Verse 8.304

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

सर्वतो धर्मषड्भागो राज्ञो भवति रक्षतः ।
अधर्मादपि षड्भागो भवत्यस्य ह्यरक्षतः ॥ ३०४ ॥

sarvato dharmaṣaḍbhāgo rājño bhavati rakṣataḥ |
adharmādapi ṣaḍbhāgo bhavatyasya hyarakṣataḥ || 304 ||

To the King who protects (his people) accrues the sixth part of the spiritual merit of all persons; and the sixth of their demerit also accrues to him, if he protects them not—(301).

 

Medhātithi’s commentary (manubhāṣya):

The king obtains the sixth part of the spiritual merit arising from the open performance of sacrifices by the inhabitants of villages, as well as by those living in forests; so also the sixth part of the ‘demerit’ acquired by the secret acts of stealing and the like committed by thieves and others. It is not only by his failure to protect those who are robbed by thieves that the king incurs sin, but also by his failing to suppress those who, by committing theft and such other misdeeds, incur sin, a portion whereof falls upon the king. Because ‘protection’ also means saving them from the incurring of sin. So that if the king fails in this duty of his, it is only right that he should incur sin.

“In as much as the protection rendered by the king is in return for what he receives as wages (in the way of taxes), it is not right, to say that he obtains the sixth part of the people’s spiritual merit.”

It has already been explained that there are many persons who pay no taxes at all,—such as the poor, the orphans, the ascetics and so forth. So that if the king fulfills his full duty, what incongruity is there in the assertion made in the text?—(304)

 

Explanatory notes by Ganganath Jha

“This is that famous ‘sixth’ of good or evil which the king draws upon himself by protecting or neglecting his people; he revives a sixth of the produce as tax (7.130), and in return, it may be, must give security to the realm, or he gets the same proportion of the fruits of their bad deeds; or (cf. verse 308) he takes all the sin of the world. Yājñavalkya says (1.334-336) he takes one-sixth of the fruit of their good deeds, but one half of their sin in case he does not protect them. Similarly the sixth or the twelfth part (8. 35), or half (8.39) is the share of the treasure the king receives; and again in 8.18 he receives a fourth of the fruits of the sin caused by a wrong decision in court.”—Hopkins, who refers to the Mahābhārata (13.61.34-35), where, in regard to the sin, different views (fourth part, half, whole) are set forth and then the conclusion stated in favour of the fourth part, which, it is said, is in accordance with the ‘teaching of Manu.’

This verse is quoted in Parāśaramādhava (Ācāra, p. 397);—in Vīramitrodaya (Rājanīti, p. 255);—in Nṛsiṃhaprasāda (p. 73p);—and in Vivādacintāmaṇi (p. 263).

 

Comparative notes by various authors

(verses 8.304-305)

Yājñavalkya (1.334).—‘Protecting the people according to law, the King obtains the sixth part of the spiritual merit of the people.’

Do. (1.335).—‘Whatever sin is committed by the people not protected by the King, half of it goes to the King; since he takes taxes from them.’

Vaśiṣṭha (1.44).—‘It has been declared in the Veda—“the King obtains the sixth part of the merit of sacrifices and charitable works.”’

Viṣṇu (3.48).—‘A sixth part both of the virtuous deeds and of the iniquitous acts committed by his subjects goes to the King.’

Gautama (11.11).—‘It is declared in the Veda that the King obtains a share of the spiritual merit gained by his subjects.’

Viṣṇudharmottara (Vīramitrodaya-Rājanīti).—‘O Rāma, the King obtains the sixth part of the virtuous as well as the iniquitous deeds committed by his people; and also a portion of their spiritual merit, if he is engaged in protecting them.’