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Mahānirvāṇa Tantra cover

॥ श्री ॥tantraFor reading

Mahānirvāṇa Tantra 8.126

Traditional

Ullāsas
14
Published
8
Verses
1201
Minutes
600
Level
advanced

Ullāsa 8 · Verse 126

क्षत्रियकर्त्तव्यानिThe duties of the kṣatriya

Verse 126

शौर्यं वृत्तञ्च योद्धॄणां ज्ञेयं राज्ञा पृथक् पृथक् । वहुसैन्याधिपं नैकं कुर्यादात्महिते रतः ॥ १२६ ॥

śauryaṁ vṛttañca yōddhṝṇāṁ jñēyaṁ rājñā pṛthak pṛthak | vahusainyādhipaṁ naikaṁ kuryādātmahitē rataḥ || 126 ||

Translation

The king should know the valour and conduct of his fighters one by one; intent on his own good, he should not make one man commander of a large army.

Word by word

śauryaṁ
the valour
vṛttañ
(vṛttam) conduct
ca
and
yōddhṝṇāṁ
of his fighters
jñēyaṁ
should be known
rājñā
by the king
pṛthak
one by one
vahu
(bahu) of a large
sainya
army
adhipaṁ
commander
na
not
ēkaṁ
one man
kuryād
(kuryāt) he should make
ātma
his own
hitē
on the good
rataḥ
intent

Meaning

Two points of statecraft: know each soldier's courage and character, and never concentrate command of a large force in a single hand, which invites rebellion. "Bahu", large, is spelled with v.

Commentary

Hariharānanda Bhāratī’s Sanskrit commentary, translated

See the commentary on verse 125.