Shloka 100
Dasyu-maryādā and Buddhi-guided Rāja-nīti (दस्युमर्यादा तथा बुद्धिप्रधान-राजनीति)
जो राजा धर्मको नहीं जानता, उसके अत्याचारसे प्रजाका नाश हो जाता है। राजा ही धर्म, अर्थ और काम--इन तीनोंका मूल है। अतः उसे पूर्ण सावधान रहकर निरन्तर अपनी प्रजाका पालन करना चाहिये ।।
Brahmadatta uvāca: yo rājā dharmaṁ na jānāti, tasya atyācāreṇa prajāyā nāśo bhavati. rājā hi dharma-artha-kāmānāṁ trayāṇām api mūlam; ataḥ sa pūrṇa-sāvadhānaḥ san nityaṁ sva-prajāḥ pālayitavyāḥ. bali-ṣaḍ-bhāgam uddhṛtya baliṁ samupayojayet; na rakṣati prajāḥ samyag yaḥ sa pārthiva-taskaraḥ.
婆罗摩达多说道：“国王若不明达摩，其暴虐必使人民覆亡。王乃三义——达摩、财利（artha）与欲乐（kāma）——之根本，故当全然警醒，恒常护持、养育其民。若取民之收入六分之一为税而自享其利，却不善护百姓，此王乃诸王之盗。”
ब्रह्मदत्त उवाच
Educational Q&A
A king’s legitimacy rests on dharma and protection: collecting the traditional one-sixth tax is justified only when the ruler uses it responsibly and safeguards the people. Taxation without protection is equated with theft.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on rajadharma, Brahmadatta delivers a warning about misrule: ignorance of dharma leads to tyranny and the ruin of the populace, and a ruler who takes revenue but fails in protection is condemned as a ‘thief among kings’.