Matsya Purana 223: adhyāyaḥ 223

223.1

rājadharmavarṇane bhedaprayogavarṇanam.

Matsya said:—With the class of people who are hostile and wicked to one another, who become afraid and feel themselves insulted, the policy of divide and rule should be employed, for they can best be conquered by creating disunion among them so the politicians say—1

223.2

matsya uvāca.
parasparantu ye duṣṭāḥ kruddhā bhītāvamānitāḥ.
teṣāṃ bhedaṃ prayuñjīta bhedasādhyā hi te matāḥ .. 223.1 ..

223.3

ye tu yenaiva doṣeṇa parasmānnāpi bibhyati.
te tu taddoṣapātena bhedanīyā bhṛśantataḥ .. 223.2 ..

The vices and the weaknesses on account of which a certain class of people become disagree ble to others should be imputed to the latter in order to bring about a disunion among them This is the rule.—2

223.4

ātmīyāṃ darśayedāśāṃ parasmāddarśayed bhayam.
evaṃ hi bhedayedbhinnān yathāvadvaśamānayet .. 223.3 ..

They should be explained about their own faults and defects and they should be frightened by the opposite party Thus that class of men can be gradually and easily be divided from their party and then brought under submission—3

223.5

saṃhitāni vinā bhedaṃ śakreṇāpi suduḥ sahāḥ.
bhedameva praśaṃsanti tasmānnaya viśāradāḥ .. 223.4 ..

When many kings are bound in alliance one single king cannot conquer them without creating disunion among them therefore to create disunion among them is the best policy Even Indra is unable to bear the influence of the united ones. Therefore the policy of divide and rule is so much praised by the politicians A king should hear either directly from persons who are to be divided or through others, then he is to test it and if he be satisfied that he is to take up the Bheda policy. Such a policy should however not be launched personally by a sovereign, it should be given effect to through another agency for then it proves more effective—4-5

223.6

svamukhenāśrayed bhedam bhedaṃ paramukhena ca.
parīkṣya sādhu manyeta bhedaṃ paramukhācchrutam .. 223.5 ..

223.7

sadyaḥ svakāryamuddiśya kuśalai rye hi bheditāḥ.
bheditāste vinirdiṣṭā naiva rājñārthavādibhiḥ .. 223.6 ..

A sovereign should not believe in the efficiency of his men employed in working out a policy of divide and rule, for the people to be disunited may be mostly found anxious to serve their respective ends—6

223.8

antaḥ kopo bahiḥ kopo yatra syātāṃ mahīkṣitām.
antaḥ kopo mahāṃstatra nāśakaḥ pṛthivīkṣitām .. 223.7 ..

In an Empire there are two sources from which bitter feelings of anger and enmity crop up, one is internal and the other external of these, the internal faction is most to be dreaded, for it is this internal faction that brings about the ruin of kings. The source of anger and enmity coming from outside from other kings is known as external source of danger. The queen, prince, commander-in-chief, ministers, prime minister, the princes the wrath and discontent of these are known as the internal source of wrath and danger. To a king this is indeed terrible. If the internal condition of the Empire be good and satisfactory, then the external source of danger however great, can be easily conquered by a king. He easily wins victory—7-10

223.9

sāmnā na kopo bāhyastu kopaḥ prokto mahībhṛtaḥ.
mahīṣī yuvarājabhyāṃ tathā senāpate nṛpa! .. 223.8 ..

223.10

amātyamantriṇāñcaiva rājaputre tathaiva ca.
antaḥ kopo vinirdiṣṭo dāruṇaḥ pṛthivīkṣitām .. 223.9 ..

223.11

bāhyakope samutpanne sumahatyapi pārthivaḥ.
śuddhāntastu mahābhāga! śīghrameva jayī bhavet .. 223.10 ..

223.12

api śakrasamo rājā antaḥ kopena naśyati.
so'ntaḥ kopaḥ prayatnena tasmādrakṣyo mahībhṛtā .. 223.11 ..

On the other hand the sovereign who is beset with internal danger, perishes in spite of his being like Indra in power, consequently such a danger and wrath ought to be very carefully guarded against—11

223.13

parataḥ kopamutpādya bhedena vijigīṣuṇāḥ.
jñātīnāṃ bhedanaṃ kāryaṃ pareṣāṃ vijigīṣuṇā .. 223.12 ..

A sovereign using the policy of divide and rule in case of his compeers should first try and create disunion among their communities, and kith and kin, but he should very cautiously prevent a similar thing happening amongst his brethren, for distressed kith and kin bring suffering on their overlord, they should therefore be kept intact by gifts and royal regards as a dissension among them is so dangerous to a sovereign—12-14

223.14

rakṣyañcaiva prayatnena jñātibhedastathātmanaḥ.
jñātayaḥ paritapyante satataṃ paritāpitāḥ .. 223.13 ..

223.15

tathāpi teṣāṃ kartavyaṃ sugambhīreṇa cetasā.
grahaṇaṃ dānamānābhyāṃ bhedastebhyo bhayaṅkaraḥ .. 223.14 ..

223.16

na jñātimanugṛhṇanti na jñātiṃ vai śvasanti ca.
jñātibhirbhedanīyāstu ripavaste na pārthivaiḥ .. 223.15 ..

A wise ruler ought to conquer his foes by creating a division among their kinsmen whom the foreign king does not trust—15

223.17

bhannā hi śakyā ripavaḥ svalpena sainyena nihantumājau.
susaṃhatānāṃ hi tadastu bhedaḥ kāryo ripūṇāṃ nayaśāstravidbhiḥ .. 223.16 ..

The greatest of the enemies when disunited are vanquished by a small force therefore it is meet to create disunion amongst the enemies—16