Shloka 37
Daṇḍa as the Foundation of Social Order (दण्डप्रतिष्ठा)
न ब्रह्मचार्यधीयीत कल्याणी गौर्न दुह्मृते । न कन्योद्धहनं गच्छेद् यदि दण्डो न पालयेत्
na brahmacāry adhīyīta kalyāṇī gaur na duhmṛte | na kanyoddahanaṃ gacched yadi daṇḍo na pālayet ||
Arjuna dit : «Si la puissance du châtiment et du gouvernement—daṇḍa—ne maintient pas l’ordre, alors le brahmacārin ne s’appliquera pas à l’étude des Veda ; même une vache douce et de bon naturel ne donnera pas de lait ; et une jeune fille n’ira pas au mariage. Sans la protection d’une contrainte légitime, les rythmes ordinaires du dharma et de la vie sociale s’effondrent.»
अजुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that daṇḍa—lawful restraint and enforcement by authority—is necessary to safeguard dharma. When order is protected, education, economic life, and family institutions function; when it is not, even basic duties and social trust break down.
In the Shanti Parva’s discussion on dharma and statecraft, Arjuna speaks to emphasize the practical necessity of governance: without enforcement of boundaries, people will not reliably pursue study, livelihood, or marriage, and society becomes unstable.