Shloka 18
Daṇḍotpatti-kathana (Origin and Function of Daṇḍa) — वसुहोम–मान्धातृ संवाद
सर्वप्रहरणीयानि सन्ति यानीह कानिचित् । दण्ड एव स सर्वात्मा लोके चरति मूर्तिमान्
sarvapraharaṇīyāni santi yānīha kānicit | daṇḍa eva sa sarvātmā loke carati mūrtimān ||
Sinabi ni Bhīṣma: Anumang kasangkapang panghampas o pangsugat na umiiral sa daigdig na ito—anumang uri—ay sa katotohanan ay si Daṇḍa (ang kapangyarihan ng parusa at pagpigil). Ang prinsipyong sumasaklaw sa lahat, ang mismong Sarili ng kaayusan, ay gumagala sa mundo na may katawang-anyo, lumilitaw bilang mga sandata at mga paraan ng pamimilit.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that Daṇḍa—lawful punishment and coercive authority—is the manifest force that upholds order. All weapons and instruments of force are expressions of this single principle; when aligned with dharma, it restrains wrongdoing and protects society.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on rājadharma, Bhīṣma explains to the listener (Yudhiṣṭhira in context) the nature of governance: the king’s power to punish is not merely a tool but a universal principle that appears in many forms, including weapons, to maintain worldly order.