यच् च भर्तानुयुञ्जीत तद् एवाभ्यनुवर्तयेत् ॥
प्रमादम् अवहेलां च कोपं च परिवर्जयेत् ॥
समर्थनासु सर्वासु हितं च प्रियम् एव च ॥
संवर्णयेत् तद् एवास्य प्रियाद् अपि हितं वदेत् ॥
अनुकूलो भवेच् चास्य सर्वार्थेषु कथासु च ॥
अप्रियं चाहितं यत् स्यात् तद् अस्मै नानुवर्णयेत् ॥
नाहम् अस्य प्रियो ऽस्मीति मत्वा सेवेत पण्डितः ॥
अप्रमत्तश् च यत्तश् च हितं कुर्यात् प्रियं च यत् ॥
नास्यानिष्टानि सेवेत नाहितैः सह संवसेत् ॥
स्वस्थानान् न विकम्पेत स राजवसतिं वसेत् ॥
दक्षिणं वाथ वामं वा पार्श्वम् आसीत पण्डितः ॥
रक्षिणां ह्य् आत्तशस्त्राणां स्थानं पश्चाद् विधीयते ॥
नित्यं विप्रतिषिद्धं तु पुरस्ताद् आसनं महत् ॥
न च संदर्शने किं चित् प्रवृद्धम् अपि संजपेत् ॥
अपि ह्य् एतद् दरिद्राणां व्यलीकस्थानम् उत्तमम् ॥
न मृषाभिहितं राज्ञो मनुष्येषु प्रकाशयेत् ॥
यं चासूयन्ति राजानः पुरुषं न वदेच् च तम् ॥
yac ca bhartānuyuñjīta tad evābhyanuvartayet ||
pramādam avahelāṃ ca kopaṃ ca parivarjayet ||
samarthanāsu sarvāsu hitaṃ ca priyam eva ca ||
saṃvarṇayet tad evāsya priyād api hitaṃ vadet ||
anukūlo bhavec cāsya sarvārtheṣu kathāsu ca ||
apriyaṃ cāhitaṃ yat syāt tad asmai nānuvarṇayet ||
nāham asya priyo 'smīti matvā seveta paṇḍitaḥ ||
apramattaś ca yattaś ca hitaṃ kuryāt priyaṃ ca yat ||
nāsyāniṣṭāni seveta nāhitaiḥ saha saṃvaset ||
svasthānān na vikampeta sa rājavasatiṃ vaset ||
dakṣiṇaṃ vātha vāmaṃ vā pārśvam āsīta paṇḍitaḥ ||
rakṣiṇāṃ hy āttaśastrāṇāṃ sthānaṃ paścād vidhīyate ||
nityaṃ vipratiṣiddhaṃ tu purastād āsanaṃ mahat ||
na ca saṃdarśane kiṃ cit pravṛddham api saṃjapet ||
api hy etad daridrāṇāṃ vyalīkasthānam uttamam ||
na mṛṣābhihitaṃ rājño manuṣyeṣu prakāśayet ||
yaṃ cāsūyanti rājānaḥ puruṣaṃ na vadec ca tam ||
"Whatever the master assigns, that alone one should follow through; negligence, disregard, and anger must be set aside. In every discussion one should describe what is beneficial and pleasant, and if need be, speak the beneficial even above the pleasant. Let him be agreeable to the king in all matters and in conversation; whatever would be unpleasant or harmful, let him not describe it to him. The wise man should serve without thinking, 'I am dear to him'; let him be attentive, composed, and do what is beneficial and pleasant. Let him not do what is undesirable to the king, and not dwell together with the king's enemies; let him not waver from his own place. The wise man should sit to the right or to the left, for the place behind is assigned to the armed guards, while a high seat in front is always forbidden. In public let him whisper nothing at all, however important -- for the poor, this is the surest place to fall. He should not spread abroad among people a false word spoken by the king, and of a man whom kings resent, he should not speak."
1eca52fdae56 · published Jul 16, 2026, 5:58:59 PM UTC
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In these rules an ethic of speech can be heard. At court a word can save or can kill; hence truthfulness is bound together with timing, place, and benefit.