Shloka 13
Daṇḍotpatti-kathana (Origin and Function of Daṇḍa) — वसुहोम–मान्धातृ संवाद
सुप्रणीतेन दण्डेन प्रियाप्रियसमात्मना । प्रजा रक्षति य: सम्यग्धर्म एव स केवल:
supranītena daṇḍena priyāpriyasamātmanā | prajā rakṣati yaḥ samyag dharma eva sa kevalaḥ || prāg idaṃ vacanaṃ proktam ataḥ prāgvacanaṃ viduḥ | vyavahārasya cākhyānād vyavahāra iho cyate narendra ||
ພີສະມະ ກ່າວວ່າ: «ຜູ້ໃດປົກປ້ອງປະຊາຊົນໄດ້ຢ່າງຖືກຕ້ອງ—ໂດຍການລົງໂທດທີ່ບໍລິຫານດີ ແລະໂດຍໃຈທີ່ເທົ່າທຽມຕໍ່ສິ່ງທີ່ພໍໃຈແລະບໍ່ພໍໃຈ—ຜູ້ນັ້ນແຫຼະ ແມ່ນທັມມະໂດຍລຳພັງ. ຄຳສອນນີ້ໄດ້ຖືກກ່າວໄວ້ແຕ່ບູຮານ ດັ່ງນັ້ນຈຶ່ງຮູ້ຈັກກັນວ່າ ‘ຖ້ອຍຄຳກ່ອນ’ (prāgvacana). ແລະເພາະມັນອະທິບາຍຫຼັກການແຫ່ງ vyavahāra—ຄືຂັ້ນຕອນກົດໝາຍ ແລະການຕັດສິນ—ຈຶ່ງເອີ້ນຢູ່ນີ້ວ່າ ‘Vyavahāra’, ໂອ ກະສັດ!»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
A king becomes the embodiment of Dharma when he protects his subjects through properly regulated punishment and strict impartiality—remaining even-minded toward the pleasant and the unpleasant. Justice must be administered without personal preference.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on kingship and law, Bhishma addresses the king (Yudhishthira), explaining an ancient authoritative dictum. He identifies the section as ‘Vyavahāra’ because it expounds judicial procedure and practical adjudication.