औष्ण्यं तथा विक्रमं च सौम्यं दण्डं प्रसन्नताम्।
धारयन्ति महात्मानो राजानः क्षणदाचर।
तस्मात्सर्वास्ववस्थासु मान्याः पूज्याश्च पार्थिवाः॥
auṣṇyaṁ tathā vikramaṁ ca saumyaṁ daṇḍaṁ prasannatām
dhārayanti mahātmāno rājānaḥ kṣaṇadā-cara
tasmāt sarvāsv avasthāsu mānyāḥ pūjyāś ca pārthivāḥ
auṣṇyam tathā = sharpness; vikramam ca = strength; saumyam = sweetness; daṇḍam = punishment; prasannatām = and satisfaction; dhārayanti = exhibit; mahā-ātmānaḥ = great-souled; rājānaḥ = kings; kṣaṇadā-cara = O night-ranger; tasmāt = therefore; sarvāsu = under all; avasthāsu mānyāḥ = is meant to be mentally honored; pūjyāḥ = and verbally praised; ca = circumstances; pārthivāḥ = a king.
O night-ranger, kings who are great souls exhibit sharpness, strength, sweetness, punishment and satisfaction.1 Therefore a king is meant to be mentally honored and verbally praised under all circumstances.
1 Auṣṇyam (“sharpness”) literally means “heat.” Rāmāyaṇa-bhūṣaṇa: auṣṇyaṁ taikṣṇyam.
“Sweetness” refers to being delightful. “Punishment” refers to suppressing miscreants.
Rāvaṇa applies this general statement to the current context in the next verse.