Shloka 39
King Vena’s Tyranny, the Sages’ Counsel, and the Birth of Niṣāda
तदुपद्रवमाज्ञाय लोकस्य वसु लुम्पताम् । भर्तर्युपरते तस्मिन्नन्योन्यं च जिघांसताम् ॥ ३९ ॥ चोरप्रायं जनपदं हीनसत्त्वमराजकम् । लोकान्नावारयञ्छक्ता अपि तद्दोषदर्शिन: ॥ ४० ॥
tad upadravam ājñāya lokasya vasu lumpatām bhartary uparate tasminn anyonyaṁ ca jighāṁ-satām
The saintly sages understood that, with King Vena’s death, great disorder had arisen among the people. With no ruler, the land became lawless; thieves and rogues surged up, bent on killing one another and plundering the public’s wealth. Though the sages had power to quell the turmoil, they deemed it improper for them to do so and therefore did not restrain it.
The saintly persons and great sages killed King Vena out of emergency, but they did not choose to take part in the government in order to subdue the uprising of thieves and rogues, which took place after the death of King Vena. It is not the duty of brāhmaṇas and saintly persons to kill, although they may sometimes do so in the case of an emergency. They could kill all the thieves and rogues by the prowess of their mantras, but they thought it the duty of kṣatriya kings to do so. Thus they reluctantly did not take part in the killing business.
FAQs
This verse describes social collapse when the protector is gone: wealth is plundered and people become violent toward one another, showing the need for dharmic governance (rāja-dharma).
Because the king’s duty is to restrain wrongdoers and protect citizens; when that protective order disappears, greed and fear rise, leading to robbery and mutual aggression.
Support and cultivate ethical leadership and self-discipline; when external accountability weakens, personal dharma and community responsibility become crucial to prevent exploitation and conflict.