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
प्रभो! इस लोक में समस्त प्राणियों के लिए—यहाँ तक कि तिर्यक्-योनि में रहने वालों के लिए भी—सर्वव्यापी, महातेजस्वी दण्ड ही श्रेयस्कर प्रतीत होता है।
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.