Shloka 23
Kṣātra-Dharma, Daṇḍanīti, and Social Order
Indra–Māndhātṛ Dialogue
कर्मणा वै पुरा देवा ऋषयश्चामितौजस: । त्राता: सर्वे प्रसह्यारीन् क्षत्रधर्मेण विष्णुना
karmaṇā vai purā devā ṛṣayaś cāmitaujasaḥ | trātāḥ sarve prasahyārīn kṣatradharmeṇa viṣṇunā ||
Indra sprach: „In früheren Zeiten schützte Herr Vishnu durch sein entschlossenes Handeln alle Götter und die Weisen von unermesslichem Glanz, indem er ihre Feinde mit Gewalt durch die Disziplin des kṣatriya-dharma niederzwang.“
इन्द्र उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that force can be ethically legitimate when it is exercised as kṣatriya-dharma—duty-bound protection of society, especially the guardians of sacred order (devas and ṛṣis). Power is justified here not by conquest but by safeguarding and restoring dharma through disciplined action.
Indra recalls an earlier precedent: Viṣṇu, acting in accordance with the warrior-kingly code, overpowered enemies and thereby ensured the safety of the gods and the mighty sages. The recollection functions as an authoritative example supporting the role of righteous protection in governance and conflict.