Sutra 6

Devanagari script

चतुर्वर्णाश्रमो लोको राज्ञा दण्डेन पालितः ॥ कZ_०१.४.१६अब् ॥

Transliteration

caturvarṇāśramo loko rājñā daṇḍena pālitaḥ

Translation

L’ordre social des quatre varṇa et des quatre āśrama est maintenu par le roi au moyen du châtiment/de la coercition (daṇḍa).

Word by Word

• चतुर्वर्णाश्रमः: the social order of the four varṇas and (four) āśramas
• Type: Noun (compound)
• Root: वर्ण/आश्रम (समास)
• Form: प्रथमा-एकवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग; समासः—चत्वारः वर्णाः + आश्रमाः (वर्णाश्रम-समूहः)

• लोकः: the people; the realm (society)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक
• Form: प्रथमा-एकवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग

• राज्ञा: by the king
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: तृतीया-एकवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग

• दण्डेन: by punishment/authority (the rod of governance)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दण्ड
• Form: तृतीया-एकवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग

• पालितः: is protected/maintained
• Type: Verb (past passive participle)
• Root: पाल्
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त-प्रत्ययान्त); प्रथमा-एकवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग; कर्मणि प्रयोगः—‘पालितः’ = ‘protected/maintained’

Entities Mentioned

• king (rājan)
• daṇḍa
• caturvarṇa-āśrama system

More Details

FAQs

How does this verse conceptualize the king’s role?

As the enforcer and stabilizer of the prevailing normative order—social roles persist because the state has credible enforcement.