Shloka 39

Yuga-Lakṣaṇa and Varṣa-Pramāṇa Inquiry (युगलक्षण–वर्षप्रमाण–प्रश्न)

Devanagari script

न तत्र राजा राजेन्द्र न दण्डो न च दण्डिक: । स्वधर्मेणैव धर्मज्ञास्ते रक्षन्ति परस्परम्‌

Transliteration

na tatra rājā rājendra na daṇḍo na ca daṇḍikaḥ | svadharmeṇaiva dharmajñās te rakṣanti parasparam ||

Translation

Wahai raja di antara para raja! Di negeri itu tiada raja, tiada tongkat hukuman, dan tiada pula pelaksana hukuman. Penduduknya adalah para pengenal dharma; semata-mata dengan kekuatan menegakkan swadharma masing-masing, mereka saling melindungi.

Word by Word

• na: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra

• rājā: king
• rājā: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājan
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• rājendra: O king of kings
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājendra
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• na: nor
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na

• daṇḍaḥ: punishment; rod of chastisement
• daṇḍaḥ: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: daṇḍa
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• na: nor
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na

• ca: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca

• daṇḍikaḥ: punisher; wielder of punishment
• daṇḍikaḥ: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: daṇḍika
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• svadharmeṇa: by (their) own duty
• svadharmeṇa: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: sva-dharma
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• eva: indeed; alone
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva

• dharmajñāḥ: knowers of dharma
• dharmajñāḥ: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dharma-jña
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• te: they
• te: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: tad
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• rakṣanti: protect
• Type: Verb
• Root: rakṣ
• Form: Present, Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

• parasparam: one another; mutually
• parasparam: Karma
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: paraspara

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra (addressed as rājendra)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Social harmony can arise not only from external coercion (daṇḍa) but from internalized dharma: when people know righteousness and follow their own duties (svadharma), they naturally safeguard one another without needing a ruler or punitive enforcement.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya is describing to Dhṛtarāṣṭra an ideal condition/realm where governance by punishment is unnecessary because the inhabitants are dharma-knowing and maintain order through self-regulation and mutual responsibility.