PANCHA TANTRA-MITRA BHEDAA-30

 SUBHASHITHANI:352

THE STORY OF THE LION AND THE HARE

Through this story, Some aspects of 'Raja Dharma' are being discussed in the ensuing slokas:

यस्य बुद्धिर्बलं तस्य निर्बुद्धेस्तु कुतो बलम् ।
वने सिंहो मदोन्मत्तः शशकेन निपातितः ॥१.२३७॥

yasya buddhir balaṃ tasya nirbuddhes tu kuto balam |
vane siṃho madonmattaḥ śaśakena nipātitaḥ || 237 ||

He who has intelligence has strength (power), where is power in a fool?
In the forest a proud lion was fooled by a rabbit and met with his death.

शनैः शनैश्च यो राज्यमुपभुङ्क्ते यथाबलम् ।
रसायनमिव प्राज्ञः स पुष्टिं परमां व्रजेत् ॥१.२३८॥

śanaiḥ śanaiś ca yo rājyam upabhuṅkte yathā-balam |
rasāyanam iva prājñaḥ sa puṣṭiṃ paramāṃ vrajet || 238 ||

A king should not seek to enrich is treasury all at once but consider his resources and strength, and should draw as much money from his subjects as he can do with safety and that too by gentle means. Just like one would take a potent medicine only in small doses.

विधिना मन्त्रयुक्तेन रूक्षापि मथितापि च ।
प्रयच्छति फलं भूमिररणीव हुताशनम् ॥१.२३९॥

vidhinā mantra-yuktena rūkṣāpi mathitāpi ca |
prayacchati phalaṃ bhūmir araṇīva hutāśanam || 239 ||

By following the dharmic rules and consulting the ministers, a king can improve the resources  of the state by taxation even during hard times, just as fire is  produced by churning arani wood for producing the sacrificial fire.

प्रजानां पालनं शस्यं स्वर्गकोशस्य वर्धनम् ।
पीडनं धर्मनाशाय पापायायशसे स्थितम् ॥१.२४०॥

prajānāṃ pālanaṃ śasyaṃ svarga-kośasya vardhanam |
pīḍanaṃ dharma-nāśāya pāpāyāyaśase sthitam || 240 ||
The protection of subjects conduces to glory and swells the treasure in the form of heaven; but their suppression leads to the destruction of religious merits and to sin an infamy.

गोपालेन प्रजाधेनोर्वित्तदुग्धं शनैः शनैः ।
पालनात्पोषणाद्ग्राह्यं न्याय्यां वृत्तिं समाचरेत् ॥१.२४१॥

gopālena prajādhenor vitta-dugdhaṃ śanaiḥ śanaiḥ |
pālanāt poṣaṇād grāhyaṃ nyāyyāṃ vṛttiṃ samācaret || 241 ||
The king-cowherd should take the milk in the shape of wealth of the cow of subjects  gradually protecting and nourishing her at the same time ; and he should follow the course of justice.

अजामिव प्रजां मोहाद्यो हन्यात्पृथिवीपतिम् ।
तस्यैका जायते तृप्तिर्न द्वितीया कथञ्चन ॥१.२४२॥

ajām iva prajāṃ mohād yo hanyāt pṛthivī-patim |
tasyaikā jāyate tṛptir na dvitīyā kathañcana || 242 ||

A king, who, through a wrong sense of his authority, destroys his subjects like a goat, will enjoy pleasure but once and not a second time at all. 

फलार्थी नृपतिर्लोकान् पालयेद्यत्नमास्थितः ।
दानमानादितोयेन मालाकारोऽङ्कुरानिव ॥१.२४३॥
phalārthī nṛpatir lokān pālayed yatnam āsthitaḥ |
dāna-mānādi-toyena mālākāro 'ṅkurān iva || 243 ||

A king desirous of benefit should with special efforts, look after the growth of his subjects with the water of gifts and honour, just as a gardener, wishing for fruit, tends the young saplings with special care by pruning them, and by keeping them in good order and by supplying with water.

नृपदीपो धनस्नेहं प्रजाभ्यः संहरन्नपि ।
आन्तरस्थैर्गुणैः शुभ्रैर्लक्ष्यते नैव केनचित् ॥१.२४४॥
nṛpa-dīpo dhana-snehaṃ prajābhyaḥ saṃharann api |
āntara-sthair guṇaiḥ śubhrair lakṣyate naiva kenacit || 244 ||
A king acting the part of a lamp although drawing up oil in the form of wealth from  his subjects is not observed to do so by any one by reason of his intrinsic bright qualities.

SRI KRISHNAYA THUBHYAM NAMAH