Matsya Purana 216: adhyāyaḥ 216

216.1

rājakṛtyavarṇanam.
matsya uvāca.
yathā na vartitavyaṃ syānmano rājño'nujīvinā.
tathā te kathayiṣyāmi nibodha gadato mama .. 216.1 ..

Matsya said —O King of Manus! I shall tell you now what a servant of the State should do Hear —1

216.2

rājā yattu vadedvākyaṃ śrotavyaṃ tatprayatnataḥ.
ākṣipya vacanaṃ tasya na vaktavyaṃ tathā vacaḥ .. 216.2 ..

A servant of the State should carefully listen to what the king says and never interrupt him in his speech. In an assemblage he should speak sweet and agreeable words to the king and unsavoury things that may be unavoidable and necessary for his well being should be communicated to him privately When a sovereign is of a peaceful disposition he may then be approached with a prayer of conferring any favour upon some one but no prayer should be made for one s ownself Such a prayer should always be made through some friend He should be specially careful that one s duty should not be neglected He should not overwork any one, nor should he misappropriate any money He should never shew any indifference to the honours conferred by the sovereign and should always try to keep himself in his good graces. He should never imitate the king in his dress mode of talking nor any other actions He should avoid what is not pleasing to him and should not equal or excel him in dress —2 7

216.3

anukūlaṃ priyaṃ tasya vaktavyaṃ janasaṃsadi.
raho gatasya vaktavyamapriyaṃ yaddhitaṃ bhavet .. 216.3 ..

216.4

parārthamasya vaktavyaṃ same cetasi pārthiva.
svārthaḥ suhṛdbhiḥ vaktavyo na svayaṃ tu kathañcana .. 216.4 ..
kāryyātipātaḥ sarveṣu rakṣitavyaḥ prayatnataḥ.
naca hiṃsyaṃ dhanaṃ kiñcat niyuktena ca karmaṇi .. 216.5 ..

216.5

nopekṣyastasya mānaśca tathā rājñaḥ priyo bhavet.
rājñaśca na tathā kāryyaṃ veṣabhāṣita ceṣṭitam .. 216.6 ..

216.6

rājalīlā na kartavyā tadvidviṣṭañca varjayet.
rājñaḥ samo'dhiko vānakāryyo veṣo vijānatā.. 216.7 ..

216.7

dyutādiṣu tathaivānyat kauśalaṃ tu pradarśayet.
pradarśyakauśalaṃ cāsya rājānantu viśeṣayet .. 216.8 ..

In course of gambling and at the game of dice one should show his skill to the king but make the latter win —8

216.8

antaḥpurajanādhyakṣai rvairidūtaiḥ nirākṛtaiḥ.
saṃsargaṃ na vrajedrājan vinā pārthivaśāsanāt .. 216.9 ..

Without the king s permission he should not go about with the custodians of the ladies apartments of the royal palace nor should he do so with the spies of the enemies and the dismissed servants of the State —9

216.9

nisnehatāñcāvamānaṃ prayatnena tu gopayet.
yacca guhyaṃ bhavedrājño na talloke prakāśayet .. 216.10 ..

He should keep secret the kindly or unkindly feelings of the king toward him He should not utter before any one a thing that is private to the king — 10

216.10

nṛpeṇa śrāvitaṃ yatsyād vācyāvācyaṃ nṛpottama!.
na tat saṃśrāvayelloke tathā rājño'priyo bhavet .. 216.11 ..

Any thing reproachable or irreproachable communicated by the king should not be disclosed to any one for if one does so one loses the favour of the king — 11

216.11

ājñāpyamāne vānyasmin samutthāyat varānvitaḥ.
kimahaṅkaravāṇīti vācyo rājā vijānatā .. 216.12 ..

