Shloka 7
Daṇḍa as the Foundation of Social Order (दण्डप्रतिष्ठा)
दण्डस्यैव भयादेके न खादन्ति परस्परम् | अन्धे तमसि मज्जेयुर्यदि दण्डो न पालयेत्,बहुत-से मनुष्य दण्डके ही भयसे एक-दूसरेको खा नहीं जाते हैं, यदि दण्ड रक्षा न करे तो सब लोग घोर अन्धकारमें डूब जायेँ
daṇḍasyaiva bhayād eke na khādanti parasparam | andhe tamasi majjeyur yadi daṇḍo na pālayet ||
Manche verschlingen einander nicht allein aus Furcht vor Strafe. Würde die Macht der Strafe nicht schützen und zügeln, so sänken alle in blendende Finsternis—in Gesetzlosigkeit und moralischen Verfall.
अजुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that daṇḍa—lawful punishment and the governing power that enforces it—is essential for sustaining social order. Without restraint, human beings may fall into mutual predation and adharma; with daṇḍa, society is protected from chaos and moral darkness.
In the Shānti Parva’s discussion on rājadharma, the speaker emphasizes the practical necessity of punishment as a tool of governance. The statement argues that fear of daṇḍa prevents people from harming one another, and that without such protection society would collapse into anarchy.