Shloka 13
Gārhasthya-Śreṣṭhatā and Kṣatriya-Daṇḍadhāraṇa
Householder Primacy and the Royal Duty of Punishment
एषां ज्यायस्तु कौन्तेय दण्डधारणमुच्यते । बल हि क्षत्रिये नित्यं बले दण्ड: समाहित:,कुन्तीनन्दन! इनमें भी दण्ड धारण करना राजाका प्रधान धर्म बताया जाता है; क्योंकि क्षत्रियमें बलकी नित्य स्थिति है और बलमें ही दण्ड प्रतिष्ठित होता है
eṣāṃ jyāyas tu kaunteya daṇḍadhāraṇam ucyate | bala hi kṣatriye nityaṃ bale daṇḍaḥ samāhitaḥ ||
Among these duties, O son of Kuntī, the bearing of the rod of punishment is declared the highest. For strength abides constantly in a kṣatriya, and upon strength the authority to punish is firmly established.
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that for a ruler—especially a kṣatriya—the foremost duty is to uphold daṇḍa: disciplined, lawful punishment and coercive authority used to protect dharma, restrain harm, and maintain social order. Because a kṣatriya is defined by strength, the legitimacy of daṇḍa rests upon the responsible use of that strength.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on rājadharma, Vyāsa addresses ‘Kaunteya’ and emphasizes the kingly obligation to govern through daṇḍa—asserting that the ruler’s inherent strength is the foundation by which punishment and protection can be effectively administered.