When a king orders any one to perform any service one should readily volunteer himself to do it —12 Of course this should be done knowing the hours of business, otherwise if one does so at all times one becomes an object of hatred and ridicule—13

216.12

kāryāvasthāṃ ca vijñāya kāryameva yathā bhavet.
satataṃ kriyamāṇe'smin lāghavantu vrajed dhruvam .. 216.13 ..

216.13

rājñaḥ priyāṇi vākyāni na cātyarthaṃ punaḥ punaḥ.
mahāsuśīlastu bhavet na cāpi bhṛkuṭīmukhaḥ .. 216.14 ..

One should not repeatedly repeat the favourite words of a king One should always remain very modest and never knit his eyebrows in his august presence or laugh too much—14

216.14

nātivaktā na nirvaktā na ca mātsarikastathā.
ātmasambhāvitaścaiva na bhavettu kathañcana .. 216.15 ..

He should not talk too much in the presence of the king nor should he remain silent He should not be artful or proud, nor should he speak too much of himself—15

216.15

duṣkṛtāni narendrasya na tu saṅkīrtayet kvacit.
vastramastramalaṅkāraṃ rājñā dattaṃ tu dhāradhet .. 216.16 ..

He should not say anything about the unjust deed of the sovereign and should put on the garments, weapons, and ornaments presented to him by the king on momentous occasions He should not give away any of the royal gifts and should not sleep during of the day He should not pass through a forbidden thoroughfare and should not meet the king at an improper place He should take his seat to the right or the left of the king according to his warrant of precedence and not behind or in front of him—16-19

216.16

audāryeṇa na taddeyamanyasmai bhūtimicchatā.
tatraivātmāsanaṃ kāryaṃ divā svapnaṃ na kārayet .. 216.17 ..

216.17

nānirdiṣṭe tathā dvāre praviśettu kathañcana.
na ca paśyettu rājānamayogyāsu ca bhūmiṣu .. 216.18 ..

216.18

rājñastu dakṣiṇe pārśve vāme copaviśettadā.
purastācca tathāpaścādāsanantu vigarhitam .. 216.19 ..

216.19

jṛmbhāṃ niṣṭhīvanaṅkāsaṃ kopaṃ paryastikāśrayam.
bhṛkuṭiṃ vāntamudgārantatsamīpe vivarjayet .. 261.20 ..

He should not yawn, show signs of weariness cough assume angry demeanour rest himself against anything knit his eyes, vomit and belch, in the presence of the sovereign—20

216.20

svayaṃ tatra na kurvīta svaguṇākhyāpanaṃ budhaḥ.
svaguṇākhyāpane yuktā parameva prayojayet .. 261.21 ..

He should not indulge in self praise but he should get others to do it for him—21

216.21

hṛdayaṃ nirmalaṃ kṛtvā parāṃ bhaktimupāśritaiḥ.
anujīvigaṇairbhāvyaṃ nityaṃ rājñāmatandritaiḥ .. 261.22 ..

All the servants of the Fstate should most loyally serve the sovereign with a clear mind and free from laziness They should always shun craftiness wickedness, backbiting atheism and low morals—22 23

216.22

śāṭhyaṃ laulyaṃ ca paiśūnyaṃ nāstikyaṃ kṣudratā tathā.
cāpalyañca parityājyaṃ nityaṃ rājño'nujīvibhiḥ .. 261.23 ..

216.23

śruti-vidyā-suśīlaiśca saṃyojyātmānamātmanā.
rājasevāntataḥ kuryād bhūtaye bhūtivarddhanīm .. 261.24 ..

Those versed in the Vedas, possessing modesty should always serve the king well for their welfare—24

216.24

namaskāryāḥ sadā cāsya putravallabha mantriṇaḥ.
sacivaiḥ cāsya viśvāso na tu kāryaḥ kathañcana .. 261.25 ..

The sons friends and councillors of the king should be saluted every day, neither the king nor his minister should be trusted—25

216.25

apṛṣṭaścāsya na brūyāt kāmaṃ brūyāttathā yadi.
hitaṃ tathyañca vacanaṃ hitaiḥ saha suniścitam .. 261.26 ..

