Agni Purana

भेददण्डानुबन्धः स्यात्तदोपेक्षां समाश्रयेत् । न चायं मम शक्नोति किञ्चित् कर्त्तुमुपद्रवं ।। २३४.

If division or punishment brings harm, then one should resort to neglect; 'He cannot cause me any trouble.'

न चाहमस्य शक्नोमि तत्रोपेक्षां समाश्रयेत् । अवज्ञोपहतस्तत्र राज्ञा कार्य्यो रिपुर्भुवेत् ।। २३४.

Nor can I harm him; in that case, one should resort to neglect. If the enemy is insulted and harmed, the king should take action against him.

मायोपायं प्रवक्ष्यामि उत्पातैरनृतैश्चरत् । शत्रोरुद्वेजनं शत्रोः शिविरस्थस्य पक्षिणः ।। २३४.

I will explain the method of deception: causing agitation through omens and falsehoods, disturbing the enemy, especially one who is encamped.

स्थूलस्य तस्य पुच्छस्थां कृत्वोल्कां विपुलां द्विज । विसृजेच्च ततश्चैवमुल्कापातं प्रदर्शयेत् ।। २३४.

For a large bird, place a big firebrand on its tail, O twice-born; then release it, and thus display the falling of the firebrand.

एवमन्ये दर्शनीया उत्पाता बहवोऽपि च । उद्वेजनं तथा कुर्य्यात् कुहकैर्विविधैर्द्विषां ।। २३४.

In this way, many other visible omens may be shown; one may cause agitation among enemies by various tricks and illusions.

सांवत्सरास्तापसाश्च नाशं ब्रूयुः परस्य च । जिगीषुः पृथिवीं राजा तेन चोद्वेजयेत् परान् ।। २३४.

Ascetics who have lived for a year may proclaim the destruction of the enemy; a king who desires to conquer the earth should thereby agitate his foes.

देवतानां प्रसादश्च कीर्त्तनीयः परस्य तु । आगतन्नोऽमित्रबलं प्रहरध्वमभीतवत् ।। २३४.

The favor of the gods should be proclaimed for oneself, and for the enemy: 'Their force has arrived, strike them without fear!'

एवं ब्रूयाद्रणे प्राप्ते भग्नाः सर्वे परे इति । क्ष्वेडाः किलकिलाः कार्य्या वाच्यः शत्रुर्हतस्तथा ।। २३४.

Thus, when battle arrives, one should say: 'All the others have been defeated.' Shouts and cries should be made, and it should be declared that the enemy is slain.

देवाज्ञावृंहितो राजा सन्नद्धः समरं प्रति । इन्द्रजालं प्रवक्ष्यामि इन्द्रं कालेन दर्शयेत् ।। २३४.

The king, empowered by divine command and fully armed for battle, I will explain the magic art; at the right time, show Indra.

चतुरङ्गं बलं राजा सहायययययार्थं दिवौकसां । बलन्तु दर्शयेत् प्राप्तं रक्तवृष्टिञ्चरेद्रिपौ ।। २३४.

The king should display his fourfold army, with allies and for the sake of the gods; he should show the arrival of the army and cause a rain of blood upon the enemy.

छिन्नानि रिपूशीर्षाणि प्रासादाग्रेषु दर्शयेत् । षाड्‌गुण्यंसम्प्रवक्ष्यामि तद्वरौ सन्धिविग्रहौ ।। २३४.

He should display severed heads of enemies at the front of the palace; I will now explain the sixfold policy, especially regarding alliance and conflict.

सन्धिश्च विग्रहश्चैव यानमासनमेव च । द्वैधीभावः संशयश्च षड्‌गुणाः परिकीर्त्तिताः ।। २३४.

Alliance, conflict, marching forth, remaining stationary, division, and doubt—these are declared as the six strategies.

पणबन्धः स्मृतः सन्धिरपकारस्तु विग्रहः। जिगीषोः शत्रुविषये यानं यात्राऽभिवीयते ।। २३४.

Alliance is known as a pact; hostility is called conflict; the desire to conquer the enemy is termed marching forth.

विग्र्हेण स्वके देशे स्थितिरासनमुच्यंते । बलार्द्धेन प्रयाणन्तु द्वैधीभावः स उच्यते ।। २३४.

Remaining in one's own territory during conflict is called staying stationary; proceeding with half the force is called division.

उदासीनो मध्यमो वा संश्रयात्संश्रयः स्मृतः । समेन सन्धिरन्वेष्योऽहीनेन च बलीयसा ।। २३४.

