Shloka 38
त्रिवर्गमूलनिश्चयः — Determining the Roots of Dharma, Artha, and Kāma
Mahābhārata, Śānti-parva 123
भृगुर्ददावृषिभ्यस्तु दण्डं धर्मसमाहितम् । ऋषयो लोकपालेभ्यो लोकपाला: क्षुपाय च
bhṛgur dadāv ṛṣibhyas tu daṇḍaṃ dharmasamāhitam | ṛṣayo lokapālebhyo lokapālāḥ kṣupāya ca ||
Disse Vasuharoma: Bhṛgu confiou aos ṛṣis o daṇḍa, a vara do castigo, firmemente assentada no dharma. Os ṛṣis o transmitiram aos guardiões dos mundos (Lokapālas), e estes, por sua vez, o entregaram a Kṣupa. Assim se descreve a transmissão legítima de uma autoridade destinada a proteger o dharma sutil e a ordem da sociedade.
वसुहरोम उवाच
Educational Q&A
Legitimate power to punish (daṇḍa) is not mere force; it must be dharma-grounded and transmitted through rightful custodians (sages, cosmic guardians, and kings). Authority is ethical only when it protects order and subtle righteousness rather than serving personal desire.
Vasuharoma recounts a lineage of custody: Bhṛgu gives the dharma-aligned daṇḍa to the ṛṣis; they pass it to the lokapālas; the lokapālas pass it to Kṣupa. The verse situates royal governance within a sacred, regulated chain of responsibility.