अहो तम इवेदं स्यान्न प्रज्ञायेत किञ्चन।
राजा चेन्न भवेल्लोके विभजन्साध्वसाधुनी॥
aho tama ivedaṁ syān na prajñāyeta kiñcana
rājā cen na bhavel loke vibhajan sādhv-asādhunī
aho = ah; tamaḥ iva idam syāt = and there would be darkness in this world; na prajñāyeta kiñcana = nothing about them would be clear [to people]; rājā = bona fide king; cet = if; na = no; bhavet = there is; loke = in the world; vibhajan = distinguishing; sādhu-asādhunī = proper [behavior] from improper [behavior].
Ah, if there is no bona fide king in the world distinguishing proper [behavior] from improper [behavior], nothing about them would be clear [to the people] and there would be darkness all around.1
1 “Nothing about them” means “nothing about proper and improper behavior.”
Just as the world is in darkness in the absence of sun, without a genuine king distinct knowledge about proper and improper [conduct] would be absent in the world.