Shloka 17
Śīla-prāpti and Śīla-lakṣaṇa (शीलप्राप्ति-शीललक्षणम्) | On the Acquisition and Marks of Character
दुराचारान् यदा राजा प्रदुष्टानू न नियच्छति । तस्मादुद्धिजते लोक: सर्पाद् वेश्मगतादिव
durācārān yadā rājā praduṣṭān na niyacchati | tasmād udvijate lokaḥ sarpād veśmagatād iva ||
Ketika seorang raja tidak mengekang dan menghukum orang-orang bejat dan jahat, rakyat pun gelisah terhadap penguasa itu—seperti orang terusik oleh ular yang masuk ke dalam rumah.
कामन्दक उवाच
Educational Q&A
A king must restrain and punish wrongdoers; otherwise public safety collapses and the ruler himself becomes a cause of fear. Justice (daṇḍa) is presented as a necessary instrument of rājadharma to protect the innocent and maintain order.
Kāmandaka states a principle of statecraft: if the king does not check corrupt and wicked persons, the populace grows alarmed and uneasy, comparing such a kingdom to a home troubled by a snake inside it.