Shloka 5
नोधश्छिन्द्यात्तु यो धेन्वाः क्षारार्थो लभते पयः / एवं राष्ट्रं प्रयोगेण पीड्यमानं न वर्धते
nodhaśchindyāttu yo dhenvāḥ kṣārārtho labhate payaḥ / evaṃ rāṣṭraṃ prayogeṇa pīḍyamānaṃ na vardhate
పెరుగు కోసం పాలు పొందాలని గోవు మోకును కోసేవాడు హానిచేసి మాత్రమే పాలు పొందినట్లే; అలాగే శోషణాత్మక ప్రయోగాలతో పీడితమైన రాజ్యం వృద్ధి చెందదు।
Lord Vishnu (in dialogue with Garuda/Vinata-putra)
Concept: Adharmic extraction harms the source; governance must be protective rather than oppressive.
Vedantic Theme: Lobha (greed) and himsā bind one to decline; dharma sustains loka-saṅgraha (world-order).
Application: Avoid predatory taxation, forced labor, and short-term profiteering; invest in agriculture, welfare, and fair administration to keep the productive base healthy.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Type: kingdom/raashtra (polity)
Related Themes: Garuda Purana (Dharma/ācāra sections): rājadharma—protection of subjects, avoidance of prajā-pīḍā; Garuda Purana: teachings on dāna and ahiṃsā as sustaining dharma
FAQs
This verse teaches that prosperity cannot be produced through harmful, extractive policies; a state grows only when its people are not oppressed.
It uses a concrete analogy—injuring a cow to get milk—to show that short-term gain achieved by harm undermines long-term wellbeing and stability.
Avoid “growth” methods that squeeze people or resources beyond limits; sustainable prosperity comes from protection, fairness, and non-exploitative administration.