Canto 2 -
Ayodhyā-kāṇḍa
Chapter 106: Bharata Persists in His Request
Text 2.106.25
इदं निखिलमप्यग्र्यं राज्यं पित्र्यमकण्टकम्।
अनुशाधि स्वधर्मेण धर्मज्ञ सह बान्धवैः॥
idaṁ nikhilam apy agryaṁ rājyaṁ pitryam akaṇṭakam
anuśādhi sva-dharmeṇa dharmajña saha bāndhavaiḥ
idam = this; nikhilam api = entire; agryam = it is old; rājyam = kingdom; pitryam = paternal; akaṇṭakam = and without thorns; anuśādhi = govern; sva-dharmeṇa = in accordance with Your specific dharma; dharmajña = O knower of dharma; saha bāndhavaiḥ = with Your relatives.
O knower of dharma, in accordance with Your specific dharma govern this entire paternal kingdom with Your relatives. It is old and without thorns.1
1 Thorns are internal disturbances to a kingdom. One part of Cāṇakya’s Artha-śāstra is devoted to eradicating them.