Shloka 11
Daṇḍa as the Foundation of Social Order (दण्डप्रतिष्ठा)
यत्र श्यामो लोहिताक्षो दण्डश्चरति सूद्यत: । प्रजास्तत्र न मुहान्ते नेता चेत् साधु पश्यति
yatra śyāmo lohitākṣo daṇḍaś carati sūdyataḥ | prajāstatra na muhyante netā cet sādhu paśyati ||
Allí donde la vara del castigo—oscura y de ojos enrojecidos—se mueve, siempre pronta a herir, y donde el soberano vigila las faltas con atención y juicio penetrante, allí el pueblo no cae en confusión ni en negligencia; el orden se sostiene por una supervisión justa y por la presencia creíble de la disciplina.
अजुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Effective and ethical governance requires the credible presence of punishment (daṇḍa) and the ruler’s careful oversight; when discipline is ready and judgement is vigilant, society avoids moral and civic negligence.
The speaker describes the conditions of a well-governed realm: punishment is actively operative and the ruler attentively observes wrongdoing; as a result, the people do not lapse into disorder or heedlessness.