Chapter 56

vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca |
praṇipatya hṛṣīkeśamabhivādya pitāmaham |
anumānya gurūnsarvānparyapṛcchadyudhiṣṭhiraḥ || 1 ||
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rājyaṃ vai paramo dharma iti dharmavido viduḥ |
mahāntametaṃ bhāraṃ ca manye tadbrūhi pārthiva || 2 ||
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rājadharmānviśeṣeṇa kathayasva pitāmaha |
sarvasya jīvalokasya rājadharmāḥ parāyaṇam || 3 ||
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trivargo'tra samāsakto rājadharmeṣu kaurava |
mokṣadharmaśca vispaṣṭaḥ sakalo'tra samāhitaḥ || 4 ||
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yathā hi raśmayo'śvasya dviradasyāṅkuśo yathā |
narendradharmo lokasya tathā pragrahaṇaṃ smṛtam || 5 ||
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atra vai saṃpramūḍhe tu dharme rājarṣisevite |
lokasya saṃsthā na bhavetsarvaṃ ca vyākulaṃ bhavet || 6 ||
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udayanhi yathā sūryo nāśayatyāsuraṃ tamaḥ |
rājadharmāstathālokyāmākṣipantyaśubhāṃ gatim || 7 ||
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tadagre rājadharmāṇāmarthatattvaṃ pitāmaha |
prabrūhi bharataśreṣṭha tvaṃ hi buddhimatāṃ varaḥ || 8 ||
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āgamaśca parastvattaḥ sarveṣāṃ naḥ paraṃtapa |
bhavantaṃ hi paraṃ buddhau vāsudevo'bhimanyate || 9 ||
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bhīṣma uvāca |
namo dharmāya mahate namaḥ kṛṣṇāya vedhase |
brāhmaṇebhyo namaskṛtya dharmānvakṣyāmi śāśvatān || 10 ||
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śṛṇu kārtsnyena mattastvaṃ rājadharmānyudhiṣṭhira |
nirucyamānānniyato yaccānyadabhivāñchasi || 11 ||
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ādāveva kuruśreṣṭha rājñā rañjanakāmyayā |
devatānāṃ dvijānāṃ ca vartitavyaṃ yathāvidhi || 12 ||
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daivatānyarcayitvā hi brāhmaṇāṃśca kurūdvaha |
ānṛṇyaṃ yāti dharmasya lokena ca sa mānyate || 13 ||
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utthāne ca sadā putra prayatethā yudhiṣṭhira |
na hyutthānamṛte daivaṃ rājñāmarthaprasiddhaye || 14 ||
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sādhāraṇaṃ dvayaṃ hyetaddaivamutthānameva ca |
pauruṣaṃ hi paraṃ manye daivaṃ niścityamucyate || 15 ||
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vipanne ca samārambhe saṃtāpaṃ mā sma vai kṛthāḥ |
ghaṭate vinayastāta rājñāmeṣa nayaḥ paraḥ || 16 ||
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na hi satyādṛte kiṃcidrājñāṃ vai siddhikāraṇam |
satye hi rājā nirataḥ pretya ceha ca nandati || 17 ||
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ṛṣīṇāmapi rājendra satyameva paraṃ dhanam |
tathā rājñaḥ paraṃ satyānnānyadviśvāsakāraṇam || 18 ||
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guṇavāñśīlavāndānto mṛdurdharmyo jitendriyaḥ |
sudarśaḥ sthūlalakṣyaśca na bhraśyeta sadā śriyaḥ || 19 ||
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ārjavaṃ sarvakāryeṣu śrayethāḥ kurunandana |
punarnayavicāreṇa trayīsaṃvaraṇena ca || 20 ||
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mṛdurhi rājā satataṃ laṅghyo bhavati sarvaśaḥ |
tīkṣṇāccodvijate lokastasmādubhayamācara || 21 ||
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adaṇḍyāścaiva te nityaṃ viprāḥ syurdadatāṃ vara |
bhūtametatparaṃ loke brāhmaṇā nāma bhārata || 22 ||
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manunā cāpi rājendra gītau ślokau mahātmanā |
dharmeṣu sveṣu kauravya hṛdi tau kartumarhasi || 23 ||
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adbhyo'gnirbrahmataḥ kṣatramaśmano lohamutthitam |
teṣāṃ sarvatragaṃ tejaḥ svāsu yoniṣu śāmyati || 24 ||
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ayo hanti yadāśmānamagniścāpo'bhipadyate |
brahma ca kṣatriyo dveṣṭi tadā sīdanti te trayaḥ || 25 ||
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etajjñātvā mahārāja namasyā eva te dvijāḥ |
bhaumaṃ brahma dvijaśreṣṭhā dhārayanti śamānvitāḥ || 26 ||
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evaṃ caiva naravyāghra lokatantravighātakāḥ |
nigrāhyā eva satataṃ bāhubhyāṃ ye syurīdṛśāḥ || 27 ||
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ślokau cośanasā gītau purā tāta maharṣiṇā |
tau nibodha mahāprājña tvamekāgramanā nṛpa || 28 ||
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udyamya śastramāyāntamapi vedāntagaṃ raṇe |
nigṛhṇīyātsvadharmeṇa dharmāpekṣī nareśvaraḥ || 29 ||
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vinaśyamānaṃ dharmaṃ hi yo rakṣati sa dharmavit |
na tena bhrūṇahā sa syānmanyustaṃ manumṛcchati || 30 ||
