PEACE-सन्धिः-SANDHIH-5 (Hitopadesa)

 SUBHASHITHANI:594

संहतत्वाद् यथा वेणुर् निविडैः कण्टकैर् वृतः ।
न शक्यते समुच्छेत्तुं भ्रातृ-सङ्घातवांस् तथा ॥ ३१ ॥

saṃhatatvād yathā veṇur niviḍaiḥ kaṇṭakair vṛtaḥ |
na śakyate samucchettuṃ bhrātṛ-saṅghātavāṃs tathā ||4.31 ||

Just as a thick bamboo surrounded by thorns cannot be cut easily; neither can he who has union with many brothers.

बलिना सह योद्धव्यम् इति नास्ति निदर्शनम् ।
प्रतिवातं न हि घनः कदाचिद् उपसर्पति ॥ ३२ ॥
balinā saha yoddhavyam iti nāsti nidarśanam |
prativātaṃ na hi ghanaḥ kadācid upasarpati || 4.32 ||
There is no such injunction stating’ you shall fight with the mighty’; the cloud never moves against the wind.

जमदग्नेः सुतस्येव सर्वः सर्वत्र सर्वदा ।
अनेक-युद्ध-जयिनः प्रतापाद् एव भज्यते ॥ ३३ ॥
jamadagneḥ sutasyeva sarvaḥ sarvatra sarvadā |
aneka-yuddha-jayinaḥ pratāpād eva bhajyate || 4.33 ||
Through the prowess of One who has won many battles like the son of Jamadagni, every one, everywhere, at all times can be subjugated.

अनेक-युद्ध-विजयी सन्धानं यस्य गच्छति ।
तत्-प्रतापेन तस्याशु वशम् आयान्ति शत्रवः ॥ ३४ ॥

aneka-yuddha-vijayī sandhānaṃ yasya gacchati |
tat-pratāpena tasyāśu vaśam āyānti śatravaḥ || 4.34 ||

The one who makes alliance with one who has won many battles, enemies, because of that strength, quickly surrender to him.

The next five slokas should be read together:

Twenty people with whom peace is not  recommended:

बालो वृद्धो दीर्घ-रोगी तथाज्ञाति-बहिष्कृतः ।
भीरुको भीरुक-जनो लुब्धो लुब्ध-जनस् तथा ॥ ३५ ॥

bālo vṛddho dīrgha-rogī tathājñāti-bahiṣkṛtaḥ |
bhīruko bhīruka-jano lubdho lubdha-janas tathā || 4.35 ||

A child, an old man, one suffering chronic disease, one who has been ex-communicated from his community, a coward, one with cowardly people, greedy, one with greedy servants…

विरक्त-प्रकृतिश् चैव विषयेष्व् अतिसक्तिमान् ।
अनेक-चित्त-मन्त्रस् तु देव-ब्राह्मण-निन्दकः ॥ ३६ ॥

virakta-prakṛtiś caiva viṣayeṣv atisaktimān |
aneka-citta-mantras tu deva-brāhmaṇa-nindakaḥ || 4.36 ||

one whose servants are disgruntled, addicted to sensual pleasures, one who is fickle minded to various counsels, and a despiser of gods and brahmanas….

दैवोपहतकश् चैव तथा दैव-परायणः ।
दुर्भिक्ष-व्यसनोपेतो बल-व्यसन-सङ्कुलः ॥ ३७ ॥

daivopahatakaś caiva tathā daiva-parāyaṇaḥ |
durbhikṣa-vyasanopeto bala-vyasana-saṅkulaḥ || 4.37 ||

One condemned by fate, a fatalist, one suffering from famine, one troubled by a disorganised army….

अदेशस्थो बहु-रिपुर् युक्तः कालेन यश् च न ।
सत्य-धर्म-व्यपेतश् च विंशतिः पुरुषा अमी ॥ ३८ ॥

adeśastho bahu-ripur yuktaḥ kālena yaś ca na |
satya-dharma-vyapetaś ca viṃśatiḥ puruṣā amī || 4.38 ||

One who is staying outside his country, one with many enemies, one who does not have favourable time, one swerving from truth and morality, - these are the twenty…

एतैः सन्धिं न कुर्वीत विगृह्णीयात् तु केवलम् ।
एते विगृह्यमाणा हि क्षिप्रं यान्ति रिपोर् वशम् ॥ ३९ ॥

etaiḥ sandhiṃ na kurvīta vigṛhṇīyāt tu kevalam |
ete vigṛhyamāṇā hi kṣipraṃ yānti ripor vaśam ||4.39 ||

One should not make peace with but fight on; these, being warred against, quickly surrender to the enemy.

