राजा धर्मश्च कामश्च द्रव्याणां चोत्तमो निधिः।
धर्मः शुभं वा पापं वा राजमूलं प्रवर्तते॥
rājā dharmaś ca kāmaś ca dravyāṇāṁ cottamo nidhiḥ
dharmaḥ śubhaṁ vā pāpaṁ vā rāja-mūlaṁ pravartate
rājā = the king; dharmaḥ ca = of those who propagate dharma; kāmaḥ = kāma; ca = and; dravyāṇām ca = artha; uttamaḥ = is the excellent; nidhiḥ = shelter; dharmaḥ = therefore, [the endeavor for] dharma, artha and kāma; śubham vā = auspicious conduct; pāpam = sinful activity; vā = or; rāja-mūlam pravartate = stem from the king.
The king is the excellent shelter of those who propagate dharma, artha and kāma.1 Therefore, [the endeavor for] dharma, artha and kāma, auspicious conduct or sinful activity stem from the king.
1 Rāmāyaṇa-bhūṣaṇa: atra dharmādi-śabdau dharmādi-pravartaka-parau. dravyāṇām arthānām.
1 “Engage in dharma, artha and kāma” means “engage in activities which yield pious credits, opulences and sense enjoyment in his next life.” On the other hand, if the governing head becomes obsessed with attaining artha and kāma in this life, he will naturally step outside the boundaries of Vedic dharma—a very dangerous plan of action because we [in our original nature as spirit souls] can’t die and our material bodies can’t live forever, and in our next lives we have to face the consequences for the activities we have engaged in this life.
Jaṭāyu informs Rāvaṇa that he should give up [trying to abduct Sītā-devī] not just for his [benefit], but also for public welfare.
Following their king, people engage in dharma, adharma and so on. Therefore, a king should reject sinful activities and only engage in dharma, artha and kāma.1
In the next verse Jaṭāyu states that touching another’s wife will cause one to fall down from his [accumulated] opulence.