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evaṃ caiva naraśreṣṭha rakṣyā eva dvijātayaḥ |
svaparāddhānapi hi tānviṣayānte samutsṛjet || 31 ||
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abhiśastamapi hyeṣāṃ kṛpāyīta viśāṃ pate |
brahmaghne gurutalpe ca bhrūṇahatye tathaiva ca || 32 ||
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rājadviṣṭe ca viprasya viṣayānte visarjanam |
vidhīyate na śārīraṃ bhayameṣāṃ kadācana || 33 ||
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dayitāśca narāste syurnityaṃ puruṣasattama |
na kośaḥ paramo hyanyo rājñāṃ puruṣasaṃcayāt || 34 ||
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durgeṣu ca mahārāja ṣaṭsu ye śāstraniścitāḥ |
sarveṣu teṣu manyante naradurgaṃ sudustaram || 35 ||
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tasmānnityaṃ dayā kāryā cāturvarṇye vipaścitā |
dharmātmā satyavākcaiva rājā rañjayati prajāḥ || 36 ||
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na ca kṣāntena te bhāvyaṃ nityaṃ puruṣasattama |
adharmyo hi mṛdū rājā kṣamāvāniva kuñjaraḥ || 37 ||
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bārhaspatye ca śāstre vai ślokā viniyatāḥ purā |
asminnarthe mahārāja tanme nigadataḥ śṛṇu || 38 ||
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kṣamamāṇaṃ nṛpaṃ nityaṃ nīcaḥ paribhavejjanaḥ |
hastiyantā gajasyeva śira evārurukṣati || 39 ||
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tasmānnaiva mṛdurnityaṃ tīkṣṇo vāpi bhavennṛpaḥ |
vasante'rka iva śrīmānna śīto na ca gharmadaḥ || 40 ||
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pratyakṣeṇānumānena tathaupamyopadeśataḥ |
parīkṣyāste mahārāja sve pare caiva sarvadā || 41 ||
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vyasanāni ca sarvāṇi tyajethā bhūridakṣiṇa |
na caiva na prayuñjīta saṅgaṃ tu parivarjayet || 42 ||
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nityaṃ hi vyasanī loke paribhūto bhavatyuta |
udvejayati lokaṃ cāpyatidveṣī mahīpatiḥ || 43 ||
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bhavitavyaṃ sadā rājñā garbhiṇīsahadharmiṇā |
kāraṇaṃ ca mahārāja śṛṇu yenedamiṣyate || 44 ||
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yathā hi garbhiṇī hitvā svaṃ priyaṃ manaso'nugam |
garbhasya hitamādhatte tathā rājñāpyasaṃśayam || 45 ||
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vartitavyaṃ kuruśreṣṭha nityaṃ dharmānuvartinā |
svaṃ priyaṃ samabhityajya yadyallokahitaṃ bhavet || 46 ||
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na saṃtyājyaṃ ca te dhairyaṃ kadācidapi pāṇḍava |
dhīrasya spaṣṭadaṇḍasya na hyājñā pratihanyate || 47 ||
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parihāsaśca bhṛtyaiste na nityaṃ vadatāṃ vara |
kartavyo rājaśārdūla doṣamatra hi me śṛṇu || 48 ||
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avamanyanti bhartāraṃ saṃharṣādupajīvinaḥ |
sve sthāne na ca tiṣṭhanti laṅghayanti hi tadvacaḥ || 49 ||
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preṣyamāṇā vikalpante guhyaṃ cāpyanuyuñjate |
ayācyaṃ caiva yācante'bhojyānyāhārayanti ca || 50 ||
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krudhyanti paridīpyanti bhūmimadhyāsate'sya ca |
utkocairvañcanābhiśca kāryāṇyanuvihanti ca || 51 ||
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jarjaraṃ cāsya viṣayaṃ kurvanti pratirūpakaiḥ |
strīrakṣibhiśca sajjante tulyaveṣā bhavanti ca || 52 ||
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vātaṃ ca ṣṭhīvanaṃ caiva kurvate cāsya saṃnidhau |
nirlajjā naraśārdūla vyāharanti ca tadvacaḥ || 53 ||
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hayaṃ vā dantinaṃ vāpi rathaṃ nṛpatisaṃmatam |
adhirohantyanādṛtya harṣule pārthive mṛdau || 54 ||
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idaṃ te duṣkaraṃ rājannidaṃ te durviceṣṭitam |
ityevaṃ suhṛdo nāma bruvanti pariṣadgatāḥ || 55 ||
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kruddhe cāsminhasantyeva na ca hṛṣyanti pūjitāḥ |
saṃgharṣaśīlāśca sadā bhavantyanyonyakāraṇāt || 56 ||
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visraṃsayanti mantraṃ ca vivṛṇvanti ca duṣkṛtam |
līlayā caiva kurvanti sāvajñāstasya śāsanam |
alaṃkaraṇabhojyaṃ ca tathā snānānulepanam || 57 ||
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helamānā naravyāghra svasthāstasyopaśṛṇvate |
nindanti svānadhīkārānsaṃtyajanti ca bhārata || 58 ||
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na vṛttyā parituṣyanti rājadeyaṃ haranti ca |
krīḍituṃ tena cecchanti sasūtreṇeva pakṣiṇā |
asmatpraṇeyo rājeti loke caiva vadantyuta || 59 ||
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ete caivāpare caiva doṣāḥ prādurbhavantyuta |
nṛpatau mārdavopete harṣule ca yudhiṣṭhira || 60 ||
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