SB 1.17.16
शासतोऽन्यान्यथाशास्त्रमनापद्युत्पथानिह ॥ १६ ॥
śāsato’nyān yathā-śāstram anāpady utpathān iha
Synonyms
paramaḥ — the supreme [or foremost (utkṛṣṭaḥ)82]; dharmaḥ — duty; rājñaḥ — of a king; hi — [is] indeed [hīty avadhāraṇe]; anupālanam — to continuously protect [nirantaraṁ pālanam eva]; sva-dharma-stha — those who are dedicated to their respective socio-religious duties; śāsataḥ — [while] punishing [daṇḍayataḥ]; anyān — others [the offenders (duṣṭān);83 or the unrighteous (asādhūn);84 who are opposed to dharma (adharma-niṣṭhān)85]; yathā — in accordance with; śāstram — scriptural regulations; anāpadi — [who] even in the absence of misfortune [(āpad-abhāve’pi);86 implying that in calamitous circumstances, violation of duty may not entail any fault (ity anenāpadi durvṛttir na doṣāvaheti sūcitam)87]; utpathān — [become] transgressors of the moral code [(durvṛttān);88 having abandoned their prescribed path (mārgam utsṛjya vartamānān)89]; iha — here in this world [loke90].
Translation
The supreme duty of a king is indeed to continuously protect those who are dedicated to their respective socio-religious duties, while punishing the offenders—in accordance with scriptural regulations—who, even in the absence of misfortune, become transgressors of the moral code here in this world.