Shloka 48
Daṇḍa as the Foundation of Social Order (दण्डप्रतिष्ठा)
अर्थ सर्वे समारम्भा: समायत्ता न संशय: । सच दण्डे समायत्त: पश्य दण्डस्य गौरवम्,इसमें संदेह नहीं कि सारे कार्य धनके अधीन हैं, परंतु धन दण्डके अधीन है। देखिये, दण्डकी कैसी महिमा है?
arthaḥ sarve samārambhāḥ samāyattā na saṁśayaḥ | sa ca daṇḍe samāyattaḥ paśya daṇḍasya gauravam ||
Arjuna said: “There is no doubt that all undertakings depend upon wealth; yet wealth itself depends upon daṇḍa (the power of punishment and governance). Behold, then, the weight and majesty of daṇḍa.”
अजुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Material prosperity (artha) enables action, but prosperity is secured only when society is protected by daṇḍa—legitimate authority that restrains wrongdoing and upholds order; thus political power must be exercised as a dharmic instrument, not mere violence.
In the Shanti Parva’s discussion of statecraft and dharma after the war, Arjuna speaks to emphasize the primacy of daṇḍa (royal authority/punishment) as the foundation that safeguards wealth and makes all enterprises possible.