Shloka 16
Daṇḍotpatti-kathana (Origin and Function of Daṇḍa) — वसुहोम–मान्धातृ संवाद
जटी द्विजिहद्वस्ताम्रास्यो मृगराजतनुच्छद: । एतद् रूपं बिभर्त्युग्रंं दण्डो नित्यं दुराधर:
jaṭī dvijihadvastāmrāsyo mṛgarāja-tanucchadaḥ | etad rūpaṃ bibharty ugraṃ daṇḍo nityaṃ durādharaḥ ||
Bhishma berkata: “Berambut gimbal, bermulut dua lidah, berwajah kemerahan laksana tembaga, dan berselubung seperti tubuh raja binatang (singa)—ia memanggul rupa yang garang ini. Daṇḍa senantiasa demikian, sukar ditahan oleh siapa pun.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights daṇḍa (chastisement/discipline) as a formidable, ever-present instrument of order. It suggests that authority must be strong and difficult to resist, functioning as a constant restraint that upholds dharma and curbs wrongdoing.
In Bhīṣma’s discourse in the Śānti Parva, he describes a fearsome figure marked by ascetic signs (matted hair, animal-skin garment) and by the ever-present daṇḍa. The description underscores the awe and deterrent power associated with enforcing moral and social order.