Shloka 26
राजधर्मः—प्रमादवर्जनं, दण्डनीतिः, दुर्बलरक्षणम्
Royal Dharma: Vigilance, Just Punishment, Protection of the Vulnerable
महान् वृक्षो जायते वर्धते च त॑ चैव भूतानि समाश्रयन्ति । यदा वक्षश्छिद्यते दहाते च तदाश्रया अनिकेता भवन्ति
mahān vṛkṣo jāyate vardhate ca taṃ caiva bhūtāni samāśrayanti | yadā vṛkṣaś chidyate dahyate ca tadāśrayā aniketā bhavanti ||
Ketika sebuah pohon besar lahir dan tumbuh berangsur-angsur, banyak makhluk datang berlindung padanya. Namun bila pohon itu ditebang atau dibakar, semua yang bergantung padanya menjadi tanpa tempat bernaung.
उतथ्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
A powerful support—like a great tree—creates refuge for many; destroying that support makes dependents shelterless. Ethically, one should protect sustaining institutions and caregivers (especially rulers and householders), mindful of the harm caused to those who rely on them.
Utathya illustrates his counsel with a vivid analogy: creatures gather in a flourishing tree for safety, but when it is cut or burned they lose their home. He uses this image to warn about the social fallout when a central protector or support is removed.