Shloka 12
राजवृत्त-रक्षा-प्रणिधि-षाड्गुण्योपदेशः
Royal Conduct, Protection, Intelligence, and Policy Measures
विमथ्याततिक्रमेरंश्व विषद्यापि परस्परम् | अभावमचिरेणैव गच्छेयुर्नात्र संशय:
vimathyātatikrameran śva viṣadyāpi parasparam | abhāvam acireṇaiva gaccheyur nātra saṁśayaḥ, rājan |
婆苏摩那说道：“若他们不断相击、彼此逾越，虽悲苦却仍轮番攻伐，那么他们很快便会走向败亡——大王啊，此无可疑。正如日月不升，众生沉入可怖的黑暗，彼此不能相见；又如浅池之鱼、无守之林中群鸟，任意游走却反复互相创伤——时而以击打碾碎他者，时而自身受击而烦苦——同样，他们彼此争斗，不久便几近毁灭。照此而论，若无国王，举国之民必将相互争吵厮斗，迅速败坏，像无牧者的牛群一般，沉入苦难那浓重的黑暗。”
वसुमना उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that a king (lawful authority) is necessary to restrain mutual aggression; without governance, people fall into conflict and rapid ruin, like creatures lost in darkness or animals without a herdsman.
Vasumanā addresses a king and argues for the necessity of rulership by using vivid analogies: darkness without sun and moon, fish in shallow water, and birds in an unguarded grove—each illustrating how, without protection and restraint, beings harm one another and perish.