Shloka 6

Daṇḍa as the Foundation of Social Order (दण्डप्रतिष्ठा)

Devanagari script

परस्परभयादेके पापा: पापं न कुर्वते । एवं सांसिद्धिके लोके सर्व दण्डे प्रतिक्तितम्‌

Transliteration

parasparabhayād eke pāpāḥ pāpaṁ na kurvate | evaṁ sāṁsiddhike loke sarvaṁ daṇḍe pratiṣṭhitam ||

Translation

Arjuna dit : Certains pécheurs s’abstiennent de pécher par crainte les uns des autres. Ainsi, dans ce monde constitué selon l’ordre naturel, tout demeure soutenu par le châtiment—par la force de retenue de la peur et de la sanction qui tient le mal en respect.

Word by Word

• {'paraspara-bhaya': 'mutual fear

• fear of one another', 'eke': 'some (people)', 'pāpāḥ': 'the sinful

• wrongdoers', 'pāpam': 'sin

• wrongful act', 'na kurvate': 'do not do

• refrain from doing', 'evam': 'thus

• in this manner', 'sāṁsiddhike loke': 'in the world as it is by nature/constitution

• in the naturally established order', 'sarvam': 'everything

• all (social order)', 'daṇḍe': 'in punishment

• in coercive sanction/penalty', 'pratiṣṭhitam': 'established

Speaker

अजुन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Arjuna

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Moral restraint in society often arises not from inner virtue alone but from deterrence—fear of consequences, including social retaliation. Hence, the maintenance of order is portrayed as resting on daṇḍa (sanction/punishment).

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s discussion on governance and dharma after the war, Arjuna speaks about why people avoid wrongdoing, pointing to mutual fear and the broader principle that social stability depends on enforceable punishment.