Shloka 3

Daṇḍa as the Foundation of Social Order (दण्डप्रतिष्ठा)

Devanagari script

दण्ड: संरक्षते धर्म तथैवार्थ जनाधिप । कार्म संरक्षते दण्डस्त्रिवर्गों दण्ड उच्यते,जनेश्वर! दण्ड ही धर्म और अर्थकी रक्षा करता है, वही कामका भी रक्षक है, अतः दण्ड त्रिवर्गरूप कहा जाता है

Transliteration

arjuna uvāca |

daṇḍaḥ saṁrakṣate dharmaṁ tathaivārthaṁ janādhipa |

kāmaṁ saṁrakṣate daṇḍas trivargo daṇḍa ucyate ||

Translation

दण्डः संरक्षते धर्मं तथैवार्थं जनाधिप। कामं संरक्षते दण्डस्त्रिवर्गो दण्ड उच्यते॥

Word by Word

• दण्डः: punishment; rod; royal authority
• दण्डः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: दण्ड
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• संरक्षते: protects
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-रक्ष्
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Atmanepada

• धर्मम्: dharma; righteousness; law
• धर्मम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• तथा: thus; likewise
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• एव: indeed; just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• अर्थम्: wealth; polity; material good
• अर्थम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्थ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• जनाधिप: O ruler of people
• Type: Noun
• Root: जनाधिप
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• कामम्: desire; pleasure
• कामम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• संरक्षते: protects
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-रक्ष्
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Atmanepada

• दण्डः: punishment; royal authority
• दण्डः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: दण्ड
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• त्रिवर्गः: the set of three aims (dharma-artha-kama)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रिवर्ग
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• दण्डः: punishment; royal authority
• दण्डः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: दण्ड
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उच्यते: is called; is said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Passive

• जनेश्वर: O lord of people
• Type: Noun
• Root: जनेश्वर
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

अजुन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Arjuna
• janādhipa (the king/ruler addressed)