Devanagari
धर्मेण पालयन्नुर्वीं प्रजा: शीलेन रञ्जयन् ।
वर्तमान: सम: स्वेषु श्रेय: कीर्तिमवाप्स्यसि ॥ १८ ॥
Verse text
dharmeṇa pālayann urvīṁ
prajāḥ śīlena raṣjayan
vartamānaḥ samaḥ sveṣu
śreyaḥ kīrtim avāpsyasi
Synonyms
dharmeṇa
—
religiously
;
pālayan
—
protecting
;
urvīm
—
the earth
;
prajāḥ
—
the citizens
;
śīlena
—
by good character
;
raṣjayan
—
delighting
;
vartamānaḥ
—
remaining
;
samaḥ
—
equally disposed
;
sveṣu
—
to your relatives
;
śreyaḥ
—
perfection
;
kīrtim
—
glory
;
avāpsyasi
—
you will achieve .
Translation
By religiously protecting the earth, delighting your subjects with your noble character, and treating all your relatives equally, you will surely achieve success and glory.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
By religiously protecting the earth, delighting your subjects with your noble character, and treating all your relatives equally, you will surely achieve success and glory.
KB 10.49.18
“Therefore I beg to advise you to please rule the kingdom on moral and ethical principles. If you do so and try to please your subjects in that way, your name and fame will be perpetual.” Akrūra hinted that although Dhṛtarāṣṭra was ill-treating his nephews, the Pāṇḍavas, they happened to be his subjects. “Even if you treat them not as the owners of the throne but as your subjects, you should impartially think of their welfare as though they were your own sons.
Purport
Akrūra told Dhṛtarāṣṭra that even though he had usurped the throne, if he now ruled according to the principles of
dharma
and behaved properly, he could be successful.
Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
"Well that may be, that you did this unjustly, but you remain on the throne. And by acting properly you will attain perfection."
Purport (Jiva Goswami)
If you please the citizens by your good character (śīlena) and are equal to your sons and the Pāṇḍavas (sveṣu) you will attain fame and prosperity (śreyaḥ).
Purport (Sanatana Goswami)
If you please the citizens by your good character (śīlena) and are equal to your sons and the Pāṇḍavas (sveṣu) you will attain fame and prosperity (śreyaḥ). Or you will attain with purity (avāpsyasi) happiness (śreyaḥ) and fame in this world and the next.