Shloka 31
Chapter 78: Royal Responsibility for Wealth, Social Order, and the Protection of Dvijas
Kekaya Exemplum
येषां पुरोगमा विप्रा येषां ब्रह्म परं बलम् । अतिथिप्रियास्तथा पौरास्ते वै स्वर्गजितो नूपा:,जिनके आगे-आगे ब्राह्मण चलते हैं, जिनका सबसे बड़ा बल ब्राह्मण ही हैं, तथा जिनके राज्यके नागरिक अतिथि-सत्कारके प्रेमी हैं, वे नरेश निश्चय ही स्वर्गलोकपर अधिकार प्राप्त कर लेते हैं
yeṣāṃ purogamā viprā yeṣāṃ brahma paraṃ balam | atithipriyās tathā paurās te vai svargajito nṛpāḥ ||
The rākṣasa said: “Those kings before whom the brāhmaṇas walk in honor, whose highest strength is the power of Brahman (sacred knowledge and priestly authority), and whose townsmen delight in welcoming and honoring guests—such rulers, indeed, win the right to heaven.”
राक्षस उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler’s lasting merit is grounded in dharma: honoring learned brāhmaṇas (as custodians of sacred knowledge) and fostering a culture of atithi-satkara (hospitality). Such social and religious ethics are presented as a direct cause of heavenly attainment.
A rākṣasa speaks a didactic verse praising the qualities of righteous kingship: brāhmaṇas are given precedence and respect, spiritual authority is treated as the kingdom’s true strength, and citizens are characterized by love of welcoming guests—together marking a polity that earns svarga.