Devanagari
प्रियं राज्ञ: प्रकुर्वत्य: श्रेयो विन्दन्ति वै प्रजा:
मनसा कर्मणा वाचा विपरीतमतोऽन्यथा ॥ ३३ ॥
Verse text
priyaṁ rājṣaḥ prakurvatyaḥ
śreyo vindanti vai prajāḥ
manasā karmaṇā vācā
viparītam ato ’nyathā
Synonyms
priyam
—
the pleasure
;
rājṣaḥ
—
of the King
;
prakurvatyaḥ
—
executing
;
śreyaḥ
—
good fortune
;
vindanti
—
acquire
;
vai
—
indeed
;
prajāḥ
—
citizens
;
manasā
—
with their minds
;
karmaṇā
—
with their deeds
;
vācā
—
with their words
;
viparītam
—
opposite
;
ataḥ
—
to this
;
anyathā
—
otherwise .
Translation
Subjects of the King who try to please him with their thoughts, acts and words are sure to achieve good fortune, but those who fail to do so will suffer the opposite fate.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Subjects of the King who try to please him with their thoughts, acts and words are sure to achieve good fortune, but those who fail to do so will suffer the opposite fate.
KB 10.43.33
“A citizen should be obedient and please the mind of the ruling king; acting in that way, the citizen attains all kinds of good fortune. One who does not care to act obediently is made unhappy because of the king’s anger.
Purport (Jiva Goswami)
You should not refuse this. The scriptures speak of the proper conduct. Prakurvantyaḥ is poetic license. The citizens attain material benefit or artha (śreyaḥ) in pleasing the king.
Purport (Sanatana Goswami)
To do the opposite is not proper. Pleasing the king by mind, acts and words brings the best results (śreyaḥ). The citizens must please the king. Vai means well known. Or because (vai) pleasing the king brings the best results, you have been called. Not pleasing the king (anyathā) brings opposite results.