Daṇḍotpatti-kathana (Origin and Function of Daṇḍa) — वसुहोम–मान्धातृ संवाद
दण्डेन रक्ष्यमाणा हि राजन्नहरह: प्रजा: । राजानं वर्धयन्तीह तस्माद् दण्ड: परायणम्
daṇḍena rakṣyamāṇā hi rājan aharahaḥ prajāḥ | rājānaṁ vardhayantīha tasmād daṇḍaḥ parāyaṇam, rājan ||
ພີສະມະກ່າວວ່າ: ໂອ ພະຣາຊາ, ກໍ່ຕໍ່ເມື່ອປະຊາຊົນຖືກປົກປ້ອງໂດຍດັນດະ (ອໍານາດແຫ່ງການລົງໂທດ) ທຸກມື້, ພວກເຂົາຈຶ່ງຈະຮຸ່ງເຮືອງ ແລະໃນໂລກນີ້ກໍຈະຊ່ວຍເສີມພະຣາຊາຢູ່ເລື້ອຍໆ—ດ້ວຍຊັບສິນ, ເຂົ້າກິນ, ແລະກໍາລັງສະໜັບສະໜູນ. ດັ່ງນັ້ນ ໂອ ພະຣາຊາ, ດັນດະແມ່ນທີ່ພຶ່ງສຸດທ້າຍ ແລະເປັນຖານຮອງຮັບຂອງທຸກສິ່ງ.
भीष्म उवाच
A king’s foremost duty is to protect society through just enforcement (daṇḍa). When law and punishment restrain wrongdoing, the people flourish and naturally sustain the kingdom; thus daṇḍa is presented as the essential support of governance.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on rājadharma, Bhīṣma addresses the king (Yudhiṣṭhira) and explains why the ruler must maintain order: protected subjects prosper and thereby enrich and strengthen the ruler and the realm.