Verse 7.67-69

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation by Ganganath Jha:

स विद्यादस्य कृत्येषु निर्गूढेङ्गितचेष्टितैः ।
आकारमिङ्गितं चेष्टां भृत्येषु च चिकीर्षितम् ॥ ६७ ॥
बुद्ध्वा च सर्वं तत्त्वेन परराजचिकीर्षितम् ।
तथा प्रयत्नमातिष्ठेद् यथाऽत्मानं न पीडयेत् ॥ ६८ ॥
जाङ्गलं सस्यसम्पन्नमार्यप्रायमनाविलम् ।
रम्यमानतसामन्तं स्वाजीव्यं देशमावसेत् ॥ ६९ ॥

sa vidyādasya kṛtyeṣu nirgūḍheṅgitaceṣṭitaiḥ |
ākāramiṅgitaṃ ceṣṭāṃ bhṛtyeṣu ca cikīrṣitam || 67 ||
buddhvā ca sarvaṃ tattvena pararājacikīrṣitam |
tathā prayatnamātiṣṭhed yathā'tmānaṃ na pīḍayet || 68 ||
jāṅgalaṃ sasyasampannamāryaprāyamanāvilam |
ramyamānatasāmantaṃ svājīvyaṃ deśamāvaset || 69 ||

In connection with the business of the foreign king, he should explore, by means of secret hints and transactions, the expression, the hints and the transactions among his servants, as also the intentions of the king himself.—(67)

Having learnt all the precise intentions of the foreign king, he shall take such steps that he may not bring trouble to himself.—(68)

He shall take up residence in a country which is open, fully supplied with grains, inhabited almost entirely by men of gentle birth, free from diseases, pleasant, where the vassals are obedient and where living is easily found.—(69)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

(verse 6.67)

‘He’—the ambassador;—‘in connection with the business of the king’, who is going to be marched against by his employer.—(67)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

(verse 7.67)

‘Niguḍheṅgitaceṣṭitaiḥ’—‘By his own hidden gestures and actions’ (Govindarāja);—‘through the gestures and actions of the Confidential agents of the other party’ (Kullūka); — ‘through men who hide their own significant gestures and actions’ (Nandana).

This verse is quoted in Vīramitrodaya (Rājanīti, p. 188).

(verse 7.68)

The Bhāṣya on this verse has not been seen by us.

This verse is quoted in Vīramitrodaya (Rājanīti, p. 188).

According to Medhātithi (mentioned by Buhler), the verse refers to the Ambassador who should so act as not to bring evil upon his own party; while according to others it refers to the king. Kullūka leaves it doubtful.

(verse 7.69)

‘Jāṅgalam’—“The full definition of Jāṅgala is, according to a verse quoted by Govindarāja, Rāghavānanda and Kullūka, as below—‘That country is called Jāṅgala which has little water and grass, where strong breezes prevail, the heat is great, where rain and the like are abundant”—Buhler.

‘Anāvilam’—‘Where the people are not quarrelsome’ (Medhātithi, mentioned by Buhler; though the Bhāṣya on this verse also is not found in any of the printed editions, nor in any of the Mss. consulted by us);—‘not subject to epidemic diseases’ (Kullūka).

This verse is quoted in Vīramitrodaya (Rājanīti, p. 197), which quotes the defintion of ‘Jāṅgala’ noted above, and adds that the qualification that ‘water should be scarce’ is meant to indicate that such a place would be less likely to be attacked by the enemy; in the capital itself the supply of water should be abundant. It adds the following explanatory notes on the text:—The place should be fully supplied with ‘shasya’, i. e., with rich and fresh supplies of grains from the autumn, winter, spring and rain harvests;—it should be ‘āryaprāyam’, i.e., full of virtuous people;—‘anāvila’, i.e., free from all dangers from serpents, tigers and the like,—‘ramya,’ agreeable, pleasant,—‘ānatasāman ta’, ‘having all subsidiary kings fully won over by gifts of presents and honors’,—and ‘svājīvya’, ‘where means of agriculture and trade are easily procurable’;—in ‘deśamāvaset,’ the accusative ending is due to the root ‘vas’ being preceded by the preposition ‘ā.’

 

Comparative notes by various authors

(verse 7.69)

Viṣṇu (3.4-5).—‘The king shall fix his abode in a district containing open plains, fit for cattle and abounding in grain;—and inhabited by many Vaiśyas and Śūdras.’

Yājñavalkya (1.320).—‘He shall reside in a country which is open, pleasant, fit for cattle, and where living is easily found.’

Smṛtyantarā (Vīramitrodaya-Rājanīti, p. 197).—‘That country is called Jāṅgala where there are a few trees and a little water, many birds and many animals, and abundant heat and rain.’

Kāmandaka (4.54-56).—‘A country where living is cheap, soil fertile and copiously irrigated, which is situated at the foot of a hill, contains a large number of Śūdras, traders and artisans, where the farmers are enterprising and energetic,

which is loyal to its ruler and inhospitable to its enemies, which ungrudgingly bears taxation, extensive in area, crowded with foreigners, which is rich, pious and abounding in cattle, where the popular leaders are not foolish and voluptuous,—such a country is the best. The king should always endeavour to promote the welfare of such a land; for with its prosperity, the other constituents of the state also prosper.’

Kāmandaka (4.61).—‘A country having communications both by land and by water, and furnished with castles affording shelter to the royal family at the time of seige—such a country is suitable for the habitation of a king seeking prosperity.’

Śukraniti (1.425-428).—‘In a place that abounds in trees, plants and shrubs,—that is rich in cattle, birds and other animals,—that is equipped with a good supply of water and grains and is happily provided with resources in grass and fuel,—that is bestirred by the movements of boats to the seas, and is not very far from the hills, and is on level ground, a picturesque plain,—the king shall build his capital.’

Matsya-purāṇa (Do., p. 198).—‘The king having appointed his assistants, shall take up his residence in a country which is supplied with abundant fodder and fuel, pleasant, where the vassals are obedient, and which is centrally situated; where the population consists largely of Vaiśyas and Śūdras, nor liable to attack by enemies, containing a few Brāhmaṇas and many labourers; which is not dependent totally upon rain, inhabited by men devoted to the king, not over-taxed, and supplied with plenty of fruits and flowers; nor accessible to the armies of others, where happiness and unhappiness are equable; which is free from reptiles, wild animals and thieves;—as far as possible, the king shall take up his residence in such a country.’

Viṣṇudharmottara (Do.).—‘The king, along with his assistants, shall take up his residence in a country which is suitable for cattle, open, pleasant, inhabited principally by Vaiśyas and Śūdras, free from diseases.’

Arthaśāstra (8.109).—‘Either an old settlement or a new one he shall get inhabited either by importing men from other countries or by overflowings from his own country; the village shall be inhabited mostly by Śūdras and cultivators; consisting of not less than a hundred and not more than five hundred families, with boundaries extending over two or four miles and well marked by trees, hills, etc.’