महाभारतम् — १५.१२

धृतराष्ट्र उवाच ।

संधिविग्रहमप्यत्र पश्येथा राजसत्तम ।
द्वियोनिं त्रिविधोपायं बहुकल्पं युधिष्ठिर ॥

M N Dutt O best of kings you should, also, reflect properly on war and peacc. Each is of war kinds. The means are various, and the circumstances also, under which war or peace may be made, are various, O Yudhishthira.

१५.१२.२

राजेन्द्र पर्युपासीथाश्छित्त्वा द्वैविध्यमात्मनः ।
तुष्टपुष्टबलः शत्रुरात्मवानिति च स्मरेत् ॥

M N Dutt O you of Kuru's race, you should, with coolness, reflect on the two (viz., thy strength and weakness) with regard to yourself. You should not suddenly march against an enemy who has contented and healthy soldiers, and who is gifted with intelligence. On the other hand, you should think carefully of the means of defeating him.

१५.१२.३

पर्युपासनकाले तु विपरीतं विधीयते ।
आमर्दकाले राजेन्द्र व्यपसर्पस्ततो वरः ॥

M N Dutt You should march against an enemy who is not provided with contented and healthy combatants. When everything's is favourable, the enemy may be beaten. After that however, the victor should retire.

१५.१२.४

व्यसनं भेदनं चैव शत्रूणां कारयेत्ततः ।
कर्शनं भीषणं चैव युद्धे चापि बहुक्षयम् ॥

M N Dutt He should next cause the enemy to be plunged into various calamities, and show dissension's among his allies. He should afflict the enemy and inspire terror in his heart, and, attacking him, weaken his forces.

१५.१२.५

प्रयास्यमानो नृपतिस्त्रिविधं परिचिन्तयेत् ।
आत्मनश्चैव शत्रोश्च शक्तिं शास्त्रविशारदः ॥

M N Dutt The king, conversant with the scriptures, who marches against an enemy should think of the three kinds of strength, and, indeed, reflect on his own strength and the strength of his enemy.

१५.१२.६

उत्साहप्रभुशक्तिभ्यां मन्त्रशक्त्या च भारत ।
उपपन्नो नरो यायाद्विपरीतमतोऽन्यथा ॥

M N Dutt Only that king, O Bharata, who is gifted with alacrity, discipline, and strength of counsels should march against an enemy. When his position is otherwise, he should avoid offensive works.

१५.१२.७

आददीत बलं राजा मौलं मित्रबलं तथा ।
अटवीबलं भृतं चैव तथा श्रेणीबलं च यत् ॥

M N Dutt The king should provide himself with power of wealth, power of allies, power of foresters, power of paid soldiery, and the inechanical and trading classes, powerful power of one.

१५.१२.८

तत्र मित्रबलं राजन्मौलेन न विशिष्यते ।
श्रेणीबलं भृतं चैव तुल्य एवेति मे मतिः ॥

M N Dutt Among all these, power of allies and power of riches are superior to the rest. The power of classes and that of the standing army are equal.

१५.१२.९

तथा चारबलं चैव परस्परसमं नृप ।
विज्ञेयं बलकालेषु राज्ञा काल उपस्थिते ॥

M N Dutt The power of spies is considered by the king as equal in efficacy to either of the above, on many occasions, when the tiine comes for applying each.

१५.१२.१०

आपदश्चापि बोद्धव्या बहुरूपा नराधिप ।
भवन्ति राज्ञां कौरव्य यास्ताः पृथगतः शृणु ॥

M N Dutt Calamity, O king, with which rulers are overtaken, is of many forms. Listen, O you of Kuru's race, as to what those various forms are.

१५.१२.११

विकल्पा बहवो राजन्नापदां पाण्डुनन्दन ।
सामादिभिरुपन्यस्य शमयेत्तान्नृपः सदा ॥

M N Dutt Indeed, calamities, O son of Pandu, are many. You should, always, count them, distinguishing their forms, o king, and try to meet them by applying the well-known ways of conciliation and the rest.

