Shloka 31
Chapter 78: Royal Responsibility for Wealth, Social Order, and the Protection of Dvijas
Kekaya Exemplum
येषां पुरोगमा विप्रा येषां ब्रह्म परं बलम् । अतिथिप्रियास्तथा पौरास्ते वै स्वर्गजितो नूपा:
yeṣāṃ purogamā viprā yeṣāṃ brahma paraṃ balam | atithipriyās tathā paurās te vai svargajito nṛpāḥ ||
Sinabi ng rākṣasa: “Ang mga haring pinangungunahan ng mga Brahmin sa karangalan, na ang pinakamataas na lakas ay ang kapangyarihan ng Brahman—banal na kaalaman at awtoridad ng saserdote—at na ang mga mamamayan ay nagagalak sa pagtanggap at paggalang sa mga panauhin: ang gayong mga pinuno, tunay nga, ay nagwawagi ng karapatan sa langit.”
राक्षस उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler’s lasting merit is grounded in dharma: honoring learned brāhmaṇas (as custodians of sacred knowledge) and fostering a culture of atithi-satkara (hospitality). Such social and religious ethics are presented as a direct cause of heavenly attainment.
A rākṣasa speaks a didactic verse praising the qualities of righteous kingship: brāhmaṇas are given precedence and respect, spiritual authority is treated as the kingdom’s true strength, and citizens are characterized by love of welcoming guests—together marking a polity that earns svarga.