यदि स्युर्बहवो लोके शास्तारो दण्डधारिण: । कस्य स्यातां न वा कस्य मृत्युश्चामृतमेव वा ॥ ५ ॥
yadi syur bahavo loke sastaro danda-dharinah kasya syatam na va kasya mrtyus camrtam eva va
- yadi
- if
- syuh
- there are
- bahavah
- many
- loke
- in this world
- sastarah
- rulers or controllers
- danda-dharinah
- who punish the sinful men
- kasya
- of whom
- syatam
- there may be
- na
- not
- va
- or
- kasya
- of whom
- mrtyuh
- distress or unhappiness
- ca
- and
- amrtam
- happiness
- eva
- certainly
- va
- or.
If in this universe there are many rulers and justices who disagree about punishment and reward, their contradictory actions will neutralize each other, and no one will be punished or rewarded. Otherwise, if their contradictory acts fail to neutralize each other, everyone will have to be both punished and rewarded.