Shloka 138
महत्त्वात् तस्य दण्डस्य नीतिर्विस्पष्टलक्षणा । नयचारश्न विपुलो येन सर्वमिदं ततम्,पूर्वोक्त दण्डकी महत्तासे ही स्पष्ट लक्षणोंवाली नीति तथा न््यायोचित आचारका अधिक प्रचार होता है, जिससे यह सारा जगत् व्याप्त है
mahattvāt tasya daṇḍasya nītir vispaṣṭa-lakṣaṇā | nyāyācāraś ca vipulo yena sarvam idaṃ tatam ||
Bhīṣma said: “Because of the greatness of that royal chastising power (daṇḍa), the science of governance becomes clearly defined in its marks, and righteous conduct grounded in justice spreads widely—by which this entire world is pervaded and held together.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Effective and legitimate authority (daṇḍa) is presented as the foundation that makes nīti (good governance) clearly intelligible and enables nyāya-based ācāra (just social conduct) to flourish; through this, society and the world remain pervaded by order rather than collapsing into disorder.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on rājadharma, Bhīṣma continues advising Yudhiṣṭhira about kingship and social stability, emphasizing that the king’s daṇḍa—properly applied—supports the spread of justice and right conduct across the realm.