Shloka 3
Daṇḍotpatti-kathana (Origin and Function of Daṇḍa) — वसुहोम–मान्धातृ संवाद
सर्वेषां प्राणिनां लोके तिर्यग्योनिनिवासिनाम् | सर्वव्यापी महातेजा दण्ड: श्रेयानिति प्रभो
sarveṣāṃ prāṇināṃ loke tiryagyoninivāsinām | sarvavyāpī mahātejā daṇḍaḥ śreyān iti prabho
Yudhiṣṭhira dit : «Ô seigneur, parmi tous les êtres vivants en ce monde—même ceux qui demeurent dans des naissances animales—il semble que Daṇḍa, omniprésent et d’une grande puissance, soit la voie la meilleure ; car il réfrène le mal et maintient l’ordre.»
युधिछ्िर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights daṇḍa—lawful punishment and the coercive authority of rule—as a universally effective force for restraining harm and maintaining order, implying that ethical governance sometimes requires firm discipline rather than mere persuasion.
In the Śānti Parva’s discussions on rājadharma, Yudhiṣṭhira addresses a revered interlocutor (‘O lord’) and raises a pointed reflection: across all beings, even among animals, the principle of restraint through punishment appears to be the more beneficial means of preventing disorder.