Shloka 72
कर्मणा येन केनैव मृदुना दारुणेन च । उद्धरेद् दीनमात्मानं समर्थो धर्ममाचरेत्,राजा यदि संकटमें हो तो कोमल या भयंकर--जिस किसी भी कर्मके द्वारा उस दुरवस्थासे अपना उद्धार करे; फिर समर्थ होनेपर धर्मका आचरण करे
karmaṇā yena kenāiva mṛdunā dāruṇena ca | uddhared dīnam ātmānaṃ samartho dharmam ācaret |
Kāṇika said: By whatever action—gentle or even harsh—a king who has fallen into distress should rescue his own weakened condition. Once he has regained strength and stability, he should then practice dharma.
कणिक उवाच
Educational Q&A
In a crisis, a ruler may use any effective means—mild or severe—to save himself and restore stability; only after regaining strength should he fully return to the regular practice of dharma. The verse frames survival and recovery as prerequisites for sustained righteous governance.
Kāṇika is giving counsel in the idiom of rāja-nīti (political strategy). He argues that when a king is endangered or weakened, he should prioritize self-preservation and the restoration of power by whatever workable method, and then, once secure, resume dharmic conduct.