Shloka 38
धर्मनिन्दा–धर्मोपासनाफलम् तथा साध्वाचारलक्षणम्
Fruits of Disparaging vs. Observing Dharma; Marks of Good Conduct
धर्मदण्डो न निर्दण्डो धर्मकार्यानुशासक: । यन्त्रित: कार्यकरणै: षड़भागकृतलक्षण:
dharmadaṇḍo na nirdaṇḍo dharmakāryānuśāsakaḥ | yantritaḥ kāryakaraṇaiḥ ṣaḍbhāgakṛtalakṣaṇaḥ ||
Mahādeva dit : «Que le châtiment du roi soit un bâton de dharma, non l’absence de châtiment. Qu’il instruise et règle le peuple dans l’accomplissement des devoirs justes. Lié par des règles et des procédures dans l’exercice des affaires royales, qu’il porte la marque reconnue de prélever la sixième part (des produits/du revenu) sur les sujets.»
श्रीमहेश्वर उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler must uphold dharma through just punishment and moral instruction, remain constrained by lawful procedures in administration, and legitimately sustain the state by collecting the traditional one-sixth share from the people.
Śrī Maheśvara is describing the standards of righteous kingship: the king should not abandon punishment, should guide subjects in dharmic conduct, should govern through regulated methods, and should take only the sanctioned revenue share (ṣaḍbhāga).