Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.17.16
SB 1.17.16
Open the full passageSanskrit
rājño hi paramo dharmaḥ sva-dharma-sthānupālanam śāsato 'nyān yathā-śāstram anāpady utpathān iha
Translation
The supreme duty of the ruling king is to give all protection to law-abiding persons and to chastise those who stray from the ordinances of the scriptures in ordinary times, when there is no emergency.