Shloka 18
Daṇḍotpatti-kathana (Origin and Function of Daṇḍa) — वसुहोम–मान्धातृ संवाद
सर्वप्रहरणीयानि सन्ति यानीह कानिचित् । दण्ड एव स सर्वात्मा लोके चरति मूर्तिमान्
sarvapraharaṇīyāni santi yānīha kānicit | daṇḍa eva sa sarvātmā loke carati mūrtimān ||
ພີສະມະກ່າວວ່າ: ບັນດາເຄື່ອງມືສຳລັບການຟາດຟັນທັງຫຼາຍທີ່ມີຢູ່ໃນໂລກນີ້—ບໍ່ວ່າຈະເປັນຊະນິດໃດ—ແທ້ຈິງແລ້ວລ້ວນແຕ່ເປັນ «ດັນດະ» (ອຳນາດແຫ່ງການລົງໂທດ ແລະ ການຢັບຢັ້ງ). ມັນແມ່ນຫຼັກການທີ່ແຜ່ຊາຍທົ່ວໄປ, ເປັນອັດຕາແຫ່ງລະບຽບ, ເດີນຢູ່ໃນໂລກໂດຍມີຮູບກາຍ ແລະ ປາກົດເປັນຮູບອາວຸດ ແລະ ວິທີການບັງຄັບ.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that Daṇḍa—lawful punishment and coercive authority—is the manifest force that upholds order. All weapons and instruments of force are expressions of this single principle; when aligned with dharma, it restrains wrongdoing and protects society.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on rājadharma, Bhīṣma explains to the listener (Yudhiṣṭhira in context) the nature of governance: the king’s power to punish is not merely a tool but a universal principle that appears in many forms, including weapons, to maintain worldly order.