Shloka 35
Daṇḍotpatti-kathana (Origin and Function of Daṇḍa) — वसुहोम–मान्धातृ संवाद
दण्डेन रक्ष्यमाणा हि राजन्नहरह: प्रजा: । राजानं वर्धयन्तीह तस्माद् दण्ड: परायणम्
daṇḍena rakṣyamāṇā hi rājan aharahaḥ prajāḥ | rājānaṁ vardhayantīha tasmād daṇḍaḥ parāyaṇam, rājan ||
Dijo Bhīṣma: Oh rey, sólo cuando el pueblo es protegido día tras día por el daṇḍa (la autoridad coercitiva de la ley) prospera; y, a su vez, aquí fortalece continuamente al rey—con riqueza, grano y apoyo. Por ello, oh rey, el daṇḍa es el refugio último y el fundamento que sostiene a todos.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A king’s foremost duty is to protect society through just enforcement (daṇḍa). When law and punishment restrain wrongdoing, the people flourish and naturally sustain the kingdom; thus daṇḍa is presented as the essential support of governance.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on rājadharma, Bhīṣma addresses the king (Yudhiṣṭhira) and explains why the ruler must maintain order: protected subjects prosper and thereby enrich and strengthen the ruler and the realm.