Contents
1. Defence strategy and duties of a king with respect to enemies
The code of conduct with the enemy is called the defence strategy. The defence strategy adopted towards the enemy includes both overt and covert enemies. An enemy will definitely harm a state and its people at sometime or the other. The defence strategy has to be framed taking this into consideration.
1.1 Who should be considered as an enemy?
A. शत्रुश्चैव हि मित्रं च न लेख्यं न च मातृका ।
यो वै संतापयति यं स शत्रु: प्रोच्यते नृप ।। - महाभारत २.५५.१०Meaning: (Duryodhan tells Dhrutarashtra) O king, it is neither written on one’s countenance nor engraved in words that so-and-so is an enemy or a friend ! The one from whom one experiences harassment is termed as an enemy. - Mahabharat 2.55.10
B. न कश्चित्कस्यचिन्मित्रं न कश्चित्कस्यचित्सुहृद् ।
अर्थतस्तु निबध्यन्ते मित्राणि रिपवस्तथा ।। - महाभारत १२.१३८.११०Meaning: Basically no one is a friend or an enemy. One acquires friends and enemies in conformity with one’s mission. - Mahabharat 12.138.110
C. Arya Chanakya says - an enemy who destroys the intellect is the real enemy. If one wishes to rule a society or nation without any enemies it is mandatory to impress on those people that their Righteousness (Dharma), conduct, customs, etc. are so base that one day they will certainly make them intensely unhappy. Thus the righteous attitude of that society will be destroyed and one will be able to rule without any obstacle. From this one will realise that if righteous attitude of the people is maintained then our nation will be prosperous and powerful in all respects.
1.2 Constant alertness
A: न हि प्रमादात् परमस्ति किञ्चित् वधो नराणामिह जीवलोके ।
प्रमत्तमर्था हि नरं समन्तात् त्यजन्त्यनर्थाश्च समाविशन्ति ।। - महाभारत १०.१०.१९Meaning: In this world there is nothing more dangerous than being inadvertent. All wealth deserts a careless individual and then he has to face catastrophes. - Mahabharat 10.10.19
B. वध्यन्ते न ह्यविश्वस्ता: शत्रुभिर्दुर्बला अपि ।
विश्वस्तास्तेषु वध्यन्ते बलवन्तोऽपि दुर्बलै: ।। - महाभारत १२.१३८.१९८Meaning: Despite being feeble those who are cautious are not slain by the enemy; as against this a powerful one who is not vigilant about the enemy is annihilated even by a weak enemy. - Mahabharat 12.138.198
C. शत्रु: प्रवृद्धो नोपेक्ष्यो दुर्बलोऽपि बलीयसा ।। - महाभारत ५.९.२२
Meaning: Even if an enemy is weak when its strength rises, even a powerful man cannot afford to ignore it. - Mahabharat 5.9.22
D. न च शत्रुरवज्ञेयो दुर्बलोऽपि बलीयसा ।
अल्पोऽपि हि दहत्यग्निर्विषमल्पं हिनस्ति च ।। - महाभारत १२.५८.१७Meaning: Even if one is powerful one should not consider a weak enemy inferior because though a flame is small it is sufficient to burn and even a minute quantity of poison is enough to snuff out life. - Mahabharat 12.58.17
E. नासम्यक्कृतकारी स्यादप्रमत्त: सदा भवेत् ।
कण्टको ह्यपि दुश्छिन्नो विकारं कुरुते चिरम् ।। - महाभारत १२.१४०.६०Meaning: One should not do anything carelessly, rather always remain cautious because even if a thorn (which has pierced the foot) breaks inappropriately it can lead to long standing inflammation. - Mahabharat 12.140.60
F. नारभेतान्यसामर्थ्यात्पुरुष: कार्यमात्मन: ।
मतिसाम्यं व्दयोर्नास्ति कार्येषु कुरुनन्दन ।। - महाभारत २.५६.८Meaning: One should not undertake a mission depending on another’s strength as opinions of two people generally do not match. - Mahabharat 2.56.8
G. शत्रुपक्षं समृध्यन्तं यो मोहोत्समुपेक्षते ।
व्याधिराप्यायित इव तस्य मूलं छिनत्ति स: ।। - महाभारत २.५५.१६Meaning: A person who foolishly disregards a flourishing enemy is totally vanquished by it, akin to an ailment in its terminal stage. - Mahabharat 2.55.16
H. नित्यं विश्वासयेदन्यान् । परेषां तु न विश्वसेत् ।। - महाभारत १२.१३८.१९५
Meaning: One should always attempt to make others trust in oneself. However one should not trust others. - Mahabharat 12.138.195
I. विश्वासयेत्परांश्चैव विश्वसेच्च न कस्यचित् ।
पुत्रेष्वपि हि राजेन्द्र विश्वासो न प्रशस्यते ।। - महाभारत १२.८५.३३Meaning: (Bhishma tells Yudhishthir) One should acquire the trust of others but should never trust anyone. O king, never trust even one’s own son completely. - Mahabharat 12.85.33
