PANCHA TANTRA-MITRA BHEDAA-45

 SUBHASHITHANI:375

Pancha tantra is replete with slokas expounding the duties of a ruler ( Raja dharma ). Here in this blog also we will see a lot of that. Some of them are repetitions, intended perhaps to stress their importance.

अबलः प्रोन्नतं शत्रुं यो याति मद-मोहितः ।
युद्धार्थं स निवर्तेत शीर्ण-दन्तो यथा गजः ॥ ३७१ ॥

abalaḥ pronnataṃ śatruṃ yo yāti mada-mohitaḥ |
yuddhārthaṃ sa nivarteta śīrṇa-danto yathā gajaḥ || 371 ||

Infatuated by pride if one marches forth to destroy a powerful enemy, comes back, shorn of his pride, just as an elephant returns humbled with his broken tusks when trying to crush a rocky mountain.

सुहृदि निरन्तर-रचिते गुणवति भृत्येऽनुवर्तिनि कलत्रे ।
स्वामिनि शक्ति-समेते निवेद्य दुःखं सुखी भवति ॥ ३७२ ॥

suhṛdi nirantara-racite guṇavati bhṛtye'nuvartini kalatre |
svāmini śakti-samete nivedya duḥkhaṃ sukhī bhavati || 372 ||

If one confides his troubles to a stable-minded friend, or a dedicated servant, or a devoted wife, or a master with the strength to right a wrong, one will feel the consolation that he has done his duty.

क्व कस्य कर्म संवीक्ष्य करोत्य् अन्यो ऽपि गर्हितम् ।
गतानुगतिको लोको न लोकः पारमार्थिकः ॥ ३७३ ॥
kva kasya karma saṃvīkṣya karoty anyo 'pi garhitam |
gatānugatiko loko na lokaḥ pāramārthikaḥ || 373 ||
On seeing a foul deed done (with impunity by some one ) others also do the same; people blindly follow one another; rarely people care to know the truth.

चाटु-तस्कर-दुर्वृत्तैस् तथा साहसिकादिभिः ।
पीड्यमानाः प्रजा रक्ष्याः कटूच्छद्मादिभिस् तथा ॥ ३७४ ॥

cāṭu-taskara-durvṛttais tathā sāhasikādibhiḥ |
pīḍyamānāḥ prajā rakṣyāḥ kaṭūcchadmādibhis tathā || 374 ||

Subjects should be protected from being harassed by rogues, robbers and persons of wicked nature as also from machinations and frauds by tricksters.

प्रजानां धर्म-षड्-भागो राज्ञो भवति रक्षितुः ।
अधर्माद् अपि षड्-भागो जायते यो न रक्षति ॥ ३७५ ॥

prajānāṃ dharma-ṣaḍ-bhāgo rājño bhavati rakṣituḥ |
adharmād api ṣaḍ-bhāgo jāyate yo na rakṣati || 375 ||

A king who protects his subjects gets one sixth part of their religious merits; he also gets one sixth of their sins if he fails to protect them. (This is according to Manu smruti)

प्रजा-पीडन-सन्तापात् समुद्भूतो हुताशनः ।
राज्ञः श्रियं कुलं प्राणान् नादग्ध्वा विनिवर्तते ॥ ३७६ ॥

prajā-pīḍana-santāpāt samudbhūto hutāśanaḥ |
rājñaḥ śriyaṃ kulaṃ prāṇān nādagdhvā vinivartate || 376 ||

The distress caused by, the fire produced from the heat caused by the oppression of his subjects does not cease until it has destroyed the wealth, family, and even life.

( This is quoted from Yagya valkya smruti )

राजा बन्धुर् अबन्धूनां राजा चक्षुर् अचक्षुषाम् ।
राजा पिता च माता च सर्वेषां न्याय-वर्तिनाम् ॥ ३७७ ॥

rājā bandhur abandhūnāṃ rājā cakṣur acakṣuṣām |
rājā pitā ca mātā ca sarveṣāṃ nyāya-vartinām || 377 ||

The king is a relative to those who don't have kinsman; the king is the eye for those without eyes; the king is also mother and father for all those who abide by the law. 

फलार्थी पार्थिवो लोकान् पालयेद् यत्नम् आस्थितः ।
दान-मानादि-तोयेन मालाकारो ऽङ्कुरान् इव ॥ ३७८ ॥

phalārthī pārthivo lokān pālayed yatnam āsthitaḥ |
dāna-mānādi-toyena mālākāro 'ṅkurān iva || 378 ||

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.

यथा बीजाङ्कुरः सूक्ष्मः प्रत्नेनाभिरक्षितः ।
फल-प्रदो भवेत् काले तद्वल् लोकः सुरक्षितः ॥ ३७९ ॥
yathā bījāṅkuraḥ sūkṣmaḥ pratnenābhirakṣitaḥ |
phala-prado bhavet kāle tadval lokaḥ surakṣitaḥ || 379 ||
Just as the minute germ of a seed when nourished with care yields fruit in time so do subjects when well protected.

हिरण्य-धान्य-रत्नानि यानानि विविधानि च ।
तथान्यद् अपि यत् किञ्चित् प्रजाभ्यः स्यान् नृपस्य तत् ॥ ३८० ॥
hiraṇya-dhānya-ratnāni yānāni vividhāni ca |
tathānyad api yat kiñcit prajābhyaḥ syān nṛpasya tat || 380 ||
Gold, grains, gems, vehicles of various types and many other things of that sort, a king obtains from his people.

SRI KRISHNAYA THUBHYAM NAMAH