Shloka 9

Devanagari script

वाचा दण्डो ब्राह्मणानां क्षत्रियाणां भुजार्पणम्‌ | दानदण्डा: स्मृता वैश्या निर्दण्ड: शूद्र उच्चते,यदि ब्राह्मण अपराध करे तो वाणीसे उसको अपमानित करना ही उसका दण्ड है, क्षत्रियकों भोजनमात्रके लिये वेतन देकर उससे काम लेना उसका दण्ड है, वैश्योंसे जुर्मानाके रूपमें धन वसूल करना उनका दण्ड है, परंतु शूद्र दण्डरहित कहा गया है। उससे सेवा लेनेके सिवा और कोई दण्ड उसके लिये नहीं है

Transliteration

vācā daṇḍo brāhmaṇānāṁ kṣatriyāṇāṁ bhujārpaṇam | dāna-daṇḍāḥ smṛtā vaiśyā nirdaṇḍaḥ śūdra ucyate ||

Translation

สำหรับพราหมณ์ ทัณฑะคือการลงโทษด้วยวาจา—การตักเตือนและตำหนิ สำหรับกษัตริย์ ทัณฑะคือการบังคับให้รับใช้ด้วยกำลังแขน สำหรับไวศยะ ทัณฑะคือการปรับเป็นทรัพย์สิน ส่วนศูทรถูกกล่าวว่า “ไร้ทัณฑะ”; มาตรการแก้ไขสำหรับเขามีเพียงการให้ทำงานรับใช้เท่านั้น

Word by Word

वाचाby speech

दण्डःpunishment

ब्राह्मणानाम्of Brahmins

क्षत्रियाणाम्of Kshatriyas

भुजार्पणम्offering of the arm (i.e., bodily service/force)

दानदण्डाःpunishments consisting of fines/forfeiture (lit. 'giving-penalties')

स्मृताःare considered/are remembered (as)

वैश्याःVaishyas

निर्दण्डःwithout punishment

शूद्रःthe Shudra

उच्यतेis said/is called

Speaker

अजुन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Arjuna

Brahmin (Brāhmaṇa)

Kshatriya (Kṣatriya)

Vaishya (Vaiśya)

Shudra (Śūdra)

Daṇḍa (punishment/penalty)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse outlines a graded theory of punishment (daṇḍa) tied to social roles: Brahmins are corrected primarily through verbal censure, Kshatriyas through enforced service/labor, Vaishyas through financial penalties, and Shudras are described as not receiving formal punitive penalties beyond being made to serve—presented as a traditional schema of discipline and social regulation.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s discourse on dharma and governance, Arjuna speaks about how punishment should be applied differently across social classes, summarizing a remembered rule of daṇḍanīti (policy of punishment) as part of a broader ethical discussion.