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 ||
アルジュナは言った。「もし罰と統治の力――ダンダ（daṇḍa）――が秩序を守らぬなら、梵行者（brahmacārin）はヴェーダの学びに励まない。おとなしく善良な牝牛でさえ乳を出さず、乙女もまた婚姻へと進まない。正当な抑制の守りがなければ、ダルマと社会生活の常なる営みは崩れ去る。」
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.