Shloka 41
Daṇḍa as the Foundation of Social Order (दण्डप्रतिष्ठा)
न चोष्टरा न बलीवर्दा नाश्वाश्वतरगर्दभा: | युक्ता वहेयुर्यानानि यदि दण्डो न पालयेत्,यदि दण्ड कर्तव्यका पालन न करावे तो ऊँट, बैल, घोड़े, खच्चर और गदहे रथोंमें जोत दिये जानेपर भी उन्हें ढोकर ले न जायेँ
na coṣṭrā na balīvardā nāśvāśvataragardabhāḥ | yuktā vaheyur yānāni yadi daṇḍo na pālayet ||
Arjuna disse: “Se o poder do castigo e da disciplina (daṇḍa) não sustentasse a ordem, então, mesmo jungidos aos veículos, camelos, touros, cavalos, mulas e jumentos não levariam as cargas nem puxariam as conduções. Assim, o governo por meio do daṇḍa é apresentado como instrumento necessário para manter o dever, a obediência e o funcionamento da sociedade.”
अजुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that daṇḍa—lawful punishment and disciplinary authority—is essential for sustaining order. Without it, even basic cooperation and the performance of assigned duties (symbolized by yoked animals drawing vehicles) would fail; hence governance requires enforceable restraint alongside moral instruction.
In the Śānti Parva’s discussion on rājanīti (statecraft) and dharma after the war, Arjuna speaks to emphasize the practical necessity of daṇḍa. He uses a concrete analogy—draft animals refusing to pull when not controlled—to argue that society, like a team, needs regulation to function.