Shloka 46
Nāradasya Rājadharma-praśnāḥ
Nārada’s Examination of Royal Ethics
कच्चित् त्वां नावजानन्ति याजका: पतितं यथा । उग्रप्रतिग्रहीतारं कामयानमिव स्त्रिय:
kaccit tvāṃ nāvajānanti yājakāḥ patitaṃ yathā | ugrapratigrahītāraṃ kāmayānam iva striyaḥ ||
那罗陀说道：“民众可曾对你心生轻蔑——如清净的祭司鄙弃堕落的祭主，如妇人鄙弃为欲望所驱的男子——因为你被人称作苛刻受纳、横征暴敛、取之过度的人？”
नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
A ruler must avoid harsh, excessive exactions and morally suspect gain; otherwise society will despise him, just as communities reject a fallen patron of sacrifice or a lust-driven man. Legitimate revenue must be collected with restraint and dharmic propriety.
Nārada questions the ruler about public opinion and moral standing, warning that if he is known for severe or excessive taking (as an ‘ugra-pratigrahītā’), the people may treat him with contempt, using vivid social analogies to stress the danger.