Shloka 21
अज्ञान–लोभयोः परस्परहेतुत्वम्
Mutual Causality of Ignorance and Greed
हिमाग्निघोरसद्शो राजा भवति कश्चन | लांगलाशनिकल्पो वा भवेदन्य: परंतप
himāgni-ghora-sadṛśo rājā bhavati kaścana | lāṅgalāśani-kalpo vā bhaved anyaḥ parantapa ||
商那迦说道：“诸王之中，有的如雪般清凉安抚；有的如火般炽烈灼人；有的又如死神般可怖。还有的如犁、如霹雳，连根拔除邪恶，猝然击倒行不义（adharma）之人。故统治者在性情与维持秩序、惩治非义之道上，各不相同。”
शौनक उवाच
Educational Q&A
Rulership expresses itself in different temperaments—gentle restraint, fiery severity, fear-inducing authority, or sudden decisive punishment—but the ethical point is that a king’s power is meant to protect order by restraining and uprooting adharma.
Śaunaka characterizes various kinds of kings through vivid similes (snow, fire, Death, plough, thunderbolt), setting up a discussion on how rulers administer discipline and maintain social order.