Shloka 138
Varṇa-dharma and Rājadharma: Yudhiṣṭhira’s Inquiry and Bhīṣma’s Normative Outline (वर्णधर्म-राजधर्म-प्रश्नोत्तरम्)
महत्त्वात् तस्य दण्डस्य नीतिर्विस्पष्टलक्षणा । नयचारश्न विपुलो येन सर्वमिदं ततम्,पूर्वोक्त दण्डकी महत्तासे ही स्पष्ट लक्षणोंवाली नीति तथा न््यायोचित आचारका अधिक प्रचार होता है, जिससे यह सारा जगत् व्याप्त है
mahattvāt tasya daṇḍasya nītir vispaṣṭa-lakṣaṇā | nyāyācāraś ca vipulo yena sarvam idaṃ tatam ||
तस्य दण्डस्य महत्त्वात् नीतिः सुलक्षणा विशदीभवति। न्यायसमाश्रितोऽपि सदाचारः विपुलतया प्रवर्तते, येन सर्वमिदं जगद् व्याप्तं धार्यते च॥
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Effective and legitimate authority (daṇḍa) is presented as the foundation that makes nīti (good governance) clearly intelligible and enables nyāya-based ācāra (just social conduct) to flourish; through this, society and the world remain pervaded by order rather than collapsing into disorder.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on rājadharma, Bhīṣma continues advising Yudhiṣṭhira about kingship and social stability, emphasizing that the king’s daṇḍa—properly applied—supports the spread of justice and right conduct across the realm.