Shloka 5

Daṇḍa as the Foundation of Social Order (दण्डप्रतिष्ठा)

Devanagari script

राजदण्डभयादेके पापा: पापं न कुर्वते । यमदण्डभयादेके परलोकभयादपि

Transliteration

rājadaṇḍabhayād eke pāpāḥ pāpaṃ na kurvate | yamadaṇḍabhayād eke paralokabhayād api |

Translation

Арджуна сказал: «Некоторые грешники не творят греха из страха перед царским наказанием; некоторые — из страха перед жезлом Ямы; иные — и из страха перед будущим миром. Таково естественное состояние мира; потому всё утверждено на даṇḍе — как на силе, что удерживает и упорядочивает».

Word by Word

• राजदण्डभयात्: from fear of the king's punishment
• राजदण्डभयात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजदण्डभय
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• एके: some (people)
• एके: Karta
• Type: Pronoun/Adjective
• Root: एक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• पापाः: sinful (persons)
• पापाः: Karta
• Type: Noun/Adjective
• Root: पाप
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• पापम्: sin
• पापम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

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

• कुर्वते: do (commit)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: Present, Third, Plural, Atmanepada

• यमदण्डभयात्: from fear of Yama's punishment
• यमदण्डभयात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: यमदण्डभय
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• एके: some (people)
• एके: Karta
• Type: Pronoun/Adjective
• Root: एक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• परलोकभयात्: from fear of the next world
• परलोकभयात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: परलोकभय
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• अपि: also/even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

Speaker

अजुन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Arjuna
• Rāja (king/royal authority)
• Daṇḍa (punishment/rod)
• Yama
• Paraloka (afterlife)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Moral restraint in society often arises not from inner virtue alone but from fear of consequences—state punishment, divine/judicial retribution (Yama), and the results in the afterlife. Hence daṇḍa (sanctioning power) is presented as a foundational support for social order.

What is happening in the narrative?

Arjuna is speaking within the Shanti Parva’s discussions on governance and dharma, pointing out that many people avoid wrongdoing primarily due to fear of punishment and post-mortem consequences, underscoring the practical necessity of daṇḍa in maintaining order.