Nothing should be said without being asked, and if one says so, that ought to be true and lead to the general welfare One should always take a measure of the king's mind by his speech and then it is easy for him to act so as to please him, he is to worship the king—26 27

216.26

cittañcaivāsya vijñeyaṃ nityamevānujīvinā.
bhartturārādhanaṃ kuryāccittajño mānavaḥ sukham .. 261.27 ..

216.27

rāgāparāgau caivāsya vijñeyau bhūtimicchatā.
tyajedvirakto nṛpatī rakta vṛttintu kārayet .. 261.28 ..

One who wants one's own welfare should mark carefully whether the king is pleased or displeased with him and should act accordingly—28

216.28

viraktaḥ kārayennāśaṃ vipakṣābhyudayaṃ tathā.
āśāvarddhanakaṃ kṛtvā phalanāśaṃ karoti ca .. 261.29 ..

If a king goes against any body, his party will be ruined and his opposite party will rise The king if disgusted gives hopes but does not confer benefits accordingly He appears angry though there is no cause of anger and though he remains pleasant he speaks unpleasant high words The king may deprive him of his subsistence for his insane speeches—29 30

216.29

akopo'pi sakopābhaḥ prasanno'pi ca niṣphalaḥ.
vākyaṃ ca samadaṃ vakti vṛtticchedaṃ karoti vai .. 261.30 ..

216.30

pradeśavākyamudito na sambhāvayate'nyathā.
ārādhanāsu sarvāsu suptavacca viceṣṭate .. 261.31 ..

The disgusted king shews his goodwill towards others but hates him with whom he is disgusted He finds fault with his words and speaks other words not having any concern with the business The king turns away his attention from the piece of work of his subordinate with whom he is disgusted These signs shew that a king is disgusted—31 32 'On the other hand when a king becomes pleased he always asumes a pleasant aspect towards him accepts his words with gentleness offers seat and asks about his welfare Know that the king is pleased with him, seeing whom in private place he does not become afraid hearing whose words his face becomes jolly, even whose unpleasant words he hears and whose humble offerings the king accepts and whom he remembers with a cheerful expression of his face—33 36

216.31

kathāsu doṣaṃ kṣipati vākyabhaṅgaṃ karoti ca.
lakṣyate vimukhaścaiva guṇasaṅkīrtane'pi ca .. 261.32 ..

216.32

dṛṣṭiṃ kṣipati cānyatra kriyamāṇe ca karmaṇi.
viraktalakṣaṇaṃ caitat śrṛṇu raktasya lakṣaṇam .. 261.33 ..

216.33

dṛṣṭvā prasanno bhavati vākyaṃ gṛhṇāti cādarāt.
kuśalādi paripraśnaṃ saṃprayacchati cāsanam .. 261.34 ..

216.34

viviktadarśane cāsya rahasyenaṃ na śaṅkate.
jāyate hṛṣṭavadanaḥ śrutvā tasya tu tatkathām .. 261.35 ..

216.35

apriyāṇyapi vākyāni taduktānyabhinandate.
upāyanañca gṛhṇāti stokamapyādarāttathā.. 261.36 ..

216.36

kathāntareṣu smarati prahṛṣṭavadanastathā.
iti raktasya kartavyā sevā ravikulodvaha! .. 261.37 ..

A devoted one should serve the king in the ways spoken by me

216.37

mitraṃ na cāpatsu tathā ca bhṛtyā bhajanti ye nirguṇamaprameyam.
vibhuṃ viśeṣeṇa ca te vrajanti surendradhāmāmaravṛndajuṣṭam .. 261.38 ..

The retainers of the king who do serve others not only in times of adversity but always and who adore the king in spite of his being ignorant, go to the domain of Indra that is inhabited by the Devas—37