PM Modi Highlights Kamandaki Nitisara Wisdom on Rulers' Duty

New Delhi, October 28

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday posted a subhashit on social media that draws on ancient Indian political thought. The message focuses on the duty of rulers toward citizens and the nation, presenting it as the core principle of good administration.

The Prime Minister's post features a Sanskrit shloka that reads: 'पालयन् प्रकृतिं राजा सुखी भवति नान्यथा। प्रकृतिश्च हिता यस्य स राजा सर्वकामधुक्॥'. Its Hindi interpretation states that serving the people and the country forms the basic foundation of good governance. Leadership that works with selfless devotion for public welfare and the common good, the verse implies, opens the path to prosperity, peace and well-being across the nation.

The verse is drawn from Kamandakiya Nitisara, a classical Sanskrit work known in another form as Kamandaka Nitisara. The text was written by Acharya Kamandaka and deals with the state, the obligations of a king, or rajdharma, and the broader framework of governance.

According to the shloka, a ruler can secure real happiness and prosperity only by safeguarding and nurturing his subjects. A leader who neglects the people or takes advantage of them cannot remain truly content.

The verse adds that a king who is loved by his people, and under whose rule nature and the environment remain balanced and supportive, gains all forms of success and abundance. Such a ruler is capable of meeting the aspirations of his subjects, and his kingdom becomes as generous as the mythical kamdhenu.

The teaching of Acharya Kamandaka thus underscores that public welfare and environmental conservation are the true foundations of success for any nation or leadership. When a ruler serves the public without self-interest, the blessings, support and progress of the people fulfil his aspirations as a natural outcome.