THE KING- RAJA-NRUPAH- राजा,नृपः

SUBHASHITHANI:192

These slokas were written during the period our country was ruled by kings. To-day we are ruled by elected representatives of the people. How ever, The ideas enshrined in the slokas are very much relevant to to-day's rulers also.

दुष्टस्य दण्डः सुजनस्य पूजा

न्यायेन कोशस्य च संप्रवृद्धिः |

अपक्षपातोऽर्थिषु राष्ट्ररक्षा

 पञ्चैव यज्ञाः कथिता नृपाणाम् ||- Atri samhita
The following are the five pious duties of a king - punish the guilty, honour the good, collect tax and enhance wealth without troubling the subjects, be impartial while giving judgment,and defence of the state.

न राज्यं न राजाऽसीत् न दण्डयो न च दण्डिकः ।

धर्मेणैव प्रजास्सर्वा रक्षन्ति स्म परस्परम् ॥

na rAjyaM na rAjA&sIt na daNDayo na cha daNDikaH |

dharmeNaiva prajAssarvA rakShanti sma parasparam ||

No state, no king, no judge and no criminal would exist (none would be required) if everybody lived by Dharma; for, then, people would protect each other.
दुर्मन्त्रान्नृपतिर्विनश्यति यतिः सङ्गात् सुतो लालसात्
विप्रोऽनध्ययनात् कुलं कुतनयाच्छीलं खलोपासनात्।
मैत्री चाप्रणयात् समृद्धिरनयात् स्नेहः प्रवासाश्रयात्
स्त्री गर्वादनवेक्षणादपि कृषिस्त्यागात् प्रमादाद्धनम्॥१८०॥

A king is ruined by bad advice; an ascetic, by company; a child by pampering;
A brāhmaṇa by lack of learning; a noble family by evil sons; virtuous conduct by serving the base; Friendship from want of regard; investment by mismanagement; affection from long absence/separation; And a woman by pride; a farm, from neglect; wealth, through misdirected charity.

गुणेषु रागो व्यसनेष्वनादरो

    रतिः सुभृत्येषु च यस्य भूपतेः |

चिरं स भुंक्ते चलचामरांशुकां

    सितातपत्राभरणां नृपश्रियम् ||- Pancha tantra

A king who respects good qualities in people, who stays away from addictions, who appreciates a good servant will for ever enjoy the luxuries of royalty - the constant movement of the fans (with peacock feathers -chaamaram), the ornaments, the royal umbrella and so on.

एकं  विषरसं हन्ति, शस्त्रेण एकश्च वध्यते ।

सराष्ट्रं सप्रजं हन्ति, राजानं मंत्र-विप्लव: ।। चाणक्य नीति

Poison causes death to only one person. The weapon also kills only one person. But due to wrong decision taken by the King, the King himself, the whole Nation and her Citizen may die.

राजा राष्ट्रकृतं पापम् , राज्ञां पापं पुरोहित: ।

भर्ता च स्त्रीकृतं पापम् , शिष्यपापं गुरू: तथा ।।चाणक्य नीति

 If wrong things are done in the Nation, the King should be held responsible. If the King himself commits a sin, his adviser-in-chief should be held responsible. If a woman does a wrong thing, her husband should be held responsible. If a student commits a sin, his teacher should be held responsible. 

अधर्मस्तु महांस्तात भवत्तस्य महीपतेः |

यो हरेद् बलिषड्भागं न च रक्षति पुत्रवत् ||-Ramayana-Aranya
If a king does not protect his subjects like his own sons in spite of taking one sixth of their earnings as tax, then his act shall attract a lot of sin.

अदण्ड्यान् दण्डयन् राजा दंड्यांश्चैवाप्यदण्डयन् |

अयशो महदाप्नोति नरकं चैव गच्छति ||- मनुस्मृति-Manu smruti

If a king punishes the innocent and fails to punish the guilty, he will become very infamous. In addition to that, he will go to hell.

अकृतात्मानमासाद्य राजानमनये रतम् |

समृद्धानि विनश्यन्ति राष्ट्राणि नगराणि च ||-Ramayana-Sundara

If a person who has not overcome his senses, one who believes in sensory pleasures is made the king, then in spite of all the wealth, such nations and cities will get destroyed.

रिक्तपाणीर्नपश्येत राजानं दैवतं गुरुम् I 
दैवज्ञं पुत्रकं मित्रं फलेन फलमादिशेत् I

riktapaaNeernapashyeta raajaanam daivatam gurum
daivaj~nam putrakam mitram phalena phalamaadishet

Do not go empty handed to see a king, God, teacher, a learned person, a child or a friend. Invoke fruitfulness with fruit!

दुर्बलस्य बलं राजा बालानां रोदनं बलम् ।

बलं मूर्खस्य मौनित्वं चौराणामनृतम् बलम् ॥

A king is the strength of the weak. He protects them. Ability to cry is the strength of a baby. Ability to stay silent is the strength of a fool. Likewise, a thief finds his strength in his ability to lie

गोपहीन यथा गावः विलयं यान्त्यपालिताः । प्रतिमानाटक

एवं नृपतिहीना हि विलयं यान्ति वै प्रजाः ॥ - Pratimaa naataka

Without the shepherd, the cows all get dispersed. Their life is threatened by predators. Similarly if there is no king citizens' lives will be put in danger.

राजा मत्तः शिशुश्चैव प्रमादी धनगर्वितः  ।

अप्राप्यमपि वाञ्छन्ति किं पुनर्लभ्यतेऽपि यत्  ॥ १० ॥
raajaa mattah shishushcaiva pramaadii dhanagarvitah  |

apraapyamapi vaanchanti kim punarlabhyate'pi yat  || 10 ||
The king,mad man, child,indifferent, proud rich these people will desire even those that are unattainable; what to speak of those which are attainable?  

परमं यत्नमातिष्ठेत् स्तेनानां निग्रहे नृपः |

स्तेनानां निग्रहादस्य यशो राष्ट्रं च वर्धते ||- मनुस्मृति

It is one of the foremost duties of a king to nab thieves and keep them behind bars. Doing so will spread good word about him and the state. It will also increase the wealth of the state.

पर्जन्यमिव भूतानि महाद्रुममिवांडजाः |

नराः समुपजीवन्ति नृपं सर्वार्थसाधकम् ||

Just like animals depend on the rain, the birds depend on the tree - ordinary subjects depend on the king for achieving anything.

अयुक्तचारं दुर्दर्शनमस्वाधीनं नराधिपम् |

वर्जयन्ति नरा दूरान्नदीपङ्कमिव द्विपाः ||-Ramayan-Aranya
If a king does not have spies, offers ill advice to the subjects, not in control of himself - then his subjects will abandon him just like elephants stay clear of the mire in the river.

नानुतिष्ठति कार्याणि भयेषु च बिभेति च |

क्षिप्तं राज्याच्च्युतो दीनस्तृणैस्तुल्यो भवेदिह ||-Ramayana-Aranya
If a king fails to implement welfare schemes for the people at the appropriate time and is insensitive to troubles facing the nation - he will soon lose his kingdom and respect. He will be as insignificant as a blade of grass.

SRI KRISHNAYA THUBHYAM NAMAH