Shloka 34
Daṇḍa as the Foundation of Social Order (दण्डप्रतिष्ठा)
सर्वो दण्डजितो लोको दुर्लभो हि शुचिर्जन: । दण्डस्य हि भयाद् भीतो भोगायैव प्रवर्तते
sarvo daṇḍajito loko durlabho hi śucir janaḥ | daṇḍasya hi bhayād bhīto bhogāyaiva pravartate ||
Arjuna berkata: “Seluruh dunia dikekang oleh hukuman; sesungguhnya, manusia yang suci secara semula jadi sukar ditemui. Kerana takutkan hukumanlah manusia menahan diri dan menempuh jalan tingkah laku yang wajar, mengarah kepada kenikmatan yang teratur, bukan dorongan yang liar tanpa hukum.”
अजुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
That social order largely depends on daṇḍa (punitive authority): since truly pure people are rare, fear of punishment is what commonly restrains wrongdoing and keeps people within moral and legal limits.
In the Shānti Parva’s discussion on governance and dharma, Arjuna voices a pragmatic observation about human conduct: most people follow rules not from innate purity but because discipline and punishment deter transgression.