यं हि धर्मं चरन्तीह प्रजा राज्ञा सुरक्षिताः ॥
चतुर्थं तस्य धर्मस्य राजा भारत विन्दति ॥
राजा चरति चेद् धर्मं देवत्वायैव कल्पते ॥
स चेद् अधर्मं चरति नरकायैव गच्छति ॥
दण्डनीतिः स्वधर्मेण चातुर्वर्ण्यं नियच्छति ॥
प्रयुक्ता स्वामिना सम्यग् अधर्मेभ्यश् च यच्छति ॥
दण्डनीत्यां यदा राजा सम्यक् कार्त्स्न्येन वर्तते ॥
तदा कृतयुगं नाम कालः श्रेष्ठः प्रवर्तते ॥
कालो वा कारणं राज्ञो राजा वा कालकारणम् ॥
इति ते संशयो मा भूद् राजा कालस्य कारणम् ॥
yaṃ hi dharmaṃ carantīha prajā rājñā surakṣitāḥ ||
caturthaṃ tasya dharmasya rājā bhārata vindati ||
rājā carati ced dharmaṃ devatvāyaiva kalpate ||
sa ced adharmaṃ carati narakāyaiva gacchati ||
daṇḍanītiḥ svadharmeṇa cāturvarṇyaṃ niyacchati ||
prayuktā svāminā samyag adharmebhyaś ca yacchati ||
daṇḍanītyāṃ yadā rājā samyak kārtsnyena vartate ||
tadā kṛtayugaṃ nāma kālaḥ śreṣṭhaḥ pravartate ||
kālo vā kāraṇaṃ rājño rājā vā kālakāraṇam ||
iti te saṃśayo mā bhūd rājā kālasya kāraṇam ||
"Whatever dharma the subjects, well protected by the king, practice in this world — a fourth part of that dharma the king obtains, O Bharata. If the king follows dharma, he becomes fit for the state of a god; if he follows adharma, he goes straight to hell. The science of punishment, rightly applied by the ruler and in accordance with its own law, restrains the four varnas and turns them away from wrongdoing. When the king acts rightly and wholly within the policy of punishment, then the age called Krita Yuga, the finest of ages, dawns. Do not doubt whether time is the cause of the king or the king the cause of time: it is the king who is the cause of the age."
4fab9b61b875 · प्रकाशित 17 जुल॰ 2026, 5:51:08 am UTC
उपलब्ध भाषाएँRUENश्लोक बदलें इन कुंजियों से
Here the central principle of royal power is set forth: the quality of the age depends on the king. The right exercise of power keeps society within dharma, while a ruler's evasion of duty destroys order more severely than the private error of an individual.