J. नात्मच्छिद्रं रिपुर्विद्याव्दिद्याच्छिद्रं परस्य तु ।
गूहेत्कूर्म इवाङ्गनि रक्षेव्दिवरमात्मन: ।। - महाभारत १२.१४०.२४Meaning: One should not let an enemy realise one’s weaknesses. However one should certainly find out the enemy’s weaknesses. Just as a tortoise keeps all parts of its body hidden beneath its shell, a king should keep all the strategies of the state a secret and should be careful about his weaknesses. - Mahabharat 12.140.24
K. योऽरिणा सह संधाय सुखं स्वपिति विश्वसन् ।
स वृक्षाग्रे प्रसुप्तो वा पतित: प्रतिबुध्यते ।। - महाभारत १२.१४०.३७Meaning: One who trusts an enemy and sleeps peacefully after making a truce with the latter is akin to a man sleeping on a treetop who wakes up only after he falls down. - Mahabharat 12.140.37
L. Not only should one not trust someone who does not trust oneself but also someone who trusts oneself. It is absolutely essential to protect oneself and one’s subjects under all circumstances. Therefore the first duty is to prevent deceit by the enemy for which constant caution is necessary. Mistrust is its basic fundamental principle.
M. ‘A king should not remain relaxed after creating enemity with a learned man. He can cause deadly harm even from a distance; hence the king should remain vigilant with regard to him.’ - Mahabharat
1.3 Regarding spies
A. चारै: पश्यन्ति राजान: ।। - महाभारत ५.३४.३४
Meaning: A king keeps an eye on his subjects through his spies. - Mahabharat 5.34.34
B. राज्यं प्रणिधिमूलं हि मन्त्रसारं प्रचक्षते ।। - महाभारत १२.८३.५१
Meaning: It is said that spies are the support of a state and secret counsel is its strength. - Mahabharat 12.83.51
C. कच्चिज्जानपदो विव्दान् दक्षिण: प्रतिभानवान् ।
यथोक्तवादी दूतस्ते कृतो भरत पण्डित: ।। - रामायण २.१००.३५Meaning: (Rama says) O Bharat, have you appointed men from the state who are learned, clever, intelligent, obedient and shrewd as messengers? - Ramayan 2.100.35
1.4 Regarding the army
A. सुप्रणीतो बलौघो हि कुरुते कार्यमुत्तमम् ।
अन्धं बलं जडं प्राहु: प्रणेतव्यं विचक्षणै: ।। - महाभारत २.२०.१६Meaning: A military organisation functions best if it is well guided. The army is blind and ignorant. Hence farsighted leaders should guide it appropriately. - Mahabharat 2.20.16
B. हर्षो योधगणस्यैको जयलक्षणमुच्यते ।। - महाभारत ६.३.७५
Meaning: Soldiers brimming with enthusiasm for battle is the prime sign of achieving victory. - Mahabharat 6.3.75
1.5 Necessity of ambitiousness
यस्य स्वल्पं प्रियं लोके ध्रुवं तस्याल्पमप्रियम् ।। - महाभारत ५.१३५.१७
Meaning: The one to whom even a little power is dear is destroyed by that very power. - Mahabharat 5.135.17
1.6 Shrewdness
A. यस्य बुद्धि: परिभवेत्तमतीतेन सान्त्वयेत् ।
अनागतेन दुष्प्रज्ञं प्रत्युत्पन्नेन पण्डिम् ।। - महाभारत १.१४०.७Meaning: One should boast about one’s past glory to an idiot, create hope by giving assurances to a foolish one and satisfy an intelligent one by offering him wealth. - Mahabharat 1.140.74
B. न हि वैरं महात्मानो विवृण्वन्त्यपकारिषु ।
शनै: शनैर्महाराज दर्शयन्ति स्म ते बलम् ।। - महाभारत १२.१५७.१०Meaning: (Bhishma says to Yudhishthir) Great men do not express hostility towards those who insult them all at once. Nevertheless they display their prowess gradually, with time. - Mahabharat 12.157.10
C. शत्रुं च मित्ररुपेण सान्त्वेनैवभिसान्त्वयेत् ।
नित्यशश्चोव्दिजेत्तस्माद्गृहात्सर्पयुतादिव ।। - महाभारत १२.१४०.१५Meaning: One should befriend an enemy by conciliation with a false air of friendship but should fear him constantly like a snake that has entered the house. - Mahabharat 12.140.15
D. त तत्तरेद्यस्य न पारमुत्तरे । न तद्धरेद्यत्पुनराहरेत्पर: ।
न तत्खनेद्यस्य न मूलमुद्धरेत् । न तं हन्याद्यस्य शिरो न पातयेत् ।।
- महाभारत १२.१४०.६९Meaning: Do not attempt to swim across when the opposite bank is beyond one’s reach. Never seize anything that will later be snatched away by someone else. Never dig at something which cannot be uprooted. Never strike one who cannot be beheaded. - Mahabharat 12.140.69
E. If the enemy makes an untimely attack then instead of making the folly of displaying one’s prowess one should adopt a policy approved by wise men and befriend the enemy. Forgetting anger and ego one should search for weaknesses in the enemy.
