Verse 7.170

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation by Ganganath Jha:

यदा प्रहृष्टा मन्येत सर्वास्तु प्रकृतीर्भृशम् ।
अत्युच्छ्रितं तथात्मानं तदा कुर्वीत विग्रहम् ॥ १७० ॥

yadā prahṛṣṭā manyeta sarvāstu prakṛtīrbhṛśam |
atyucchritaṃ tathātmānaṃ tadā kurvīta vigraham || 170 ||

But when he thinks all his people to be highly contented, and himself to be exceedingly prosperous,—then he shall make war.—(170)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

‘Contented’— full of ambition and affection for the king, highly satisfied with gifts and honours;—when he finds his own ‘people’— ministers and others—to be so;—and ‘himself to be exceedingly prosperous’—rich in treasure, in elephants and horses, and other things;—then, at such a time, he shall break the treaty under some pretext and have recourse to war.—(170)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

Cf. Kāmandaka, 8.4.

This verse is quoted in Vīramitrodaya (Rājanīti, p. 327).

 

Comparative notes by various authors

Kāmandaka (9.33).—‘The king whose Prakṛtis are disaffected is deserted by them at the prospect of war; and he who is excessively addicted to sensual pleasures becomes so weak as to be easily crushed.’

Kāmandaka (15.3).—‘When a king feels sure of his ability to forcibly slay his foe, even though swelling with power,—then alone should he start on a military expedition, inflicting injuries on the latter.’

Do. (15.19).—‘Of internal and external defects, the internal is the graver. Amending the internal defects and providing necessary measures for the removal of the external ones, the king shall set out on the expedition.’