FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.17.14

जनेऽनागस्यघं युञ्जन् सर्वतोऽस्य च मद्भयम् । साधूनां भद्रमेव स्यादसाधुदमने कृते ॥ १४ ॥
jane ’nāgasy aghaṁ yuñjan
[jane ’naagasy agham yunjan]
sarvato ’sya ca mad-bhayam
[sarvato ’sya cha mad-bhayam]
sādhūnāṁ bhadram eva syād
[saadhoonaam bhadram eva syaad]
asādhu-damane kṛte
[asaadhu-damane krite]
jane — to the living beings anāgasi — those who are offenseless agham — sufferings yuñjan — by applying sarvataḥ — anywhere and everywhere asya — of such offenders ca — and mat-bhayam — fear me sādhūnām — of the honest persons bhadram — good fortune eva — certainly syāt — will take place asādhu — dishonest miscreants damane — curbed kṛte — being so done.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
jane ’nāgasy aghaṁ yuñjan
jane
to the living beings
anāgasi
those who are offenseless
agham
sufferings
yuñjan
by applying
sarvato ’sya ca mad-bhayam
sarvataḥ
anywhere and everywhere
sādhūnāṁ bhadram eva syād
asya
of such offenders
ca
and
asādhu-damane kṛte
mat-bhayam
fear me
sādhūnām
of the honest persons
bhadram
good fortune
eva
certainly
syāt
will take place
asādhu
dishonest miscreants
damane
curbed
kṛte
being so done.
Whoever causes offenseless living beings to suffer must fear me anywhere and everywhere in the world. By curbing dishonest miscreants, one automatically benefits the offenseless.

Dishonest miscreants flourish because of cowardly and impotent executive heads of state. But when the executive heads are strong enough to curb all sorts of dishonest miscreants, in any part of the state, certainly they cannot flourish. When the miscreants are punished in an exemplary manner, automatically all good fortune follows. As said before, it is the prime duty of the king or the executive head to give protection in all respects to the peaceful, offenseless citizens of the state. The devotees of the Lord are by nature peaceful and offenseless, and therefore it is the prime duty of the state to arrange to convert everyone to become a devotee of the Lord. Thus automatically there will be peaceful, offenseless citizens. Then the only duty of the king will be to curb the dishonest miscreants. That will bring about peace and harmony all over human society.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
He who commits violence against the innocent must certainly fear me in all ways. By punishing the sinful, the innocent will be peaceful.
Commentary

By telling me who he is, he will have fear of me. But even if you do not tell, under all conditions, he will fear me. He who harms the innocent will fear me by all causes (sarvataḥ).

Whoever causes offenseless beings to suffer must fear me anywhere. By curbing miscreants, one automatically benefits the offenseless. Direct action against wrongdoers is direct help to the harmed.
Reflection Questions
  • Where would direct confrontation of wrongdoing more efficiently help the victims?
  • What action have I been delaying that would protect more by less?
📝 My note

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