SRI KRISHNAYA THUBHYAM NAMAH

PEACE-सन्धिः-SANDHIH-4 (Hitopadesa)

 SUBHASHITHANI:593

सन्धिम् इच्छेत् समेनापि सन्दिग्धो विजयो युधि ।
नहि संशयितं कुर्याद् इत्य् उवाच बृहस्पतिः ॥ २४ ॥

sandhim icchet samenāpi sandigdho vijayo yudhi |
nahi saṃśayitaṃ kuryād ity uvāca bṛhaspatiḥ || 4.24 ||

One should desire peace with equals; victory in war is not certain. Therefore one should not jeopardise one’s advantage, so says Brihaspati.

युद्धे विनाशो भवति कदाचिद् उभयोर् अपि ।
सुन्दोप-सुन्दाव् अन्योन्यं नष्टौ तुल्य-बलौ न किम् ॥ २५ ॥
yuddhe vināśo bhavati kadācid ubhayor api |
sundopa-sundāv anyonyaṃ naṣṭau tulya-balau na kim || 4.25 ||
In battle both sides face destruction; for were not Sunda and Upasunda, of equal valour, ruined each other.

ज्ञान-श्रेष्ठो द्विजः पूज्यः क्षत्रियो बलवान् अपि ।
धन-धान्याधिको वैश्यः शूद्रस् तु द्विज-सेवया ॥ २६ ॥

jñāna-śreṣṭho dvijaḥ pūjyaḥ kṣatriyo balavān api |
dhana-dhānyādhiko vaiśyaḥ śūdras tu dvija-sevayā || 4.26 ||

A brahmana is respected for his knowledge, kshatriya for his valour, a Vaishya for his wealth and grains, a shudra for his service to vedic pundits.

सत्यार्थौ धार्मिको ऽनार्यो भ्रातृ-सङ्हातवान् बली ।
अनेक-युद्ध-विजयी सन्धेयाः सप्त कीर्तिताः ॥ २७ ॥

satyārthau dhārmiko 'nāryo bhrātṛ-saṅhātavān balī |
aneka-yuddha-vijayī sandheyāḥ sapta kīrtitāḥ || 4.27 ||

A truthful person, virtuous, one who is mean minded, one with many brothers, a strong person, and one who has won many battles,- these seven kings are said to be fit for forging an alliance.

सत्यो ऽनुपालयन् सत्यं सन्धितो नैति विक्रियाम् ।
प्राण-बाधेऽपि सुव्यक्तम् आर्यो नायात्य् अनार्थताम् ॥ २८ ॥

satyo 'nupālayan satyaṃ sandhito naiti vikriyām |
prāṇa-bādhe'pi suvyaktam āryo nāyāty anārthatām || 4.28 ||

One who is truthful is always truthful, and will not swerve from truth after an alliance; the noble minded, will not resort to ignominious ways even when his life is threatened.

धार्मिकस्याभियुक्तस्य सर्व एव हि युध्यते ।
प्रजानुरागाद् धर्माच् च दुःखोच्छेद्यो हि धार्मिकः ॥ २९ ॥

dhārmikasyābhiyuktasya sarva eva hi yudhyate |
prajānurāgād dharmāc ca duḥkhocchedyo hi dhārmikaḥ || 4.29 ||

Everyone will fight for a righteous man when attacked. Both from his virtue and from the affection of his subjects, a virtuous person is difficult to be injured.

सन्धिः कार्यो ऽप्य् अनार्येण विनाशे समुपस्थिते ।
विना तस्याश्रयेणार्यो न कुर्यात् काल-यापनम् ॥ ३० ॥

sandhiḥ kāryo 'py anāryeṇa vināśe samupasthite |
vinā tasyāśrayeṇāryo na kuryāt kāla-yāpanam || 4.30 ||

When faced with destruction an alliance with mean minded can be forged; one cannot gain time without recourse to that.

