Shloka 46
Daṇḍotpatti-kathana (Origin and Function of Daṇḍa) — वसुहोम–मान्धातृ संवाद
भिक्षुका: प्राड्विवाकाश्व मौहूर्ता दैवचिन्तका: । कोशो मित्राणि धान्यं च सर्वोपकरणानि च
bhikṣukāḥ prāḍvivākāś ca mauhūrtā daivacintakāḥ | kośo mitrāṇi dhānyaṃ ca sarvopakaraṇāni ca ||
Bhishma dit : «Mendiants, avocats savants, astrologues et ceux qui méditent le divin ; le trésor, les alliés, les greniers à grain et toute sorte d’équipement et de ressources — tout cela est aussi compté parmi les éléments qui soutiennent un royaume. Dans l’éthique du gouvernement enseignée ici, l’État est comme un corps vivant : de nombreux membres le portent, mais la discipline et le châtiment légitime (daṇḍa) sont tenus pour l’instrument principal, car c’est par eux que l’ordre naît et se maintient entre toutes les parties.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse situates various social specialists and material resources—legal experts, astrologers/diviners, treasury, allies, provisions, and equipment—as essential supports of the kingdom, within a broader rājadharma framework where the state is viewed as an organism whose stability ultimately depends on daṇḍa (lawful discipline/punishment) to maintain order.
In the Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on rājadharma (the duties of kings). Here he continues enumerating the elements that uphold a polity—both personnel and resources—clarifying how governance relies on coordinated ‘limbs’ of the state and the regulating force of authority.