As, o king, all creatures cannot 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 safe place dart and move about as they please (for a time) and repeatedly attack and grind one another with force and then are destroyed 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 take care of them.
यथा ह्यनुदये राजन् भूतानि शशिसूर्ययोः। अन्धे तमसि मज्जेयुरपश्यन्तः परस्परम्॥ यथा ह्यनुदके मत्स्या निराक्रन्दे विहङ्गमाः। विहरेयुर्यथाकामं विहिंसन्तः पुनः पुनः॥ विमथ्यातिक्रमेरंश्च विषह्यापि परस्परम्। अभावमचिरेणैव गच्छेयुर्नात्र संशयः॥ एवमेव विना राज्ञा विनश्येयुरिमाः प्रजाः। अन्धे तमसि मज्जेयुरगोपाः पशवो यथा॥