Taking shelter with a neutral or intermediate party is called seeking refuge; alliance should be sought with an equal or a stronger party.

हीनेन विग्रहः कार्यः स्वयं राज्ञा बलीयसा । तत्रापि शुद्धपार्ष्णिस्तु बलीयांसं समाश्रयेत् ।। २३४.

A weaker king should engage in conflict himself with a stronger one; even then, one with a pure ally should seek shelter with the stronger.

आसीनः कर्मविच्छेदं शक्तः कर्त्तु रिपोर्यदा । अशुद्धपार्ष्णिश्चासीत विगृह्य वसुधाधिपः ।। २३४.

When able to disrupt the enemy's actions while remaining stationary, the king should do so; if allied with an impure ally, he should engage in conflict.

अशुद्धपार्ष्णिर्बलवान् द्वैधीभावं समाश्रयेत् । वलिना विगृहीतस्तु२ योऽसन्देहेन पार्थिवः ।। २३४.

A powerful king with an impure ally should adopt division; if a king is attacked by a stronger one, he should not doubt.

संश्रयस्तेन वक्तव्यो गुणानामघमो गुणः । बहुक्षयव्ययायासं३ तेषां यानं प्रकीर्त्तितं ।। २३४.

In that case, seeking refuge is advised; among the strategies, this is the best. Marching forth brings much loss, expense, and hardship.

बहुलाभकरं पश्चात्तदा राजा समाश्रयेत् । सर्वशक्तिविहीनस्तु तदा कुर्य्यात्तु संश्रयं ।। २३४.

When there is great gain, then the king should adopt it; but when deprived of all power, he should seek refuge.

पुष्कर उवाच अजस्रं कर्म वक्ष्यामि दिनं प्रति यदाचरेत् । द्विमुहूर्त्तावशेषायां रात्रौ निद्रान्त्यजेन्नृपः ।। २३५.

Puṣkara said: I will explain the daily duties to be performed. When only two muhūrtas remain of the night, the king should give up sleep.

वाद्यवन्दिस्वनैर्गीतैः पश्येद् गूढास्ततो नरान् । विज्ञायते न ये लोकास्तदीया इति केनचित् ।। २३५.

With the sounds of instruments, bards, and songs, he should observe those hidden men whom no one recognizes as belonging to his people.

आयव्ययस्य श्रवणं ततः कार्य्यं यथाविधि । वेगोत्सर्गं ततः कृत्वा राजा स्नानगृहं व्रजेत् ।। २३५.

Then, he should listen to reports of income and expenditure, perform the necessary tasks, and after relieving himself, proceed to the bathing chamber.

स्नानं कुर्य्यान्नृपः श्चाद्दन्तधावनपूर्वकं । कृत्वा सन्ध्यान्ततो जप्यं वासुदेवं प्रपूजयेत् ।। २३५.

The king should bathe, first cleaning his teeth; after performing the twilight worship, he should then worship Vāsudeva with recitation.

वह्नौ पवित्रान् जुहुयात् तर्पयेदु दकैः पितृन् । दद्यात्सकाञ्चनीं धेनुं द्विजाशीर्वादसंयुतः ।। २३५.

He should offer purified oblations into the fire, satisfy the ancestors with water, and give a golden cow, accompanied by the blessings of the twice-born.

अनुलिप्तोऽलङ्कृतश्च मुखं पश्येच्च दर्पणे । ससुवर्णे धृते राजा श्रृणुयाद्दिवसादिकं ।। २३५.

Anointed and adorned, the king should look at his face in a golden mirror, and listen to the day's auspicious omens.

औषधं भिषजोक्तं च मङ्गलालम्भनञ्चरेत् । पश्येद् गुरुं तेन दत्ताशीर्वादोऽथ व्रजेत्सभां ।। २३६.

He should take the prescribed medicine and perform auspicious rites; seeing his teacher, receiving his blessing, he should then proceed to the assembly.

तत्रस्थो ब्राह्मणान् पश्येदमात्यान्मन्त्रिणस्तथा । प्रकृतीश्च महाभाग प्रतीहारनिवेदिताः ।। २३५.

There, he should see the Brāhmaṇas, ministers, and counselors, as well as the honored officials, announced by the doorkeeper.

श्रुत्वेतिहासं कार्य्याणि कार्याणां कार्य्यनिर्णयम् । व्यवहारन्ततः पश्येन्मन्त्रं कुर्य्यात्तु मन्त्रिभिः ।। २३५.

Having heard the histories and matters at hand, and the decisions regarding affairs, he should then attend to legal cases and deliberate with his counselors.