Shloka 44
Gārhasthya-Śreṣṭhatā and Kṣatriya-Daṇḍadhāraṇa
Householder Primacy and the Royal Duty of Punishment
शंख उवाच एवमेतन्मया कार्य नाहं दण्डधरस्तव । सच पूतो नरपतिस्त्वं चापि पितृभि: सह,शंख बोले--भाई! यह ठीक है, मैं ऐसा कर सकता था; परंतु मुझे तुम्हें दण्ड देनेका अधिकार नहीं है। दण्ड देनेका कार्य तो राजाका ही है। इस प्रकार दण्ड देकर राजा सुद्युम्न और उस दण्डको स्वीकार करके तुम पितरोंसहित पवित्र हो गये
śaṅkha uvāca | evam etan mayā kāryaṁ nāhaṁ daṇḍadharas tava | sa ca pūto narapatis tvaṁ cāpi pitṛbhiḥ saha ||
シャンカは言った。「そのとおりだ。私は確かにそうすることもできた。だが、この件で罰を執る者は私ではない——汝を処罰する権限は私にない。刑罰を施す務めは、ただ王にのみ属する。ゆえにその罰を科した王（スデュムナ）は清められ、そしてそれを受け入れた汝もまた、祖霊とともに清められたのだ。」
शंख उवाच
Educational Q&A
Punishment (daṇḍa) is a regulated function of legitimate authority—primarily the king. Even if one has the capacity to act, dharma requires acting within one’s rightful jurisdiction; properly administered and properly accepted punishment is portrayed as morally purifying.
Śaṅkha clarifies that although he could have taken action, he is not entitled to punish the other party. He affirms that the king alone bears that mandate; the king’s act of punishing and the offender’s acceptance of it are both framed as leading to purification, extending even to the offender’s ancestral line.