Shloka 40
Daṇḍa as the Foundation of Social Order (दण्डप्रतिष्ठा)
चरेयुर्नाश्रमे धर्म यथोक्त विधिमाश्रिता: । न विद्यां प्राप्तुयात् कश्चिद् यदि दण्डो न पालयेत्
careyur nāśrame dharmaṃ yathokta-vidhim āśritāḥ | na vidyāṃ prāpnuyāt kaścid yadi daṇḍo na pālayet ||
जर दंड मर्यादेचे पालन करवत नसेल, तर लोक आश्रमधर्मात राहून शास्त्रोक्त विधीनुसार धर्माचरण करणार नाहीत; आणि कोणालाही विद्या प्राप्त होणार नाही.
अजुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Arjuna argues that daṇḍa—lawful punitive authority—is necessary to sustain dharma in society: without enforcement, people will not adhere to prescribed disciplines (āśrama-dharma), and even the pursuit of learning (vidyā) collapses due to disorder.
Within the Śānti Parva’s discussion on governance and moral order, Arjuna speaks to emphasize the practical necessity of daṇḍa: he links the king’s enforcement of rules to the functioning of religious-social life and the possibility of education.