Shloka 16
Daṇḍotpatti-kathana (Origin and Function of Daṇḍa) — वसुहोम–मान्धातृ संवाद
जटी द्विजिहद्वस्ताम्रास्यो मृगराजतनुच्छद: । एतद् रूपं बिभर्त्युग्रंं दण्डो नित्यं दुराधर:
jaṭī dvijihadvastāmrāsyo mṛgarāja-tanucchadaḥ | etad rūpaṃ bibharty ugraṃ daṇḍo nityaṃ durādharaḥ ||
जटी द्विजिह्वद्वस्ताम्रास्यो मृगराजतनुच्छदः। एतद्रूपं बिभर्त्युग्रं दण्डो नित्यं दुराधरः॥
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights daṇḍa (chastisement/discipline) as a formidable, ever-present instrument of order. It suggests that authority must be strong and difficult to resist, functioning as a constant restraint that upholds dharma and curbs wrongdoing.
In Bhīṣma’s discourse in the Śānti Parva, he describes a fearsome figure marked by ascetic signs (matted hair, animal-skin garment) and by the ever-present daṇḍa. The description underscores the awe and deterrent power associated with enforcing moral and social order.