Shloka 9
Daṇḍa as the Foundation of Social Order (दण्डप्रतिष्ठा)
वाचा दण्डो ब्राह्मणानां क्षत्रियाणां भुजार्पणम् | दानदण्डा: स्मृता वैश्या निर्दण्ड: शूद्र उच्चते
vācā daṇḍo brāhmaṇānāṁ kṣatriyāṇāṁ bhujārpaṇam | dāna-daṇḍāḥ smṛtā vaiśyā nirdaṇḍaḥ śūdra ucyate ||
ອາຣະຈຸນກ່າວວ່າ: «ສໍາລັບພຣາມິນ ດັນດະແມ່ນດ້ວຍຄໍາເວົ້າ—ການຕໍາໜິແລະການປະນາມ. ສໍາລັບກະສັດຕຣິຍະ ດັນດະແມ່ນການບັງຄັບໃຫ້ຮັບໃຊ້ດ້ວຍແຮງແຂນ—ໃຫ້ເຮັດວຽກເພື່ອອາຫານຫຼຽງຊີວິດ. ວັຍສະຍະຖືກກ່າວວ່າຖືກລົງໂທດດ້ວຍການເກັບເງິນແລະຄ່າປັບ. ສູດຣະຖືກພັນລະນາວ່າ ‘ບໍ່ມີດັນດະ’; ສໍາລັບເຂົາ ມີແຕ່ການໃຫ້ຮັບໃຊ້ເປັນການແກ້ໄຂ ບໍ່ໃຫ້ລົງໂທດແບບອື່ນ».
अजुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse outlines a graded theory of punishment (daṇḍa) tied to social roles: Brahmins are corrected primarily through verbal censure, Kshatriyas through enforced service/labor, Vaishyas through financial penalties, and Shudras are described as not receiving formal punitive penalties beyond being made to serve—presented as a traditional schema of discipline and social regulation.
In the Shanti Parva’s discourse on dharma and governance, Arjuna speaks about how punishment should be applied differently across social classes, summarizing a remembered rule of daṇḍanīti (policy of punishment) as part of a broader ethical discussion.