Shloka 27
राजधर्मः—प्रमादवर्जनं, दण्डनीतिः, दुर्बलरक्षणम्
Royal Dharma: Vigilance, Just Punishment, Protection of the Vulnerable
यदा राष्ट्रे धर्ममग्र्यं चरन्ति संस्कारं वा राजगुणं ब्रुवाणा: । तैरेवाधर्मश्वरितो धर्ममोहात् तूर्ण जह्वात् सुकृतं दुष्कृतं च,जब राज्यमें रहनेवाले लोग राजाके गुणोंका बखान करते हुए वैदिक संस्कारोंके साथ उत्तम धर्मका आचरण करते हैं, उस समय राजा पापमुक्त हो जाता है तथा जब वे ही लोग धर्मके विषयमें मोहित हो जानेके कारण अधर्माचरण करने लगते हैं, उस समय राजा शीघ्र ही पुण्यसे हीन हो जाता है
yadā rāṣṭre dharmam agryaṃ caranti saṃskāraṃ vā rājaguṇaṃ bruvāṇāḥ | tair evādharmāśrito dharmamohāt tūṛṇaṃ jahyāt sukṛtaṃ duṣkṛtaṃ ca ||
Utathya said: “When, within a kingdom, the people practice the highest dharma—upholding Vedic rites and praising the kingly virtues—then the king is freed from sin through that very conduct. But when those same people, deluded about dharma, turn to unrighteous behavior, the king quickly loses his store of merit and becomes tainted by demerit as well.”
उतथ्य उवाच