Shloka 44
Daṇḍa as the Foundation of Social Order (दण्डप्रतिष्ठा)
न तत्र कूटं पापं वा वज्चना वापि दृश्यते । यत्र दण्ड: सुविहितश्चरत्यरिविनाशन:,जहाँ शत्रुओंका विनाश करनेवाला दण्ड सुन्दर ढंगसे संचालित हो रहा है, वहाँ छल, पाप और ठगी भी नहीं देखनेमें आती है
na tatra kūṭaṃ pāpaṃ vā vañcanā vāpi dṛśyate | yatra daṇḍaḥ suvihitaś caraty arivināśanaḥ ||
«Donde el daṇḍa—bien instituido y rectamente administrado—se mueve como destructor de enemigos, allí no se ven el engaño, el pecado ni el fraude. En tal reino, el ejercicio disciplinado de la autoridad refrena la maldad y protege el orden moral.»
अजुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Properly established and impartially enforced punishment (daṇḍa) prevents social evils: when authority functions rightly, deceit, sin, and fraud diminish, supporting dharma and public trust.
Arjuna states an observation about governance: in a polity where the king’s punitive power is well administered and effectively checks hostile forces, moral corruption such as cheating and wrongdoing is not seen to flourish.