Shloka 42
राजधर्मः—प्रमादवर्जनं, दण्डनीतिः, दुर्बलरक्षणम्
Royal Dharma: Vigilance, Just Punishment, Protection of the Vulnerable
यमो राजा धार्मिकाणां मान्धात: परमेश्वर: । संयच्छन् भवति प्राणानसंयच्छंस्तु पातुक:
yamo rājā dhārmikāṇāṁ māndhātāḥ parameśvaraḥ | saṁyacchan bhavati prāṇān asaṁyacchaṁs tu pātukaḥ ||
Utathya nói: “Yama là vua của người công chính; Māndhātṛ là bậc tối thượng. Ai biết tự chế thì trở thành kẻ hộ trì sinh khí; còn ai không tự chế thì hóa thành kẻ hủy diệt.”
उतथ्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse links moral authority with self-restraint: restraint (saṁyama) preserves and protects life, while lack of restraint leads to ruin and harm. It frames ethical governance and personal conduct as fundamentally protective when disciplined.
Utathya is instructing on dharma by invoking exemplars of cosmic and royal order—Yama as judge-king of the righteous and Māndhātṛ as an ideal sovereign—then drawing a practical conclusion about the consequences of restraint versus unrestrained behavior.