Shloka 71
अध्याय ३३ — कर्म, दैव, हठ, स्वभाव और पुरुषार्थ पर द्रौपदी का उपदेश
Draupadī on Action, Fate, and Human Effort
यथा राजन् प्रजा: सर्वा: सूर्य: पाति गभस्तिभि: । अत्ति चैव तथैव त्वं सदृश: सवितुर्भव,राजन! जैसे भगवान् सूर्य पृथ्वीके रसको ग्रहण करते और अपनी किरणोंद्वारा वर्षा करके उन सबकी रक्षा करते हैं, उसी प्रकार आप भी प्रजाओंसे कर लेकर उनकी रक्षा करते हुए सूर्यके ही समान हो जाइये
yathā rājan prajāḥ sarvāḥ sūryaḥ pāti gabhastibhiḥ | atti caiva tathaiva tvaṃ sadṛśaḥ savitur bhava, rājan ||
毗舍摩波耶那说道：“大王啊，正如太阳养育并护持一切众生——汲取大地之湿润，又以光芒降下甘霖——你亦当如此：向百姓征收赋税，并以守护回报之。如此行事，便可如同太阳。”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
A king’s right to collect taxes is inseparable from his duty to protect and nurture the people. Like the Sun that ‘takes’ moisture yet returns it as life-giving rain, the ruler must take revenue only to sustain order, security, and welfare—making taxation a reciprocal moral obligation, not exploitation.
Vaiśampāyana addresses a king with counsel on righteous governance. He uses the Sun as an ethical model: the Sun absorbs the earth’s essence and then, through its rays, enables rain and protection for all beings; likewise, the king should levy taxes and, in exchange, ensure the safety and well-being of his subjects.