F. प्रहरिष्यन्प्रियं ब्रूयात्प्रहरन्नपि भारत ।
प्रहृत्य च कृपायीत शोचेत च रुदेत च ।। - महाभारत १.१४०.५६Meaning: (Regarding attacking the enemy, the Brahman (priest), Kanik tells Dhrutarashtra) One should speak to him sweetly both when contemplating an attack on him and also during the attack. In fact even after the attack one should show sympathy and grief and shed tears as well. - Mahabharat 1.140.56
G. विश्वासयित्वा तु परं तत्त्वभूतेन हेतुना ।
अथास्य प्रहरेत्काले किंचिव्दिचलिते पदे ।। - महाभारत १२.१४०.४४Meaning: One should win the enemy’s trust by convincing him with valid reasons and after sometime when his position becomes unstable, one should attack him. - Mahabharat 12.140.44
H. वाचा भृशं विनीत: स्याद्धृदयेन तथा क्षुर: ।
स्मितपूर्वाभिभाषी स्यात्सृष्टो रौद्रेण कर्मणा ।। - महाभारत १.१४०.६६Meaning: One should speak (to the enemy) meekly but should actually be heartless. One should speak with a smile but never reveal one’s true nature by performing an harsh act. - Mahabharat 1.140.66
I. वहेदमित्रं स्कन्धेन यावत्कालस्य पर्यय: ।
प्राप्तकालं तु विज्ञाय भिन्द्याद्घटमिवाश्मनि ।। - महाभारत १२.१४०.१८Meaning: When time is unfavourable for oneself one may even hold one’s enemy high on the shoulder, however when one realises that the time has become favourable one should crush him just as one crashes a pot against a stone. - Mahabharat 12.140.18
J. अरयोऽपि हि संधेया: सति कार्यार्थगौरवे ।
अहिमूषकवद्देवा ह्यर्थस्य पदवीं गतै: ।। - श्री भागवत ८.६.२०Meaning: [Before churning the celestial ocean (samudramanthan) Lord Vishnu told the deities to befriend the demons.] O deities, to accomplish a great task one may even have to befriend the enemy. Do that and once you accomplish your mission, just as a rattlesnake swallows rodents, destroy the demons. - Shri Bhagvat 8.6.20
K. Becoming an ally of the enemy of an enemy
समानशीले व्यसनेषु सख्यम् । - पंचतंत्र
Meaning: People with similar temperaments and problems befriend each other. - Panchatantra
Keeping this in mind a king should establish friendly ties with the enemy’s enemy. Though the mission of one’s enemy is the same as oneself, taking advantage of the strength of the powerful enemy one should act cautiously and shrewdly. However once the mission is accomplished one should never trust that enemy again.
