"Vrihaspati said, 'The duties of all men, O thou of great wisdom, may be
seen to have their root in the king. It is through fear of the king only
that men do not devour one another. It is the king that brings peace on
earth, through due observance of duties, by checking all disregard for
wholesome restraints and all kinds of lust. Achieving this, he shines in
glory. As, O king, all creatures become unable to see one another and
sink in utter darkness if the sun and the moon do not rise, as fishes in
shallow water and birds in a spot safe from danger dart and rove as they
please (for a time) and repeatedly attack and grind one another with
force and then meet with certain destruction even so men sink in utter
darkness and meet with destruction if they have no king to protect them,
like a herd of cattle without the herdsman to look after them. If the
king did not exercise the duty of protection, the strong would forcibly
appropriate the possessions of the weak, and if the latter refused to
surrender them with ease, their very lives would be taken. Nobody then,
with reference to any article in his possession, would be able to say
'This is mine.' Wives, sons, food, and other kinds of property, would not
then exist. Ruin would overtake everything if the king did not exercise
the duty of protection. Wicked men would forcibly appropriate the
vehicles and robes and ornaments and precious stones and other kinds of
property belonging to others, if the king did not protect.
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