यथा ह्यपालाः पशवो यथा सेना ह्यनायका।
यथा चन्द्रं विना रात्रिर्यथा गावो विना वृषम्॥
एवं हि भविता राष्ट्रं यत्र राजा न दृश्यते॥
yathā hy apālāḥ paśavo yathā senā hy anāyakā
yathā candraṁ vinā rātrir yathā gāvo vinā vṛṣam
evaṁ hi bhavitā rāṣṭraṁ yatra rājā na dṛśyate
yathā hi = like; apālāḥ = without a protector; paśavaḥ = animals; yathā = like; senā hi = an army; anāyakā = without a captain; yathā = like; candram = the mon; vinā = without; rātriḥ = the night; yathā = and like; gāvaḥ = cows; vinā = without; vṛṣam = a bull; evam hi = surely; bhavitā = will become; rāṣṭram = the kingdom; yatra = when; rājā = a bona fide king; na = not; dṛśyate = is visible.
When a bona fide king is not visible, the kingdom will surely become like animals without a protector, like an army without a captain, like the night without the moon, and like cows without a bull.1
1 Chapter 67 of this Canto contains an elaborate description of the state of a kingdom without a bona fide king.