Verse 7.176

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

यदि तत्रापि सम्पश्येद् दोषं संश्रयकारितम् ।
सुयुद्धमेव तत्रापि निर्विशङ्कः समाचरेत् ॥ १७६ ॥

yadi tatrāpi sampaśyed doṣaṃ saṃśrayakāritam |
suyuddhameva tatrāpi nirviśaṅkaḥ samācaret || 176 ||

If even there he should perceive something wrong on the part of his shelterer, then, even in that condition he shall, without hesitation, resort to war.—(176)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

If even in that seeking of refuge he should ‘perceive’—feel—‘something wrong on the part of his shelterer’; &c. &c. The signs indicating such ‘wrong’ are the following:—

‘Repentance after having given the shelter, Kṛtapurvahomam (?), showing disrespect, describing misdeeds, inattention, disagreeable speech,—these are the acts of the unfavourable man,

Thus when the shelterer is found to be unfavourably inclined,—although the shelterer be, in reality, free from anything actually wrong,—this is what is implied by the term ‘api’, ‘even—at such a time he shall, without any hesitation, have recourse to war. Nor is it necessary that the man should suffer destruction after having been reduced to a condition necessitating his taking shelter; because even a stronger man is sometimes found to be defeated by the weaker. In any case, the final result is bound to be favourable: if he wins, he regains his kingdom, if he is defeated, he is sure to attain heaven. We are going to show later on the excellence of war.

From among the six ‘measures of policy’ the king may resort to one or the other, and regulate his marches according to his capacity.—(176)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

This verse is quoted in Vīramitrodaya (Rājanīti, p. 328);—and in Nītimayūkha (p. 58).