Shloka 45

Daṇḍa as the Foundation of Social Order (दण्डप्रतिष्ठा)

Devanagari script

हवि:श्वा प्रलिहेद्‌ दृष्टवा दण्डश्नेन्नोद्यतों भवेत्‌ | हरेत्‌ काक: पुरोडाशं यदि दण्डो न पालयेत्‌,यदि दण्ड रक्षाके लिये सदा उद्यत न रहे तो कुत्ता हविष्यको देखते ही चाट जाय और यदि दण्ड रक्षा न करे तो कौआ पुरोडाशको उठा ले जाय

Transliteration

haviḥ śvā pralihyed dṛṣṭvā daṇḍaśnennodyato bhavet | haret kākaḥ puroḍāśaṃ yadi daṇḍo na pālayet ||

Translation

Arjuna said: “If the rod of punishment is not kept ever ready, a dog, on merely seeing the oblation (havis), would lick it up; and if daṇḍa does not protect, a crow would carry off the sacrificial cake (puroḍāśa). Thus, without vigilant enforcement, what is meant for sacred order and rightful use is seized by the unscrupulous.”

Word by Word

• हविः: oblation, sacrificial offering
• हविः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: हविस्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• श्वा: dog
• श्वा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्वन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• प्रलिहेत्: would lick up
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + लिह्
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund)

• दण्डम्: staff; punishment; rod (of authority)
• दण्डम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: दण्ड
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• श्नेत्: would fear
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्ना
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• उद्यतः: ready, vigilant, raised (to act)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उद्यत
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• भवेत्: would be
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• हरेत्: would carry off, would take away
• Type: Verb
• Root: हृ
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• काकः: crow
• काकः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: काक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पुरोडाशम्: sacrificial cake (puroḍāśa)
• पुरोडाशम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरोडाश
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• यदि: if
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि

• दण्डः: punishment; the rod (authority)
• दण्डः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: दण्ड
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• पालयेत्: would protect, would guard
• Type: Verb
• Root: पाल्
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

अजुन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Arjuna
• dog (śvā)
• crow (kākaḥ)
• havis (oblation)
• puroḍāśa (sacrificial cake)
• daṇḍa (punitive authority)