Mahabharata · Chapter 12.130
traiḥ prahīyamāṇasya bahvamitrasya kā gatiḥ /
-- sankṣīṇakośasya balahīnasya bhārata //
--mātyasahāyasya śrutamantrasya sarvataḥ /
jyātpracyavamānasya gatimanyāmapaśyataḥ //
paracakrābhiyātasya pararāṣṭrāṇi mṛdgataḥ /
vigrahe vartamānasya durbalasya balīyasā //
asaṃvihitarāṣṭrasya deśakālāvajānataḥ / aprāpyaṃ ca bhavetsāntvaṃ bhedo vā'pyatipīḍanāt /
jīvitaṃ tvarthahetorvā tatra kiṃ sukṛtaṃ bhavet //
bhīṣma uvāca /
guhyāṃ mā dharmamaprākṣīratīva bharatarṣabha /
pravaktuṃ notsahe pṛṣṭo dharmametaṃ yudhiṣṭhira // dharmo hyaṇīyānvacanādvuddheśca bharatarṣabha /
śrutvaupamyaṃ sadācāraiḥ sādhurbhavati sa kvacit //
karmaṇā buddhipūrveṇa bhavatyāḍhye na vā punaḥ /
tādṛśo'yamanupraśnastaddhyāyasva svayā dhiyā //
upāyaṃ dharmabahulaṃ yātrārthaṃ śṛṇu bhārata /
nāhametādṛśe dharme bubhūṣe dharmakāraṇāt //
duḥkhādāna iha hyeṣa syāttu paścātkṣamo mama /
abhigamya matīnāṃ hi sarvāsāmeva niścayam //
yathāyathā hi puruṣo nityaṃ śāstramavekṣate /
tathātathā vijānāti vijñānaṃ cāsya rocate //
avijñānādayogo hi puruṣasyopajāyate /
vijñānādapi yogaśca yogo bhūtikaraḥ paraḥ //
aśaṅkamāno vacanamanasūyuridaṃ śṛṇu /
rājñaḥ kośakṣayādeva jāyate balasankṣayaḥ //
kośaṃ sañjanayedrājā nityamebhyo yathābalam /
kālaṃ prāpyānugṛhṇīyādeṣa dharmo'tra sāmpratam //
upāyadharmaṃ prāpyainaṃ pūrvairācaritaṃ janaiḥ /
anyo dharmaḥ samarthānāmāpatsvalpaśca bhārata //
prakāryaṃ procyate dharmo vṛttirdharme garīyasī /
dharmaṃ prāpya yathānyāyaṃ na balīyānniṣīdati //
yasmāddharmasyopacitirekāntena na vidyate /
tasmādāpadyadharmo'pi śrūyate dharmalakṣaṇaḥ //
adharmo jāyate tasminniti vai kavayo viduḥ /
anantaraṃ kṣatriyasya tatra kiṃ vicikitsyate //
yathāsya dharmo na glāyenneyācchatruvaśaṃ yathā /
tatkartavyamihetyāhurnātmānamavasādayet //
sarvātmanaiva dharmasya na parasya na cātmanaḥ /
sarvopāyairujjihīrṣedātmānamiti niścayaḥ //
tatra dharmavidastāta niścayo dharmanaipuṇaiḥ /
udyamaṃ jīvanaṃ kṣātre bāhuvīryāditi śrutiḥ //
kṣatriyo vṛttisaṃrodhe kasya nādātumarhati /
anyatra tāpasasvācca śrotriyasvācca bhārata //
yathā vai brāhmaṇaḥ sīdannayājyamapi yājayet /
abhojyamapi cāśnīyāttatredaṃ nātra saṃśayaḥ //
pīḍitasya kimadvāramutpathenārditasya ca /
advārataḥ pradravati yathā bhavati pīḍitaḥ //
tasya kośabalaglānyāṃ sarvalokaparābhavaḥ /
bhaikṣacaryā na vihitā na ca viṭ्śūdrajīvikā //
svadharmānantarāvṛttiryā'nyāmanupajīvataḥ /
jahataḥ prathamaṃ kalpamanukalpena jīvanam //
āpadgatena dharmāṇāmanyāyenopajīvanam /
api hyetadbrāhmaṇeṣu dṛṣṭaṃ vṛttiparikṣaye //
kṣatriye saṃśayaḥ kasmādityetniścitaṃ sadā /
ādadīta viśiṣṭebhyo nāvasīdetkathañcana //
ārtānāṃ rakṣitāraṃ ca prajānāṃ kṣatriyaṃ viduḥ /
