Shloka 45
Daṇḍotpatti-kathana (Origin and Function of Daṇḍa) — वसुहोम–मान्धातृ संवाद
अथवाडूस्य युक्तस्य रथिनो हस्तियायिन: । अश्वारोहा: पदाताक्ष मन्त्रिणो रसदाश्ष ये
athavā ḍūsya-yuktasya rathino hastiyāyinaḥ | aśvārohāḥ padātāś ca mantriṇo rasadāś ca ye ||
ພີດສະມະກ່າວວ່າ: «ຫຼືອີກຢ່າງໜຶ່ງ ຜູ້ຢູ່ໃນກອງທັບຂອງພະຣາຊາ—ນາຍລົດຮົບພ້ອມອາວຸດ, ນັກຂີ່ຊ້າງ, ນັກຂີ່ມ້າ, ທະຫານຍ່າງ—ພ້ອມທັງທີ່ປຶກສາ ແລະ ຜູ້ຈັດຫາສະບຽງອາຫານແລະເຄື່ອງສະໜອງ—ເຫຼົ່ານີ້ກໍຄວນນັບເປັນອົງປະກອບຂອງລັດ. ໃນທັດສະນະແຫ່ງຣາຊະທຳນີ້ ອານາຈັກເປັນດັ່ງຮ່າງກາຍມີອະວະຫຼາຍສ່ວນພຶ່ງພາກັນ; ດັ່ງນັ້ນ ດັນຑະ (daṇḍa) ຄືວິໄນແລະອຳນາດລົງໂທດ ຈຶ່ງເປັນເຄື່ອງມືຫຼັກທີ່ຮັກສາລະບຽບ.»
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse contributes to the saptāṅga-style view of the kingdom as an organic body: military arms, ministers, and supply-providers are essential limbs of the state. The broader teaching in this passage emphasizes that effective governance depends on coordinated institutions, with daṇḍa (discipline/punishment) functioning as the central means to maintain order and protect dharma.
In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on rājadharma (the duties of kings). Here he enumerates components of the royal establishment—mounted and foot forces, advisers, and logistical support—framing them as parts of the state’s ‘body’ within a systematic lesson on how a kingdom is sustained.