1.7 Destruction of the enemy
A. नाघ्नत: कीर्तिरस्तीह न वित्तं न पुन: प्रजा: ।
इंद्रो वृत्रवधेनैव महेन्द्र: समपद्यत ।। - महाभारत १२.१५.१५Meaning: A king who does not annihilate his enemy will not gain fame on this earth, will not acquire wealth and his subjects too will remain insecure. Even Indra was accorded the status of Mahendra after He slew the demon Vrutrasur. - Mahabharat 12.15.15
B. नाच्छित्वा परमर्माणि नाकृत्वा कर्म दारुणम् ।
नाहत्वा मत्स्यघातीव प्राप्नोति महतीं श्रियम् ।। - महाभारत १२.१४०.५०Meaning: One does not acquire the great Lakshmi bestowing governance (Rajalakshmi) without striking the enemy at its strategic points, exhibiting tremendous valiance and without slaying the enemy like a fisherman kills his catch. - Mahabharat 12.140.50
C. नैवाहितानां सततं विपश्चित: क्षणं प्रतीक्षन्त्यपि दुर्बलीयसाम् ।
विशेषतोऽरीन्व्यसनेषु पण्डितो निहत्य धर्मं च यशश्च विन्दते ।।
- महाभारत ८.९०.७१Meaning: When the enemy becomes weak, wise men do not hesitate even for a moment, to destroy it. An enemy should be slain specially when it is facing a calamity. If a clever one annihilates an enemy in such circumstances not only is he called righteous but he also becomes famous. - Mahabharat 8.90.71
D. य एव देवा हन्तारस्ताँल्लोकोऽर्चयते भृशम् ।। - महाभारत १२.१५.१६
Meaning: People worship only those deities who have slain their enemies. - Mahabharat 12.15.16
E. यावच्च मार्दवेनैतान् राजन्नुपचरिष्यसि ।
तावदेते हरिष्यन्ति तव राज्यमरिंदम ।। - महाभारत ५.७३.८Meaning: (Shrikrushna tells Yudhishthir) O Dharmaraj, the vanquisher of enemies, so long as you continue to reconcile with them (the Kouravs) they will continue to rule your kingdom. - Mahabharat 5.73.8
F. उत्थानहीनो राजा हि बुद्धिमानपि नित्यश: ।
प्रधर्षणीय: शत्रूणां भुजङ्ग इव निर्विष: ।। - महाभारत १२.५८.१६Meaning: Despite being intelligent if a king does not attack others, then like a non-venomous snake he will always fall prey to his enemy. - Mahabharat 12.58.16
G. न शत्रुर्वशमापन्नो मोक्तव्यो वध्यतां गत: ।। - महाभारत ५.३८.२९
Meaning: If one finds an enemy who deserves to be killed then one should never let him go. - Mahabharat 5.38.29
H. वर्धमानमृणं तिष्ठेत्परिभूताश्च शत्रव: ।
जनयन्ति भयं तीव्रं व्याधयश्चाप्युपेक्षिता: ।। - महाभारत १२.१४०.५९Meaning: A debt keeps growing even if a fraction of it is unpaid. If some enemies are spared their lives then because they have been insulted, in future they will generate terror just as neglected diseases become dreadful later. - Mahabharat 12.140.59
I. उद्यम्य शस्त्रमायान्तमपि वेदान्तगं रणे ।
निगृह्णीयात्स्वधर्मेण धर्मापेक्षी नराधिप: ।। - महाभारत १२.५६.२९Meaning: Even if the enemy who charges with a weapon on the battlefield is a scholar of the Vedanta, a king who observes Righteousness (Dharma) should wage a righteous war and defeat him. - Mahabharat 12.56.29
J. न हि ते स्त्रीवधकृते घृणा कार्या नरोत्तम ।। - रामायण १.२५.१७
Meaning: (In the context of slaying Tratika, Vishvamitra tells Rama) O great one, You have to slay this woman. So, do not be compassionate. - Ramayan 1.25.17
K. लोहितोदां केशतृणां गजशैलां ध्वजद्रुमाम् ।
महीं करोति युद्धेषु क्षत्रियो य: स धर्मवित् ।। - महाभारत १२.५५.१८Meaning: In a battle the Kshatriya (warrior) who enriches the earth with water in the form of blood of enemies, covers it with grass in the form of hair, with mountains in the form of elephants and trees in the form of flags is a knower of Righteousness. - Mahabharat 12.55.18
L. In the interest of protecting the state and subjects if a king has to wage a war and face death then he should consider it as an honour. - Manusmruti 7.87-89, Yadnyavalkyasmruti 1.134
M. One should not fight several enemies alone. One should resort to the four methods of reconciliation, compromise with money, breaking the amity of allies and punishment appropriately and annihilate them one by one. Even if very powerful, the wise should never make the folly of fighting several enemies simultaneously. - Mahabharat 3.52.22
1.8 Duties towards an enemy
मरणान्तानि वैराणि निवृत्तं न: प्रयोजनम् ।
क्रियतामस्य संस्कारो ममाप्येष यथा तव ।। - रामायण ६.१०९.२६Meaning: (When granting Bibhishan permission to perform the last rites of his brother Ravan, Rama tells him) Enemity ends with death so there are no grounds for enemity anymore. (We have fulfilled our mission.) Perform his last rites as he is as close to Me as he is to you. - Ramayan 6.109.26
1.9 Embrace death if required
In the interest of protecting the state and subjects if a king has to wage a war and face death then he should consider it as an honour. - Manusmruti 7.87-89, Yadnyavalkyasmruti 1.134
1.10 The truth always triumphs (सत्यमेव जयते ।)
This is the national slogan of India. It is taken from the Mundakopanishad (3.1.49).
Reference:
‘Protecting seekers and destroying evildoers and code of righteousness of rulers’, published by Sanatan Sanstha.
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