ब्रह्म क्षत्रमहिंसन्तस्ते कोशं समपूरयन्।
सुतीक्ष्णदण्डाः सम्प्रेक्ष्य पुरुषस्य बलाबलम्॥
brahma kṣatram ahiṁsantas te kośaṁ samapūrayan
sutīkṣṇa-daṇḍāḥ samprekṣya puruṣasya balābalam
brahma = on the properties of the brāhmaṇas; kṣatram = and the kṣatriyas; ahiṁsantaḥ = without encroaching unless they engaged in a criminal activity; te = these ministers; kośam = the royal treasury; samapūrayan = filled up; sutīkṣṇa-daṇḍāḥ = they prescribed a severe punishment; samprekṣya = upon observing; puruṣasya = observing the criminal’s level; bala-abalam = level of crime and capacity.
Without encroaching on the properties of the brāhmaṇas and the kṣatriyas unless they engaged in a criminal activity, these ministers filled up the royal treasury. [In case a crime had been committed], they prescribed a severe punishment upon observing the criminal’s level of crime and capacity.
If the criminal had committed a major crime, a severe punishment was prescribed. If he had committed a minor crime, a mild punishment was prescribed. If the criminal had been capable of avoiding the crime (and he had still engaged in it), he was given a severe punishment. If he had not been capable of avoiding the crime (but he had engaged in it), he was given a mild punishment.