Shloka 28

धृतराष्ट्रस्य पश्चात्तापः तथा वनप्रस्थानानुज्ञा | Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Remorse and Request for Forest-Retirement

Devanagari script

परिमाणं विदित्वा च दण्डं दण्ड्येषु भारत

Transliteration

parimāṇaṃ viditvā ca daṇḍaṃ daṇḍyeṣu bhārata

Translation

Vaiśampāyana sprach: „O Bhārata, nachdem man zuerst das rechte Maß (der Strafe) erkannt hat, soll man dann den Stab der Züchtigung gegen jene erheben, die Strafe verdienen.“

Word by Word

• परिमाणम्: measure, proper limit
• परिमाणम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: परिमाण
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• विदित्वा: having known
• Type: Verb
• Root: √विद्
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage)

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• दण्डम्: punishment
• दण्डम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: दण्ड
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• दण्ड्येषु: among those who are punishable
• दण्ड्येषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दण्ड्य
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Locative, Plural

• भारत: O Bharata
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारत
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Bhārata
• daṇḍa (punishment/rod)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Punishment (daṇḍa) must be proportionate: one should first determine the proper measure (parimāṇa) and only then punish those truly deserving punishment, aligning justice with dharma rather than anger or excess.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Vaiśampāyana’s narration, a normative instruction is given about righteous governance and discipline: the authority figure is urged to assess the degree of fault and apply punishment in due proportion to the offender.