Verse 7.17

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation by Ganganath Jha:

स राजा पुरुषो दण्डः स नेता शासिता च सः ।
चतुर्णामाश्रमाणां च धर्मस्य प्रतिभूः स्मृतः ॥ १७ ॥

sa rājā puruṣo daṇḍaḥ sa netā śāsitā ca saḥ |
caturṇāmāśramāṇāṃ ca dharmasya pratibhūḥ smṛtaḥ || 17 ||

That punishment is the ‘King’, the ‘Man’; that is the ‘Leader’ and the ‘Ruler’ and that has been declared to be the ‘surety’ for the Law of the Four Stages.—(17)

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

That in reality is ‘King’;—as it is by reason of Punishment that the King’s power holds.

That is the ‘Man’;—since it disregards even powerful men and brings them under its power.

That is the ‘Leader’;—all business is led, managed, by it.

‘Ruler’—‘Ruling’ consists in the King’s commands; and these latter are capable of controlling men only when there is Punishment; and it is in this sense that the actual act of ruling has been figuratively attributed to it.

It is like ‘surety’ of ‘the Law of the Four Stages’;—i.e., Punishment does not allow men to swerve from their duty in the same manner as the surety does not allow the party to deviate from the stipulated conditions.—(17)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

This verse is quoted in Vivādaratnākara (p. 646), which adds the following notes:—Rājā, so called because of his giving satisfaction (rañjanāt),—puruṣaḥ, ‘equal to the Supreme Being’, residing in the hearts of the people;—he is the netā, the ‘leader’, the propagator of Dharma.

It is quoted in Vīramitrodaya (Rājanīti, p. 292);—and in Vivādacintāmaṇi (p. 261), which has the following notes:—Rājā, so called because he keeps the people contented (prajārañjanāt),—puruṣaḥ, the Supreme Person, because he abides in the heart (puri shete) of the people,—netā,— ruler, master,—‘śāsitā’, the propagator of proper righteousness.

 

Comparative notes by various authors

(verses 7.17-18)

Matsyapurāṇa (Vīramitrodaya-Rājanīti, p. 286).—‘Punishment governs all creatures; punishment alone protects them; punishment lies awake while all are asleep; the wise regard punishment as Law itself.’

Mahābhārata (Do., p. 287).—‘It is punishment that protects Dharma, and also property; it is punishment that protects pleasure; hence is punishment called the Triad; by punishment is grain protected, as also wealth.’