Srimad-Bhagavatam: Canto 5 - Chapter 1 - Verse 3

Sanskrit:

अथ त ईश्वरवच: सोपालम्भमुपाकर्ण्योपायतुरीयाच्छङ्कितमनसस्तं विज्ञापयांबभूवु: ॥ ३ ॥

ITRANS:

atha ta īśvara-vacaḥ sopālambham upākarṇyopāya-turīyāc chaṅkita-manasas taṁ vijñāpayāṁ babhūvuḥ.

Translation:

When the palanquin carriers heard the threatening words of Mahārāja Rahūgaṇa, they became very afraid of his punishment and began to speak to him as follows.

Purport:

According to political science, a king sometimes tries to pacify his subordinates, sometimes chastises them, sometimes divides them and sometimes rewards them. In this way the king rules his subordinates. The bearers of the palanquin could understand that the King was angry and that he would chastise them.