Arthashastra

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दुर्बलो अभिजातो बलवान् अनभिजातो राजा इति "दुर्बलस्य अभिजातस्य उपजापं दौर्बल्य अपेक्षाः प्रकृतयः कृच्छ्रेण उपगच्छन्ति, बलवतश् च अनभिजातस्य बल अपेक्षाः सुखेन" इत्य् आचार्याः ॥

Which is better, a weak but high-born king, or a strong but low-born king? My teacher says that a people, even if interested in having a weak king, hardly allow room for the intrigues of a weak but high-born person to be their king; but that if they desire power, they will easily yield themselves to the intrigues of a strong but base-born person to be their king.

english translation

durbalo abhijAto balavAn anabhijAto rAjA iti "durbalasya abhijAtasya upajApaM daurbalya apekSAH prakRtayaH kRcchreNa upagacchanti, balavataz ca anabhijAtasya bala apekSAH sukhena" ity AcAryAH ॥

hk transliteration by Sanscript

न इति कौटिल्यः ॥

No, says Kautilya.

english translation

दुर्बलम् अभिजातं प्रकृतयः स्वयम् उपनमन्ति, जात्यम् ऐश्वर्य प्रकृतिर् अनुवर्तत इति ॥

a people will naturally obey a high-born king though he is weak, for the tendency of a prosperous people is to follow a high-born king.

english translation

durbalam abhijAtaM prakRtayaH svayam upanamanti, jAtyam aizvarya prakRtir anuvartata iti ॥

hk transliteration by Sanscript

बलवतश् च अनभिजातस्य उपजापं विसंवादयन्ति, अनुरागे सार्वगुण्यम् इति ॥

Also they render the intrigues of a strong but base-born person, unavailing, as the saying is, that possession of virtues makes for friendship.

english translation

balavataz ca anabhijAtasya upajApaM visaMvAdayanti, anurAge sArvaguNyam iti ॥

hk transliteration by Sanscript

प्रयास वधात् सस्य वधो मुष्टि वधात् पापीयान्, निराजीवत्वाद् अवृष्टिर् अतिवृष्टितः ॥

The destruction of crops is worse than the destruction of handfuls (of grains), since it is the labour that is destroyed thereby; absence of rain is worse than too much rain.

english translation

prayAsa vadhAt sasya vadho muSTi vadhAt pApIyAn, nirAjIvatvAd avRSTir ativRSTitaH ॥

hk transliteration by Sanscript