Shloka 43
कालनिर्णयः, युगधर्मवर्णनम्, सृष्टिक्रमश्च
Time-Reckoning, Yuga-Dharma, and the Sequence of Creation
संरक्षामि विलुम्पामि ददाम्यहमथाददे । संयच्छामि नियच्छामि लोकेषु प्रभुरीश्वर:
saṃrakṣāmi vilumpāmi dadāmy aham athādade | saṃyacchāmi niyacchāmi lokeṣu prabhur īśvaraḥ ||
释迦罗说道：“我护佑，也掠夺；我施与，继而又取回。我约束，我规制。作为诸世界的主宰与君王，我使众生安住于戒律与法度的界限之内。”
श॒क्र उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames sovereignty as a dual duty: a ruler must protect and also enforce order through taking (tax/tribute) and, when necessary, coercive action. Ethical governance is presented as balancing generosity with lawful exaction, and restraint with regulation, for the stability of the worlds.
Śakra (Indra) speaks in the Shanti Parva’s discourse on dharma and governance, describing his own role as cosmic ruler: he protects subjects, grants gifts, collects dues, and maintains discipline—asserting authority as a means to uphold order.