Shloka 38

Daṇḍa as the Foundation of Social Order (दण्डप्रतिष्ठा)

Devanagari script

विष्वग्लोप: प्रवर्तेत भिद्येरन्‌ सर्वसेतव: । ममत्वं न प्रजानीयुर्यदि दण्डो न पालयेत्‌,यदि दण्ड मर्यादाका पालन न करावे तो चारों ओरसे धर्म-कर्मका लोप हो जाय, सारी मर्यादाएँ टूट जायँ और लोग यह भी न जानें कि कौन वस्तु मेरी है और कौन नहीं?

Transliteration

viśvag-lopaḥ pravarteta bhidyeran sarva-setavaḥ | mamatvaṃ na prajānīyur yadi daṇḍo na pālayet ||

Translation

దండం మર્યాదాను నిలుపకపోతే, అన్ని వైపులా ధర్మకర్మల లయ జరుగుతుంది; అన్ని సరిహద్దులు, నియమాలు చెదిరిపోతాయి; ‘ఇది నాది, అది నాది కాదు’ అనే మమకారభావమే ప్రజలకు తెలియదు.

Word by Word

विष्वग्everywhere, on all sides

लोपःloss, disappearance, destruction

प्रवर्तेतwould arise / would occur

भिद्येरन्would be broken / would split

सर्वall

सेतवःboundaries, limits, restraints (lit. bridges/embankments)

ममत्वम्sense of 'mine', ownership

नnot

प्रजानीयुःwould know / would recognize

यदिif

दण्डःpunishment; royal authority; coercive power

नnot

पालयेत्would protect / would enforce / would govern

Speaker

अजुन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Arjuna

Daṇḍa (punitive authority/governance)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

That daṇḍa—legitimate punitive authority and enforcement of norms—is necessary to preserve dharma and social boundaries; without it, moral and legal distinctions collapse, including basic recognition of ownership and restraint.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s discussion on rājadharma (the duties of kings), Arjuna raises a governance-based argument: if the ruler does not maintain daṇḍa, society falls into disorder, with broken ‘setus’ (limits/constraints) and confusion about rights and property.