Shloka 39
Yuga-Lakṣaṇa and Varṣa-Pramāṇa Inquiry (युगलक्षण–वर्षप्रमाण–प्रश्न)
न तत्र राजा राजेन्द्र न दण्डो न च दण्डिक: । स्वधर्मेणैव धर्मज्ञास्ते रक्षन्ति परस्परम्
na tatra rājā rājendra na daṇḍo na ca daṇḍikaḥ | svadharmeṇaiva dharmajñās te rakṣanti parasparam ||
ರಾಜೇಂದ್ರಾ! ಅಲ್ಲಿ ರಾಜನಿಲ್ಲ, ದಂಡವಿಲ್ಲ, ದಂಡಧಾರಿಯೂ ಇಲ್ಲ. ಅಲ್ಲಿ ಇರುವವರು ಧರ್ಮಜ್ಞರು; ತಮ್ಮ ತಮ್ಮ ಸ್ವಧರ್ಮವನ್ನು ಪಾಲಿಸುವ ಶಕ್ತಿಯಿಂದಲೇ ಪರಸ್ಪರ ರಕ್ಷಿಸುತ್ತಾರೆ.
संजय उवाच
Educational Q&A
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.
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.