Shloka 36
आपद्धर्मे वैश्यवृत्तिः, विक्रय-निषेधाः, तथा ब्रह्म-क्षत्र-सम्बन्धः
Emergency Livelihood, Prohibited Trade, and Brahman–Kshatra Regulation
ब्राह्मणो यदि वा वैश्य: शूद्रो वा राजसत्तम । दस्युभ्यो5थ प्रजा रक्षेद् दण्डं धर्मेण धारयन्
brāhmaṇo yadi vā vaiśyaḥ śūdro vā rājasattama | dasyubhyo 'tha prajā rakṣed daṇḍaṃ dharmeṇa dhārayan ||
Yudhiṣṭhira berkata: “Wahai raja yang termulia! Jika seorang Brahmin, atau seorang Vaiśya, atau bahkan seorang Śūdra—dengan memegang tongkat hukuman menurut dharma—melindungi rakyat daripada kumpulan perompak, adakah dia bertindak benar? Pada saat perompak berleluasa dan tertib sosial terancam, serta tiada ikhtiar berkesan bagi tugas perlindungan kṣatriya, adakah wajar seorang lelaki kuat dari varna lain mengambil kuasa paksaan demi menjaga dharma dan menyelamatkan rakyat daripada rompakan?”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames an ethical question about emergency governance: when the Kṣatriya function of protecting society fails, can non-Kṣatriyas legitimately wield daṇḍa (coercive punishment) to defend the people—provided it is done in accordance with dharma.
In the Śānti Parva dialogue, Yudhiṣṭhira raises a practical dilemma to the elder authority: with robbers increasing and social stability threatened, he asks whether a capable Brahmin, Vaiśya, or Śūdra may take up righteous punitive power to protect the populace from marauders.