Shloka 37
Daṇḍa as the Foundation of Social Order (दण्डप्रतिष्ठा)
न ब्रह्मचार्यधीयीत कल्याणी गौर्न दुह्मृते । न कन्योद्धहनं गच्छेद् यदि दण्डो न पालयेत्
na brahmacāry adhīyīta kalyāṇī gaur na duhmṛte | na kanyoddahanaṃ gacched yadi daṇḍo na pālayet ||
Wika ni Arjuna: “Kung ang kapangyarihan ng parusa at pamamahala—daṇḍa—ay hindi magtataguyod ng kaayusan, ang brahmacārin ay hindi magpupunyagi sa pag-aaral ng Veda; maging ang maamong bakang mabait ang likas ay hindi magbibigay ng gatas; at ang dalaga ay hindi tutungo sa pag-aasawa. Kapag wala ang pag-iingat ng makatarungang pagpipigil, guguho ang karaniwang daloy ng dharma at ng buhay panlipunan.”
अजुन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that daṇḍa—lawful restraint and enforcement by authority—is necessary to safeguard dharma. When order is protected, education, economic life, and family institutions function; when it is not, even basic duties and social trust break down.
In the Shanti Parva’s discussion on dharma and statecraft, Arjuna speaks to emphasize the practical necessity of governance: without enforcement of boundaries, people will not reliably pursue study, livelihood, or marriage, and society becomes unstable.