Shloka 44
Gārhasthya-Śreṣṭhatā and Kṣatriya-Daṇḍadhāraṇa
Householder Primacy and the Royal Duty of Punishment
शंख उवाच एवमेतन्मया कार्य नाहं दण्डधरस्तव । सच पूतो नरपतिस्त्वं चापि पितृभि: सह,शंख बोले--भाई! यह ठीक है, मैं ऐसा कर सकता था; परंतु मुझे तुम्हें दण्ड देनेका अधिकार नहीं है। दण्ड देनेका कार्य तो राजाका ही है। इस प्रकार दण्ड देकर राजा सुद्युम्न और उस दण्डको स्वीकार करके तुम पितरोंसहित पवित्र हो गये
śaṅkha uvāca | evam etan mayā kāryaṁ nāhaṁ daṇḍadharas tava | sa ca pūto narapatis tvaṁ cāpi pitṛbhiḥ saha ||
ສັງຄະ ກ່າວວ່າ: «ແມ່ນແທ້, ຂ້ອຍສາມາດເຮັດແບບນັ້ນໄດ້. ແຕ່ຂ້ອຍບໍ່ແມ່ນຜູ້ຖືອໍານາດແຫ່ງການລົງໂທດສໍາລັບເຈົ້າ—ຂ້ອຍບໍ່ມີສິດຈະລົງໂທດເຈົ້າ. ໜ້າທີ່ໃນການລົງໂທດເປັນຂອງກະສັດເທົ່ານັ້ນ. ໂດຍການລົງໂທດນັ້ນ ກະສັດ (ສຸດຍຸມນະ) ໄດ້ຮັບຄວາມບໍລິສຸດ; ແລະໂດຍການຍອມຮັບມັນ ເຈົ້າກໍບໍລິສຸດດ້ວຍ—ພ້ອມກັບບັນພະບຸລຸດຂອງເຈົ້າ»។
शंख उवाच
Educational Q&A
Punishment (daṇḍa) is a regulated function of legitimate authority—primarily the king. Even if one has the capacity to act, dharma requires acting within one’s rightful jurisdiction; properly administered and properly accepted punishment is portrayed as morally purifying.
Śaṅkha clarifies that although he could have taken action, he is not entitled to punish the other party. He affirms that the king alone bears that mandate; the king’s act of punishing and the offender’s acceptance of it are both framed as leading to purification, extending even to the offender’s ancestral line.