Shloka 13
त्रिवर्गमूलनिश्चयः — Determining the Roots of Dharma, Artha, and Kāma
Mahābhārata, Śānti-parva 123
अतः मैं आपसे यह जानना चाहता हूँ कि दण्डकी उत्पत्ति कैसे हुई? इसके पहले कौन-सी वस्तु जागरूक थी? तथा इस दण्डको सबसे उत्कृष्ट क्यों कहा जाता है? ।।
ataḥ mayā āpase idaṁ jñātum icchāmi—daṇḍakī utpattiḥ kathaṁ jātā? etat pūrvaṁ kā vastu jāgarūkā āsīt? tathā ca kasmād ayaṁ daṇḍaḥ sarvottama iti kathyate? kathaṁ kṣatriya-saṁsthaś ca daṇḍaḥ sampraty avasthitaḥ? brūhi me, sumahāprājña; dadāmi ācārya-vetanam.
“Maka aku ingin belajar daripada tuan: bagaimanakah prinsip daṇḍa (kuasa hukuman) mula-mula timbul? Sebelum ia wujud, apakah prinsip yang paling awal terjaga dan aktif? Dan mengapa daṇḍa ini dipuji sebagai yang paling unggul? Katakan juga kepadaku bagaimana kuasa hukuman ini kini berada di tangan golongan Kṣatriya. Wahai yang amat bijaksana, jelaskan semuanya kepadaku; sebagai balasan atas ajaranmu, aku akan mempersembahkan guru-dakṣiṇā (honorarium guru).”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames daṇḍa (punitive authority) as a foundational instrument of rājadharma: it has an origin, a prior principle that ‘awakens’ before it, and a reason it is called supreme. It also highlights that daṇḍa is institutionally entrusted to the Kṣatriya ruler, implying that justice and coercion must be grounded in wisdom and dharma, not mere force.
Bhīṣma, in the Śānti Parva’s instruction on governance and ethics, poses (or relays) a set of questions seeking a doctrinal account of how daṇḍa originated, what preceded it, why it is praised as best, and how it came to be placed in the hands of Kṣatriyas—offering an ācārya-vetana as a formal gesture of discipleship and respect for teaching.