SRI KRISHNAYA THUBHYAM NAMAH

PEACE-सन्धिः-SANDHIH-3 (Hitopadesa)

 SUBHASHITHANI:592

भक्षयित्वा बहून् मत्स्यान् उत्तमाधम-मध्यमान् ।
अतिलोभाद् बकः पश्चान् मृतः कर्कटक-ग्रहात् ॥ १६ ॥

bhakṣayitvā bahūn matsyān uttamādhama-madhyamān |
atilobhād bakaḥ paścān mṛtaḥ karkaṭaka-grahāt || 4.16 ||

After swallowing several fishes best, average and bad, due to excessive greed, a foolish crane got killed by grabbing a crab.

उपकर्त्रारिणा सन्धिर् न मित्रेणापकारिणा ।
उपकारापकारो हि लक्ष्यं लक्षणम् एतयोः ॥ १७ ॥
upakartrāriṇā sandhir na mitreṇāpakāriṇā |
upakārāpakāro hi lakṣyaṃ lakṣaṇam etayoḥ || 4.17 ||
Association with a helping enemy is better than having a betraying friend. Helping or injuring is the characteristics for deciding whether one is an enemy or friend.

तावद् भयेन भेतव्यं यावद् भयम् अनागतम् ।
आगतं तु भयं दृष्ट्वा प्रहरत्वयम् अभीतिवत् ॥ १८ ॥
tāvad bhayena bhetavyaṃ yāvad bhayam anāgatam |
āgataṃ tu bhayaṃ dṛṣṭvā praharatvayam abhītivat || 4.18 ||
One should fear possible danger only when it has still not arrived; once the danger has arrived one should face it without fear.

अभियुक्तो यदा पश्येन् न किञ्चिद् गतिम् आत्मनः ।
युध्यमानस् तदा प्राज्ञो म्रियते रिपुणा सह ॥ १९ ॥

abhiyukto yadā paśyen na kiñcid gatim ātmanaḥ |
yudhyamānas tadā prājño mriyate ripuṇā saha || 4.19 ||

When faced with no other alternative while fighting an enemy, a wise man dies fighting with the enemy.

अनागतवतीं चिन्तां कृत्वा यस् तु प्रहृष्यति ।
स तिरस्कारम् आप्नोति भग्न-भाण्डो द्विजो यथा ॥ २० ॥

anāgatavatīṃ cintāṃ kṛtvā yas tu prahṛṣyati |
sa tiraskāram āpnoti bhagna-bhāṇḍo dvijo yathā || 4.20 ||

One who day-dreams about what is yet to happen,  will suffer like the brahmin who broke the pots.

मदोद्धतस्य नृपतेः प्रकीर्णस्येव दन्तिनः ।
गच्छन्त्य् उन्मार्ग-यातस्य नेतारः खलु वाच्यताम् ॥ २१ ॥

madoddhatasya nṛpateḥ prakīrṇasyeva dantinaḥ |
gacchanty unmārga-yātasya netāraḥ khalu vācyatām || 4.21 ||

A king, possessed with pride like a mad elephant, will blame his advisers without rhyme or reason.

यो हि धर्मं पुरस्कृत्य हित्वा भर्तुः प्रियाप्रिये ।
अप्रियाण्य् आह पथ्यानि तेन राजा सहायवान् ॥ २२ ॥

yo hi dharmaṃ puraskṛtya hitvā bhartuḥ priyāpriye |
apriyāṇy āha pathyāni tena rājā sahāyavān || 4.22 ||

One who sticks to his duty, without thinking what the master’s likes and dislikes are, and offers wholesome advice, which may be unpleasant, is a real friend of the king.

We have an excellent sloka from Ramayana which is very similar:

सुलभाः पुरुषा राजन्, सततं प्रियवादिनः ।
अप्रियस्य तु पथ्यस्य, वक्ता श्रोता च दुर्लभः ॥
sulabhAH puruShA rAjan, satataM priyavAdinaH |
apriyasya tu pathyasya, vaktA shrotA cha durlabhaH ||Ramayana

O King, abundant are yes-men, always pleasant spoken,
Rare are the speakers and listeners of the unpleasant but medicinal (truth).

सुहृद्-बलं तथा राज्यम् आत्मानं कीर्तिम् एव च ।
युधि सन्देहदोलास्थं को हि कुर्याद् अबालिशः ॥ २३ ॥

suhṛd-balaṃ tathā rājyam ātmānaṃ kīrtim eva ca |
yudhi sandehadolāsthaṃ ko hi kuryād abāliśaḥ || 4.23 ||

Who except the childish would place in the swing of uncertainty, an ally, his army, his kingdom,himself and his fame?

SRI KRISHNAYA THUBHYAM NAMAH