Adhyaya 28 — Alarka Inquires into Varna and Ashrama Dharma; Madalasa Defines the Fourfold Duties
तस्माद्राज्ञा प्रयत्नेन सर्वे वर्णाः स्वधर्मतः ।
प्रवर्तन्तोऽन्यथा दण्ड्याः स्थाप्याश्चैव स्वकर्मसु ॥
tasmād rājñā prayatnena sarve varṇāḥ svadharmataḥ | pravartanto 'nyathā daṇḍyāḥ sthāpyāś caiva svakarmasu ||
ដូច្នេះ ព្រះមហាក្សត្រត្រូវខិតខំឲ្យវណ្ណៈ និងអាស្រាមទាំងអស់ដំណើរការតាមធម៌របស់ខ្លួន; អ្នកដែលប្រព្រឹត្តផ្ទុយត្រូវទទួលទណ្ឌកម្ម ហើយត្រូវដឹកនាំឲ្យត្រឡប់ទៅកិច្ចការត្រឹមត្រូវរបស់ខ្លួនវិញ។
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Rule is defined as responsibility: the king must not merely punish but also correct—restoring people to rightful conduct. Justice is rehabilitative as well as deterrent, aiming at dharmic stability.
Didactic dharma material within Purāṇic narration; it supports vaṃśānucarita/ideal kingship ethics rather than directly presenting cosmology or genealogies.
Daṇḍa (punitive power) is treated as a sacred instrument that preserves ṛta/dharma. When used with ‘prayatna’ (disciplined effort), it becomes a stabilizing force that protects both society and the ruler’s own spiritual standing.