tasmātsaṃrakṣatā kāryamādānaṃ kṣatrabandhunā //
anyatrāpi vihiṃsāyā vṛttirnehāsti kasyacit /
apyaraṇyasamutthasya ekasya carato muneḥ //
na śaṅkhalikhitāṃ vṛttiṃ śakyamāsthāya jīvitum /
viśeṣataḥ kuruśreṣṭha prajāpālanamīpsatā //
parasparābhiharaṇaṃ rājñā rāṣṭreṇa cāpadi /
nityameva hi kartavyameṣa dharmaḥ sanātanaḥ //
rājā rāṣṭraṃ yathāpatsu dravyaudhaiḥ parirakṣati /
rāṣṭreṇa rājā vyasane parirakṣyastathā bhavet //
kośaṃ daṇ़ḍaṃ balaṃ mitraṃ yadanyadapi sañcitam /
na kurvītāntaraṃ rāṣṭre rājā parigataḥ kṣudhā //
bījaṃ bhaktena sampādyamiti dharmavido viduḥ /
atraitacchambarasyāhurmahāmāyasya darśanam //
dhiktasya jīvitaṃ rājño rāṣṭraṃ yasyāvasīdati /
avṛttyānyamanuṣyo'pi yo vaideśika ityapi //
rājñaḥ kośabalaṃ mūlaṃ kośamūlaṃ punarbalam /
tanmūlaṃ sarvadharmāṇāṃ dharmamūlāḥ punaḥ prajāḥ //
nānyānapīḍayitveha kośaḥ śakyaḥ kuto balam /
tadarthaṃ pīḍayitvā ca na doṣaṃ prāpnumarhati //
akāryamapi kāryārthaṃ kriyate yajñakarmasu /
etasminkāraṇe rājā na doṣaṃ prāpnumarhati //
arthārthamanyadbhavati viparītamathāparam / anarthārthamathāpyanyattatsarvaṃ hyarthakāraṇam /
evaṃ buddhyā samprapaśyenmedhāvī kāryaniścayam //
yajñārthamanyadbhavati yajño'nyārthastathāḥ paraḥ /
yajñasvārthārthamevānyattatsarvaṃ yajñasādhakam //
upamāmatra vakṣyāmi dharmatattvaprakāśinīm //
yūpaṃ chindanti yajñārthaṃ tatra ye paripanthiḥ /
drumāḥ kecana sāmantā dhruvaṃ chindanti tānapi //
te cāpi nipatanto'nyānnighnantyapi vanaspatīn / evaṃ kośasya mahato ye narāḥ paripanthinaḥ /
tānahatvā na paśyāmi siddhimatra parantapa //
dhanena jayate lokamimaṃ cāmuṃ ca bhārata /
satyaṃ ca dharmavacanaṃ yathā nāstyadhanastathā //
sarvopāyairādadīta dhanaṃ yajñaprayojanam /
na tulyadoṣaḥ syādevaṃ kāryākāryeṣu bhārata //
nobhau sabhavato rājankathañcidapi bhārata /
na hyaraṇyeṣu paśyāmi dhanavṛddhānahaṃ kvacit //
yadidaṃ dṛśyate vittaṃ pṛthivyāmiha kiñcana /
mamedaṃ syānmamedaṃ syādityevaṃ manyate janaḥ //
na ca rājñaḥ samo dharmaḥ kaścidasti kathañcana /
dharmaḥ saṃśabdito rājñāmāpadarthastato'nyathā //
jñānena karmaṇā cānye tapantyanye tapasvinaḥ /
buddhyā dākṣyeṇa caivānye cinvanti dhanasañcayān //
adhanaṃ durbalaṃ prāhurdhanena balavānbhavet /
sarvaṃ balavataḥ prāpyaṃ sarvaṃ tarati kośavān //
kośo dharmaśca kāmaśca paralokastathā hyayam /
taṃ dharmeṇa vilipseta nādharmeṇa kadācana //
Original text: Mahābhārata (southern recension) · Edition: Śrīman Mahābhāratam, ed. T. R. Krishnacharya and T. R. Vyasacharya, Nirnaya Sagar Press, Bombay 1906–1910; e-text by SARIT (Shrinivasa Varakhedi and others) · SARIT: Search and Retrieval of Indic Texts · SARIT (e-text) via Internet Archive · CC BY-SA 3.0