौरैर दण्डेन ये चान्ये परियकारिणः
 19 असंभवे तु सर्वस्य यथामुख्येन निष्पतेत
    करमेणानेन मॊक्षः सयाच छरीरम अपि केवलम

 

 1 [dhṛ]
     maṇḍalāni ca budhyethāḥ pareṣām ātmanas tathā
     udāsīnaguṇānāṃ ca madhyamānāṃ tathaiva ca
 2 caturṇāṃ śatrujātānāṃ sarveṣām ātatāyinām
     mitraṃ cāmitramitraṃ ca boddhavyaṃ te 'rikarśana
 3 tathāmātyā janapadā durgāṇi viṣamāṇi ca
     balānica kuruśreṣṭha bhavanty eṣāṃ yatheccchakam
 4 te ca dvādaśa kaunteya rājñāṃ vai vividhātmakāḥ
     mantripradhānāś ca guṇāḥ ṣaṣṭir dvādaśa ca prabho
 5 etān maṇḍalam ity āhur ācāryā nītikovidāḥ
     atra ṣāḍguṇyam āyattaṃ yudhiṣṭhira nibodha tat
 6 vṛddhikṣayau ca vijñeyau sthānaṃ ca kurunandana
     dvisaptatyā mahābāho tataḥ ṣāḍguṇya cāriṇaḥ
 7 yadā svapakṣo balavān parapakṣas tathā balaḥ
     vigṛhya śatrūn kaunteya yāyāt kṣitipatis tadā
     yadā svapakṣe 'balavāṃs tadā saṃdhiṃ samāśrayet
 8 dravyāṇāṃ saṃcayaś caiva kartavyaḥ syān mahāṃs tathā
     yadā samartho yānāya nacireṇaiva bhārata
 9 tadā sarvaṃ vidheyaṃ syāt sthānaṃ ca na vibhājayet
     bhūmir alpaphalā deyā viparītasya bhārata
 10 hiraṇyaṃ kupya bhūyiṣṭhaṃ mitraṃ kṣīṇam akośavat
    viparītān na gṛhṇīyāt svayaṃ saṃdhiviśāradaḥ
 11 saṃdhyarthaṃ rājaputraṃ ca lipsethā bharatarṣabha
    vviparītas tu te 'deyaḥ putra kasyāṃ cid āpadi
    tasya pramokṣe yatnaṃ ca kuryāḥ sopāya mantravit
 12 prakṛtīnāṃ ca kaunteya rājā dīnāṃ vibhāvayet
    krameṇa yugapad dvaṃdvaṃ vyasanānāṃ balābalam
 13 pīḍanaṃ stambhanaṃ caiva kośabhaṅgas tathaiva ca
    kāryaṃ yatnena śatrūṇāṃ svarāṣṭraṃ rakṣatā svayam
 14 na ca hiṃsyo 'bhyupagataḥ sāmanto vṛddhim ichatā
    kaunteya taṃ na hiṃseta yo mahīṃ vijigīṣate
 15 gaṇānāṃ bhedane yogaṃ gacchethāḥ saha mantribhiḥ
    sādhu saṃgrahaṇāc caiva pāpanigrahaṇāt tathā
 16 durbalāś cāpi satataṃ nāvaṣṭabhyā balīyasā
    tiṣṭhethā rājaśārdūla vaitasīṃ vṛttim āsthitaḥ
 17 yady evam abhiyāyāc ca durbalaṃ balavān nṛpaḥ
    sāmādibhir upāyais taṃ krameṇa vinivartayet
 18 aśaknuvaṃs tu yuddhāya nispatet saha mantribhiḥ
    kośena paurair daṇḍena ye cānye priyakāriṇaḥ
 19 asaṃbhave tu sarvasya yathāmukhyena niṣpatet
    krameṇānena mokṣaḥ syāc charīram api kevalam

 

Dhritarashtra said, Thou shouldst always ascertain the Mandalas that belong to thee, to thy foes, to neutrals, and to those that are disposed equally towards thee and thy foes, O Bharata. The Mandalas also of the four kinds of foes, of these called Atatayins, and of allies, and the allies of foes, should be distinguished by thee, O crusher of foes. The ministers of state, the people of the provinces, the garrisons of forts, and the forces, O foremost one of Kuru's race, may or may not be tampered with. (Thou shouldst, therefore, behave in such a manner that these may not be tampered with by thy foes). The twelve (enumerated above), O son of Kunti, constitute the principal concerns of kings. These twelve, as also sixty, having Ministers for their foremost, should be looked after by the king. Professors conversant with the science of politics call these by the name of Mandala. Understand, O Yudhishthira, that the six incidents (of peace, war, march, halt, sowing dissensions, and conciliation) depend upon these. Growth and diminution should also be understood, as also the condition of being stationary. The attributes of the sixfold incidents, O thou of mighty arms, as resting on the two and seventy (already enumerated), should also be carefully understood. When one's own side has become strong and the side of the foe his become weak, it is then, O son of Kunti, that the king should war against the foe and strive to will victory. When the enemy is strong and one's own side is weak, then the weak king, if possessed of intelligence, should seek to make peace with the enemy. The king should collect a large store of articles (for his commissariat). When able to march out, he should on no account make a delay, O Bharata. Besides, he should on that occasion set his men to offices for which they are fit, without being moved by any other consideration. (When obliged to yield a portion of his territories) he should give his foe only such land as does not produce crops in abundance. (When obliged to give wealth), he should give gold containing much base metal. (When obliged to give a portion of his forces), he should give such men as are not noted for strength. One that is skilled in treaties should, when taking land or gold or men from the foe, take what is possessed of attributes the reverse of this. In making treaties of peace, the son of the (defeated) king, should be demanded as a hostage, O chief of the Bharatas. A contrary course of conduct would not be beneficial, O son. If a calamity comes over the king, he should, with knowledge of means-and counsels, strive to emancipate himself from it. The king, O foremost of monarchs, should maintain the cheerless and the destitute (such as the blind, the deaf and dumb, and the diseased) among his people. Himself protecting his own kingdom, the king, possessed of great might, should direct all his efforts, either one after another or simultaneously, against his foes. He should afflict and obstruct them and seek to drain their treasury. The king that desires his own growth should never injure the subordinate chieftains that are under his sway. O son of Kunti, thou shouldst never seek to war with that king who desires to conquer the whole Earth. Thou shouldst seek to gain advantages by producing, with the aid of thy ministers, dissensions among his aristocracy and subordinate chieftains. A powerful king should never seek to exterminate weak kings, for these do good to the world by cherishing the good and punishing the wicked. O foremost of kings, thou shouldst live, adopting the behaviour of the cane. If a strong king advances against a weak one, the latter should make him desist, by adopting conciliation and other modes. If unable to stop the invader in this way, then he, as also those that are disposed to do him good, should fall upon the foe for battling with him. Indeed, with his ministers and treasury and citizens, he should thus adopt force against the invader. If battling with the foe becomes hopeless, then he should fall, sacrificing his resources one after another. Casting off his life in this way, he will attain to liberation from all sorrow.'