मरुत्तोपाख्यान-प्रस्तावः — Genealogy to Marutta and the Logistics of Royal Sacrifice
खनीनेत्रस्तु विक्रान्तो जित्वा राज्यमकण्टकम् । नाशकद् रक्षितुं राज्यं नान्वरज्यन्त तं प्रजा:
khanīnetras tu vikrānto jitvā rājyam akaṇṭakam | nāśakad rakṣituṁ rājyam nānvarajyanta taṁ prajāḥ ||
خنی نیترا بہادر ہونے کے باوجود بے خار—بے رقیب—بادشاہت جیت کر بھی اسے سنبھال نہ سکا، کیونکہ رعایا کے دل اس کی طرف مائل نہ ہوئے۔
व्यास उवाच
Conquest alone does not secure a kingdom; a ruler must win and sustain the subjects’ trust and affection through righteous, welfare-oriented governance. Without popular allegiance, even an uncontested realm becomes unstable.
Vyāsa narrates an example: the warrior-king Khanīnetra, despite successfully conquering an unobstructed kingdom, fails to maintain it because the people do not become attached or loyal to him.