Daṇḍotpatti-kathana (Origin and Function of Daṇḍa) — वसुहोम–मान्धातृ संवाद
यश्न वेदप्रसूतात्मा स धर्मो गुणदर्शन: । धर्मप्रत्यय उद्दिष्टो यथाधर्म कृतात्मभि:
yaś ca vedaprasūtātmā sa dharmo guṇadarśanaḥ | dharmapratyaya uddiṣṭo yathādharma kṛtātmabhiḥ ||
ພີດສະມະ ກ່າວວ່າ: ສິ່ງໃດທີ່ແກ່ນສານຂອງມັນຖືກເປີດເຜີຍອອກມາຈາກເວດ ນັ້ນເອີ້ນວ່າ ທັມມະ. ທັມມະຍ່ອມເຮັດໃຫ້ຄຸນລັກສະນະຂອງຕົນ—ຜົນດີອັນເປັນປະໂຫຍດ—ປາກົດອອກມາໂດຍຫຼີກບໍ່ໄດ້. ດັ່ງນັ້ນ ບຸລຸດຜູ້ມີຈິດໃຈບໍລິສຸດ ຈຶ່ງກໍານົດການລົງໂທດໂດຍອາໄສຄວາມເຊື່ອໃນທັມມະ ແລະໃຫ້ປະຕິບັດຕາມທັມມະເອງ.
भीष्म उवाच
Dharma is rooted in Vedic revelation and is self-validating through its visible fruits; hence social discipline and punishment should be grounded in dharmic conviction and applied strictly in accordance with Dharma.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on righteous rule and conduct, Bhishma explains to Yudhishthira the basis of Dharma and why the wise prescribe danda (punishment) not as mere force but as a dharma-based instrument of order.