Shloka 35

Daṇḍa as the Foundation of Social Order (दण्डप्रतिष्ठा)

Devanagari script

चातुर्वर्ण्यप्रमोदाय सुनीतिनयनाय च । दण्डो विधात्रा विहितो धर्मार्थो भुवि रक्षितुम्‌

Transliteration

cāturvarṇya-pramodāya sunīti-nayanāya ca | daṇḍo vidhātrā vihito dharmārtho bhuvi rakṣitum ||

Translation

چاروں ورنوں کی بھلائی اور ہم آہنگ اطمینان کے لیے، اور سُنیّتی کے ذریعے لوگوں کی رہنمائی کے لیے، ودھاتا نے دھرم کے آلے کے طور پر دَند مقرر کیا ہے—تاکہ زمین محفوظ رہے۔

Word by Word

• चातुर्वर्ण्य: for the fourfold social order (of varṇas)
• चातुर्वर्ण्य: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: चातुर्वर्ण्य
• Form: Neuter, Dative, Singular

• प्रमोदाय: for the delight/joy
• प्रमोदाय: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रमोद
• Form: Masculine, Dative, Singular

• सुनीति: by good policy/right conduct
• सुनीति: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुनीति
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• नयनाय: for leading/guidance
• नयनाय: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: नयन
• Form: Neuter, Dative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• दण्डः: punishment/rod (authority of punishment)
• दण्डः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: दण्ड
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• विधात्रा: by the Ordainer/Creator
• विधात्रा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधातृ
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• विहितः: ordained/appointed
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि-धा (धातु) → विहित
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• धर्मार्थः: for the sake of dharma (righteousness)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्मार्थ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• भुवि: on earth/in the world
• भुवि: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

• रक्षितुम्: to protect
• Type: Verb
• Root: रक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: Infinitive (Tumun)

Speaker

अजुन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Arjuna
• Vidhātṛ (the Creator/Ordainer)
• Daṇḍa (the rod of punishment/royal authority)
• Cāturvarṇya (the four varṇas)