Shloka 43
Daṇḍa as the Foundation of Social Order (दण्डप्रतिष्ठा)
दण्डे स्थिता: प्रजा: सर्वा भयं दण्डे विदुर्बुधा: । दण्डे स्वर्गों मनुष्याणां लोको<यं सुप्रतिछ्ित:
daṇḍe sthitāḥ prajāḥ sarvā bhayaṁ daṇḍe vidur budhāḥ | daṇḍe svargo manuṣyāṇāṁ loko ’yaṁ supratiṣṭhitaḥ ||
Arjuna disse: “Todos os súditos se mantêm apoiados no daṇḍa; os sábios sabem que o temor nasce do daṇḍa. Tanto este mundo dos homens quanto o mundo celeste para os mortais estão firmemente estabelecidos sobre o daṇḍa.”
अजुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that daṇḍa—law backed by enforceable punishment—is the foundation of social stability: it restrains wrongdoing through deterrent fear and thereby upholds both worldly order and the moral economy that leads to heavenly reward.
In the Śānti Parva’s discussion of rājadharma (the duties of kings), Arjuna speaks about the necessity of daṇḍa as a governing principle, emphasizing that the people’s security and the functioning of society depend on effective enforcement.