Shloka 33
Daṇḍa as the Foundation of Social Order (दण्डप्रतिष्ठा)
ये5पि सम्मिन्नमर्यादा नास्तिका वेदनिन्दका: । तेडपि भोगाय कल्पन्ते दण्डेनाशु निपीडिता:,जो धर्मकी मर्यादा नष्ट करके वेदोंकी निन्दा करनेवाले नास्तिक मनुष्य हैं, वे भी डंडे पड़नेपर उससे पीड़ित हो शीघ्र ही राहपर आ जाते हैं--मर्यादापालनके लिये तैयार हो जाते हैं
ye 'pi samminn amaryādā nāstikā vedanindakāḥ | te 'pi bhogāya kalpante daṇḍenāśu nipīḍitāḥ ||
Arjuna said: “Even those who shatter the bounds of righteous conduct—atheists who revile the Vedas—are quickly pressed by punishment and thereby fall into line, becoming fit again for disciplined life and social order.”
अजुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse asserts the necessity of daṇḍa (punitive discipline) to protect maryādā (moral and social boundaries): even those who reject Vedic norms can be restrained and redirected toward orderly conduct when punishment is effectively applied.
In the Shanti Parva’s discussion of governance and dharma, Arjuna speaks to the practical role of punishment in maintaining social order, noting that offenders—especially those who undermine established norms—often return to proper conduct when checked by timely coercion.