Entry 007 · 13 verses to return to
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Traditional nīti verse · source attribution varies
What it means
This verse is about leadership, but its standard applies anywhere we claim to stand for something. A principle means nothing if it only appears when it favours the people we already like. The hardest part is not having a position. It is recognising the same principle when it protects someone we disagree with, or when applying it costs us something. Otherwise, what looks like conviction may only be preference with better language.
A reflection
One word keeps the whole list honest.
The verse includes things that can easily be distorted by loyalty or power: punishment, favour, money, and protection. Then it places न्यायेन, “by justice,” and अपक्षपातः, “without partiality,” among them. They are not decorative virtues. They are the conditions that stop power from becoming convenience.