Verse 7.212

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

क्षेम्यां सस्यप्रदां नित्यं पशुवृद्धिकरीमपि ।
परित्यजेन्नृपो भूमिमात्मार्थमविचारयन् ॥ २१२ ॥

kṣemyāṃ sasyapradāṃ nityaṃ paśuvṛddhikarīmapi |
parityajennṛpo bhūmimātmārthamavicārayan || 212 ||

Even though the land (occupied by him) be safe, fertile and conducive to the increase of cattle, yet he shall quit it,—not minding his own selfish interests.—(212)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

Even though the land be as described he shall quit it without delay.

‘Safe’ — free from molestation at the hands of robbers and others.

‘Fertile’—productive of rich harvests, not dependent entirely upon rain.

‘Conducive to the increase of cattle’,—being in a wild state, and hence abounding in much fruit, or leaves or grass, the land becomes conducive to the increase of cattle; abounding in tradesmen and cultivators, free from famine and pestilence, and capable of maintaining large numbers of men (?)

This does not mean that he shall evacuate in a hurry the territory occupied by him; he should give up only that territory with regard to which he feels that if he continued to stay, the people of the land would try to recover it from him. So that as soon as he finds that evacuation would not mean any financial or strategical harm to himself and his allies, he shall, give up the territory even though it possesses all the qualities described above.—(212)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

This verse is quoted in Vīramitrodaya (Rājanīti, p. 412).