Shloka 36
Adhyaya 28 — Alarka Inquires into Varna and Ashrama Dharma; Madalasa Defines the Fourfold Duties
तस्माद्राज्ञा प्रयत्नेन सर्वे वर्णाः स्वधर्मतः ।
प्रवर्तन्तोऽन्यथा दण्ड्याः स्थाप्याश्चैव स्वकर्मसु ॥
tasmād rājñā prayatnena sarve varṇāḥ svadharmataḥ | pravartanto 'nyathā daṇḍyāḥ sthāpyāś caiva svakarmasu ||
Oleh itu raja hendaklah berusaha memastikan semua golongan masyarakat berjalan menurut dharma masing-masing; mereka yang bertindak sebaliknya mesti dihukum dan juga dikembalikan kepada pekerjaan yang wajar bagi mereka.
{ "primaryRasa": "dharma", "secondaryRasa": "vira", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }
FAQs
Rule is defined as responsibility: the king must not merely punish but also correct—restoring people to rightful conduct. Justice is rehabilitative as well as deterrent, aiming at dharmic stability.
Didactic dharma material within Purāṇic narration; it supports vaṃśānucarita/ideal kingship ethics rather than directly presenting cosmology or genealogies.
Daṇḍa (punitive power) is treated as a sacred instrument that preserves ṛta/dharma. When used with ‘prayatna’ (disciplined effort), it becomes a stabilizing force that protects both society and the ruler’s own spiritual standing.