Adhyaya 18 — Arjuna Declines the Throne; Garga Directs Him to Dattatreya; The Gods Defeat the Daityas through Dattatreya’s Vision and the Movement of Lakshmi
दत्त्वार्थरक्षिभिर्मार्गे रक्षितो याति दस्युतः ।
गोपाश्च घृततक्रादेः षड्भागञ्च कृषीबलाः ॥
dattvārtharakṣibhir mārge rakṣito yāti dasyutaḥ /
gopāś ca ghṛtatakrādeḥ ṣaḍbhāgaṃ ca kṛṣībalāḥ
दत्त्वा पथि गच्छति जनः द्रव्यरक्षकैः रक्षकैः परिरक्षितः, दस्युभ्यः निर्भयः। गोपालाः सर्पिषो मथितस्य चादेः भागं ददति; कृषकाः षष्ठांशं ददति।
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The king’s levy is framed as a wage for protection. When protection is real (safe roads, reduced banditry), taxation becomes morally intelligible.
Rājadharma embedded within vaṃśānucarita; it provides normative details about shares (bhāga) typical of dharma discourse in Purāṇas.
‘Safe passage’ symbolizes the dharmic function of authority: to reduce fear (bhaya) in society; fearlessness is treated as a tangible fruit of righteous rule.