Verse 7.104

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

अमाययैव वर्तेत न कथं चन मायया ।
बुध्येतारिप्रयुक्तां च मायां नित्यं सुसंवृतः ॥ १०४ ॥

amāyayaiva varteta na kathaṃ cana māyayā |
budhyetāriprayuktāṃ ca māyāṃ nityaṃ susaṃvṛtaḥ || 104 ||

He shall always behave without guile, and never with guile; well protected himself, he shall fathom the guiles employed by his enemies.—(104)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

‘Māyā’, ‘guile’, is Treachery; with that he shall never behave; as by doing so, he would not be trustworthy. Nor shall he try to alienate the subjects of other kings, until their inclinations have been ascertained. But ‘the guiles employed by his enemies he shall fathom’ and understand in their true character; and having found out the guiles, he should proceed to win over the enemy’s men.

The modus operandi of this is fourfold—as through (a) the angry, (b) he covetous, (c). the frightened and (d) the ill-treated.

(a) When a man has done some artistic work, or some one has done something beneficial to the king,—such persona are either (1) cheated, or (2) presented with reward, or (3) ill-treated, and at this other artists and helpers also become angry—at the thought that—‘this king does not appreciate our art or help’. Such persons an fit for being approached for alienation. Similarly when a person, hitherto honoured and treated with affection, comes to fall off from honour and office, his friends and relations banished, himself imprisoned along with his family, his entire property confiscated,—and another person with similar qualifications becomes honoured in his place,—then the former and others like him constitute the ‘angry’.

(b) When a wicked act has been done by some person, and he has been punished, other persons, who have committed the same offence are in constant dread of that same punishment; similarly persons in high office, who may have failed in their duty, and others in like position constitute the ‘frightened’ set.

(c) The poverty-stricken, the miserly, the profligate, the man immersed in debt and so forth constitute the ‘covetous’ set.

(d) When the Self-respecting person, seeking honour at the bunds of the King’s enemy, is ‘on the contrary) struck by him, he, being of a fiery temper and brave, becomes highly incensed at such treatment;—such persons constitute the ‘ill-treated’ set.

The King shall attempt the alienation of all such persons from the other King; and at the same time he shall take care regarding similar people on his own side.—(104)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

Buhler remarks that “Medhātithi reads atandritaḥ,” but there is nothing in Bhāṣya to indicate this.

This verse is quoted in Vīramitrodaya (Rājanīti, p. 134), which explains ‘amāyayā’ as ‘without guile’, ‘varteta,’ as ‘should behave i.e., towards his counsellors and others’;—and in Parāśaramādhava (Ācāra, p. 413).

 

Comparative notes by various authors

Yama (Vīramitrodaya-Rājanīti, p. 134).—‘The king shall be equally impartial to all beings, knowing what is right and what is wrong.’