Shloka 19
Daṇḍotpatti-kathana (Origin and Function of Daṇḍa) — वसुहोम–मान्धातृ संवाद
भिन्दंश्छिन्दन् रुजन् कृन्तन् दारयन् पाटयंस्तथा । घातयन्नभिधावंश्व दण्ड एव चरत्युत
bhindaṁś chindan rujan kṛntan dārayan pāṭayaṁs tathā | ghātayann abhidhāvaṁś ca daṇḍa eva caraty uta ||
Bhīṣma berkata: “Hukuman (Daṇḍa) bergerak ke mana-mana—membelah, memotong, menimbulkan derita, menetak, mengoyak terbuka, merentap, bahkan membunuh. Maka, hukuman itulah sendiri yang tanpa henti mengejar para pelaku salah dan menegakkan tertib moral.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
That daṇḍa—punitive authority—must actively operate to restrain wrongdoing; it is portrayed as an ever-moving force that protects dharma by deterring and correcting offenders.
In Bhishma’s instruction on governance and dharma, he personifies punishment as something that ‘runs everywhere,’ describing its harsh actions to emphasize how royal justice pursues and subdues criminals to maintain order.