Shloka 40

Daṇḍa as the Foundation of Social Order (दण्डप्रतिष्ठा)

Devanagari script

चरेयुर्नाश्रमे धर्म यथोक्त विधिमाश्रिता: । न विद्यां प्राप्तुयात्‌ कश्चिद्‌ यदि दण्डो न पालयेत्‌

Transliteration

careyur nāśrame dharmaṃ yathokta-vidhim āśritāḥ | na vidyāṃ prāpnuyāt kaścid yadi daṇḍo na pālayet ||

Translation

ଯଦି ଦଣ୍ଡ ମର୍ଯ୍ୟାଦାକୁ ଧାରଣ କରାଇ ନ ରଖେ, ତେବେ ଲୋକେ ଆଶ୍ରମଧର୍ମରେ ରହି ଶାସ୍ତ୍ରୋକ୍ତ ବିଧି ଅନୁସାରେ ଧର୍ମାଚରଣ କରିବେ ନାହିଁ; ଏବଂ କେହି ମଧ୍ୟ ବିଦ୍ୟା ପ୍ରାପ୍ତ କରିପାରିବେ ନାହିଁ।

Word by Word

• चरेयुः: would practice / should follow
• चरेयुः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: चर्
• Form: Vidhi-lin (optative), 3, Plural, Parasmaipada

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• आश्रमे: in the āśrama (stage/order of life)
• आश्रमे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: आश्रम
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• धर्मम्: dharma / duty
• धर्मम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• यथोक्त: as prescribed / as stated
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यथा-उक्त
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• विधिम्: rule / procedure
• विधिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• आश्रिताः: having resorted to / adhering to
• आश्रिताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आ-श्रि (आश्रित)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• विद्याम्: knowledge / learning
• विद्याम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: विद्या
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• प्राप्तुयात्: would obtain / could attain
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आप्
• Form: Vidhi-lin (optative), 3, Singular, Parasmaipada

• कश्चित्: anyone / someone
• कश्चित्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: कश्चित्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• यदि: if
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि

• दण्डः: punishment / authority (rod of rule)
• दण्डः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: दण्ड
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• पालयेत्: would protect / maintain / enforce
• Type: Verb
• Root: पाल्
• Form: Vidhi-lin (optative), 3, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

अजुन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Arjuna
• daṇḍa (punitive authority)
• āśrama (orders/stages of life)
• dharma
• vidyā

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Arjuna argues that daṇḍa—lawful punitive authority—is necessary to sustain dharma in society: without enforcement, people will not adhere to prescribed disciplines (āśrama-dharma), and even the pursuit of learning (vidyā) collapses due to disorder.

What is happening in the narrative?

Within the Śānti Parva’s discussion on governance and moral order, Arjuna speaks to emphasize the practical necessity of daṇḍa: he links the king’s enforcement of rules to the functioning of religious-social life and the possibility of education.