Shloka 32
Daṇḍotpatti-kathana (Origin and Function of Daṇḍa) — वसुहोम–मान्धातृ संवाद
असूया चानसूया च धर्माधर्मा तथैव च । अपत्रपानपत्रपे द्वीक्ष सम्पद्धविपत्पदम्
bhīṣma uvāca | asūyā cān asūyā ca dharmādharmā tathaiva ca | apatrāpānapatrape dīkṣā sampad-vipat-padam ||
Bhishma said: Envy and freedom from envy, righteousness and unrighteousness, shamelessness and modesty, consecrated discipline, prosperity and adversity—these and their opposites are all but many names and forms of the rod of governance (daṇḍa). O best of the Kurus, thus in this world the power of daṇḍa appears in countless modes, shaping conduct through reward and restraint and revealing the moral order by the rise and fall of beings.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma teaches that the forces that elevate or restrain human behavior—virtues and vices, success and failure—can be understood as manifestations of daṇḍa, the regulating power that sustains social and moral order through discipline, consequence, and governance.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on statecraft and righteousness, Bhishma addresses the Kuru king (Yudhiṣṭhira) and explains how daṇḍa operates in the world in many forms, listing paired opposites to show its pervasive role in shaping outcomes and character.