य उद्धरेत्करं राजा प्रजा धर्मेष्वशिक्षयन् । प्रजानां शमलं भुङ्क्ते भगं च स्वं जहाति स: ॥ २४ ॥
ya uddharet karam raja praja dharmesv asiksayan prajanam samalam bhunkte bhagam ca svam jahati sah
- yah
- anyone (king or governor)
- uddharet
- exact
- karam
- taxes
- raja
- king
- prajah
- the citizens
- dharmesu
- in executing their respective duties
- asiksayan
- without teaching them how to execute their respective duties
- prajanam
- of the citizens
- samalam
- impious
- bhunkte
- enjoys
- bhagam
- fortune
- ca
- also
- svam
- own
- jahati
- gives up
- sah
- that king.
Any king who does not teach his citizens about their respective duties in terms of varna and asrama but who simply exacts tolls and taxes from them is liable to suffer for the impious activities which have been performed by the citizens. In addition to such degradation, the king also loses his own fortune.