Verse 7.203

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

प्रमाणानि च कुर्वीत तेषां धर्मान् यथोदितान् ।
रत्नैश्च पूजयेदेनं प्रधानपुरुषैः सह ॥ २०३ ॥

pramāṇāni ca kurvīta teṣāṃ dharmān yathoditān |
ratnaiśca pūjayedenaṃ pradhānapuruṣaiḥ saha || 203 ||

He shall make authoritative all that is declared to have been lawful (in the kingdom), and shall honor with precious gifts the king along with the leading men.—(203).

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

All the customs relating to the property of Brāhmaṇas or temples, and to the duties of the people that may have been prevalent in the kingdom from before,—all those he shall confirm, ‘make authoritative’. By so doing, they become attached to him;—and the ‘lending men’ that may he there,—their importance being due to their being rich in their belongings and in the size of their family and such other qualifications,—along with these, the new king shall be honoured with presents of weapons, money, grains, ornaments, conveyances, umbrella, throne, crown and so forth.—(203)

The next verse explains why precious gifts are to be made to the people.

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

This verse is quoted in Vīramitrodaya (Rājanīti, p. 410), which adds the following notes:—‘Teṣām,’ ‘of the other king,’—‘yathoditān,’ ‘as handed down by his family-traditions,’—‘dharmān,’ ‘practices, customs,’—these he should make the ‘pramāṇāni’, the authority, by way of oath, i.e., he should administer the oath in such words as—‘if you act contrary to this compact of yours, you fall off from such and such high morality and custom handed down by your family-traditions.’—It suggests also another explanation of the verse as as follows—‘Teṣām,’ ‘of the former king’—‘yathoditān dharmān,’ ‘the administrative measures taken for the grant of livings to Brāhmaṇas, ministers and others,’—these he should ‘pramāṇani kurvīta,’ ‘declare to be inviolable.’

It is quoted in Nṛsiṃhaprasāda (Saṃskāra, p. 73b).

 

Comparative notes by various authors

Viṣṇu (3.42).—‘Having conquered the enemy’s country, he should not disregard the laws of that country.’

Yājñavalkya (1.342).—‘When a country lias been conquered by the King, he should preserve the observances, laws and customs of the place.’

Arthaśāstra (Trans. Shama Śastri, p. 491).—‘Having acquired new territory, he should cover the enemy’s vices with his own virtues... by strict observance of his own duties, by bestowing rewards, by remitting taxes, by giving gifts and by bestowing honours. He should follow the friends and leaders of the people... He should adopt the same mode of life, the same dress, language and customs as those of the people.’

Kāmandaka (2.35).—‘A king protecting the Varṇas and Āśramas and living according to their usages and knowing their duties, becomes worthy of place in Indra’s heaven.’