rājño hi paramo dharmaḥ sva-dharma-sthānupālanam śāsato 'nyān yathā-śāstram anāpady utpathān iha
Synonyms
rājñaḥ—of the king or the executive head; hi—certainly; paramaḥ—occupational duty; dharmaḥ—supreme; sva-dharma-stha—one who is faithful to his prescribed duty; anupālanam—giving protection always; śāsataḥ—while ruling over; anyān—others; yathā—accordingly; śāstram—rulings of Scriptures; anāpadi—without danger; utpathān—persons going astray; iha—as a matter of fact.
Translation
It is the supreme duty of the ruling king to give all protection to the law abiding persons while chastising others as they are ordained in the scriptures, who go astray even in ordinary times when there is nothing untoward happening.
Purport
In the scriptures there is a term called Apatdharama or occupational duty at times of extrordinary happenings. It is said some times the great sage Viswamitra had to live on the flesh of dogs in some extrordinary dangerous position. In cases of emergency they may be allowed to live on the flesh animals of all description but that does not mean that there shall be regular slaughter houses to feed the animal eaters and the system be encouraged by the state. No body should try to live on flesh in ordinary times simply for the sake of palate. If any body does so the king or the executive head must punish such animal eaters for gross enjoyment.
There are regular scriptural injunctions for different person engaged in different occupational duties and one's who follows them is called Swadharmanistha or faithful in one's prescribed duties. In the Bhagwat Geeta also (B.G. 18/48) it is advised that one may not give up his occupational prescribed duties even they are not always flawless. Such Swadharama might be violated in cases of emergency being forced by circumstances but they cannot be violated in ordinary course of time. The state executive head is to see that such Swadharma is not changed by the follower whatevor he may be and give all protection to such follower of Swadharma. The violater is subject to punishment in terms of Shastra and it is the duty of the King to keen vigilance in this mater of strictly following one's occupational duty as preseribed in the Scripture.