Udyoga-parva Adhyāya 28: Dharmādharmalakṣaṇa in Āpad
Crisis-Discernment of Right and Wrong
इन्द्रेणेतद् दस्युवधाय कर्म उत्पादितं वर्म शस्त्र धनुश्च,स्वयं देवराज इन्द्रने ऐसे लुटेरोंका वध करनेके लिये कवच, अस्त्र-शस्त्र और धनुषका आविष्कार किया है
indreṇaitad dasyu-vadhāya karma utpāditaṁ varma śastraṁ dhanuś ca | svayaṁ devarāja indraḥ evaṁ lūṭerāṇāṁ vadhārthaṁ kavaca-astrāṇi śastrāṇi ca dhanuś ca āviṣkṛtavān ||
इन्द्रेणेतद् दस्युवधाय कर्म उत्पादितं वर्म शस्त्रं धनुश्च ॥
वायुदेव उवाच
Weapons and armour are framed as instruments created for the protection of society—meant to restrain and punish predatory violence (dasyu), not for unjust aggression; force is ethically justified when aligned with dharma and public safety.
Vāyu explains that Indra, the king of the gods, originated armour and weapons specifically to eliminate marauding robbers, presenting divine precedent for righteous coercion against lawless plunderers.