Shloka 49

Daṇḍotpatti-kathana (Origin and Function of Daṇḍa) — वसुहोम–मान्धातृ संवाद

Devanagari script

ईश्वरने यत्नपूर्वक धर्मरक्षाके लिये क्षत्रियके हाथमें उसके समान जातिवाला दण्ड समर्पित किया है; इसलिये दण्ड ही इस सनातन व्यवहारका कारण है ।।

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca | īśvareṇa yatnapūrvakaṁ dharmarakṣāyai kṣatriyasya haste tasya samānajātīyo daṇḍaḥ samarpitaḥ; tasmād daṇḍa eva asya sanātanavyavahārasya kāraṇam || rājñāṁ pūjyatamo nānyo yathā dharmaḥ pradarśitaḥ | brahmaṇā lokarakṣārthaṁ svadharmasthāpanāya ca ||

Translation

Бхишма сказал: Господь, с обдуманной заботой о защите дхармы, вложил в руку кшатрия жезл наказания — данда (daṇḍa), соразмерный его роду и подобающий его положению. Потому именно данда, сила удерживать и исправлять, становится причиной вечного порядка общественного поведения. Для царей нет долга более достойного почитания, чем этот: дхарма, явленная Брахмой ради охраны мира и ради утверждения каждого существа в его собственном надлежащем долге, — то есть праведное применение данды.

Word by Word

• राज्ञाम्: of kings
• राज्ञाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• पूज्यतमः: most worthy of worship
• पूज्यतमः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूज्यतम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• अन्यः: another (one)
• अन्यः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अन्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• यथा: as / just as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• धर्मः: dharma; law; righteousness
• धर्मः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• प्रदर्शितः: shown; taught; set forth
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र+दृश्
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular, Passive/resultative

• ब्रह्मणा: by Brahmā / by Brahman (the creator)
• ब्रह्मणा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन्
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• लोक-रक्षार्थम्: for the purpose of protecting the world
• लोक-रक्षार्थम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक-रक्षा-अर्थ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular, अर्थम् used adverbially: 'for the purpose of'

• स्व-धर्म-स्थापनाय: for establishing one's own dharma
• स्व-धर्म-स्थापनाय: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्व-धर्म-स्थापन
• Form: Neuter, Dative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Īśvara
• Brahmā
• Kṣatriya
• Daṇḍa

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Righteous punishment (daṇḍa) is a sacred instrument entrusted to rulers to protect dharma and maintain the enduring order of society; for kings, no duty is more venerable than exercising this power justly for the world’s protection and the establishment of svadharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on statecraft and ethics, Bhīṣma teaches Yudhiṣṭhira that governance requires disciplined enforcement: the divine order authorizes Kṣatriyas to wield daṇḍa so that society’s norms and duties remain stable and protected.