Shloka 29
Daṇḍa as the Foundation of Social Order (दण्डप्रतिष्ठा)
मनुष्य धरतीको खोदकर तथा ओषधियों, वृक्षों, लताओं, पक्षियों और पशुओंका उच्छेद करके यज्ञका अनुष्ठान करते हैं, और वे स्वर्गमें भी चले जाते हैं ।। दण्डनीत्यां प्रणीतायां सर्वे सिद्धयन्त्युपक्रमा: । कौन्तेय सर्वभूतानां तत्र मे नास्ति संशय:,कुन्तीनन्दन! दण्डनीतिका ठीक-ठीक प्रयोग होनेपर समस्त प्राणियोंके सभी कार्य अच्छी तरह सिद्ध होते हैं, इसमें मुझे संशय नहीं है
manuṣyā dharatīṃ khoditvā tathā oṣadhīḥ vṛkṣān latāḥ pakṣiṇaḥ paśūṃś ca ucchedya yajñasya anuṣṭhānaṃ kurvanti, te ca svarge 'pi gacchanti. daṇḍanītyāṃ praṇītāyāṃ sarve siddhyanty upakramāḥ; kaunteya sarvabhūtānāṃ tatra me nāsti saṃśayaḥ.
Arjuna said: “People dig up the earth and, by cutting down herbs, trees, creepers, birds, and beasts, they still perform sacrifices—and they even attain heaven. Likewise, O son of Kuntī, when the science of punishment and governance (daṇḍanīti) is properly instituted and applied, all undertakings of all beings succeed; of this I have no doubt.”
अजुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a pragmatic ethical claim: even actions that involve harm to living beings and the environment can be socially sanctioned when framed as yajña, and similarly, when daṇḍanīti (law, discipline, and punishment under righteous governance) is correctly applied, it enables order and the successful completion of undertakings for all beings.
In the Shānti Parva’s discourse on dharma and governance, Arjuna addresses Kaunteya (Yudhiṣṭhira), arguing in favor of the necessity and efficacy of daṇḍanīti—asserting that properly instituted governance makes collective life workable and leads to success in worldly enterprises.