१५.१२.१२

यात्रां यायाद्बलैर्युक्तो राजा षड्भिः परंतप ।
संयुक्तो देशकालाभ्यां बलैरात्मगुणैस्तथा ॥

M N Dutt The king should, when possessed of a good arıny, march (out against a foc), O scorcher of enemics. He should, also, mark the considerations of time and place, while preparing to march, as also the forces he has collected and his own merits.

१५.१२.१३

तुष्टपुष्टबलो यायाद्राजा वृद्ध्युदये रतः ।
आहूतश्चाप्यथो यायादनृतावपि पार्थिवः ॥

M N Dutt That king who seeks his own growth and advancement should not march unless he has cheerful and healthy warriors. When strong, O son of Pandu, he may march in even an unfavourable season.

१५.१२.१४

स्थूणाश्मानं वाजिरथप्रधानां
ध्वजद्रुमैः संवृतकूलरोधसम् ।
पदातिनागैर्बहुकर्दमां नदीं
सपत्ननाशे नृपतिः प्रयायात् ॥

M N Dutt The king should make a river having quivers for its stones, horses and cars for its current, and standards for the trees which cover its banks, and which is miry with foot-soldiers and elephants. Such a river should the king apply for the destruction of his enemy.

१५.१२.१५

अथोपपत्त्या शकटं पद्मं वज्रं च भारत ।
उशना वेद यच्छास्त्रं तत्रैतद्विहितं विभो ॥

M N Dutt According to the science known to Ushanas, arrays called Shakata, Padma, and Vajra, should be formed, O Bharata, for fighting the enemy.

१५.१२.१६

सादयित्वा परबलं कृत्वा च बलहर्षणम् ।
स्वभूमौ योजयेद्युद्धं परभूमौ तथैव च ॥

M N Dutt Knowing every thing about the enemy's sirength through spies, and examining his own strength himself, the king should begin war either within his own territories or within those of his cncmy.

१५.१२.१७

लब्धं प्रशमयेद्राजा निक्षिपेद्धनिनो नरान् ।
ज्ञात्वा स्वविषयं तं च सामादिभिरुपक्रमेत् ॥

M N Dutt The king should, always, please, his army, and hurl all his strongest warriors (against the cncmy). First determine the state of his kingdom, he should apply conciliation or the other well-known mean.

१५.१२.१८

सर्वथैव महाराज शरीरं धारयेदिह ।
प्रेत्येह चैव कर्तव्यमात्मनिःश्रेयसं परम् ॥

M N Dutt By all means, O king, should the body be protected. One should do what is highly beneficial for one both in this world and in the next.

१५.१२.१९

एवं कुर्वञ्शुभा वाचो लोकेऽस्मिञ्शृणुते नृपः ।
प्रेत्य स्वर्गं तथाप्नोति प्रजा धर्मेण पालयन् ॥

१५.१२.२०

एवं त्वया कुरुश्रेष्ठ वर्तितव्यं प्रजाहितम् ।
उभयोर्लोकयोस्तात प्राप्तये नित्यमेव च ॥

M N Dutt O foremost one of Kurus' race, it is thus that you should always seek the well-being of your subjects for attaining to both the worlds.

१५.१२.२१

भीष्मेण पूर्वमुक्तोऽसि कृष्णेन विदुरेण च ।
मयाप्यवश्यं वक्तव्यं प्रीत्या ते नृपसत्तम ॥

M N Dutt You have been instructed in all duties by Bhishma, by Krishna, and by Vidura, I should, also, O best of kings, from the affection I bear you, give you these instructions.

१५.१२.२२

एतत्सर्वं यथान्यायं कुर्वीथा भूरिदक्षिण ।
प्रियस्तथा प्रजानां त्वं स्वर्गे सुखमवाप्स्यसि ॥

M N Dutt O giver of profuse presents in sacrifices, you should duly do all this. You shall, by acting thus, become dear to your subjects and acquire happiness in the celestial region.

१५.१२.२३

अश्वमेधसहस्रेण यो यजेत्पृथिवीपतिः ।
पालयेद्वापि धर्मेण प्रजास्तुल्यं फलं लभेत् ॥

M N Dutt That king who worships the celestials in a hundred horse-sacrifices, and he who rules his subjects piously, acquire merit that is equal.

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