Shloka 45

Daṇḍa as the Foundation of Social Order (दण्डप्रतिष्ठा)

Devanagari script

हवि:श्वा प्रलिहेद्‌ दृष्टवा दण्डश्नेन्नोद्यतों भवेत्‌ | हरेत्‌ काक: पुरोडाशं यदि दण्डो न पालयेत्‌,यदि दण्ड रक्षाके लिये सदा उद्यत न रहे तो कुत्ता हविष्यको देखते ही चाट जाय और यदि दण्ड रक्षा न करे तो कौआ पुरोडाशको उठा ले जाय

Transliteration

haviḥ śvā pralihyed dṛṣṭvā daṇḍaśnennodyato bhavet | haret kākaḥ puroḍāśaṃ yadi daṇḍo na pālayet ||

Translation

اگر دَण्ड ہمیشہ حفاظت کے لیے تیار نہ رہے تو کتا ہَوی کو دیکھتے ہی چاٹ جائے؛ اور اگر دَण्ड نگہبانی نہ کرے تو کوا پُروداش اٹھا لے جائے۔

Word by Word

• हविः: oblation, sacrificial offering
• हविः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: हविस्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• श्वा: dog
• श्वा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्वन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• प्रलिहेत्: would lick up
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + लिह्
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund)

• दण्डम्: staff; punishment; rod (of authority)
• दण्डम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: दण्ड
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• श्नेत्: would fear
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्ना
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• उद्यतः: ready, vigilant, raised (to act)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उद्यत
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• भवेत्: would be
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• हरेत्: would carry off, would take away
• Type: Verb
• Root: हृ
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• काकः: crow
• काकः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: काक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पुरोडाशम्: sacrificial cake (puroḍāśa)
• पुरोडाशम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरोडाश
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• यदि: if
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि

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

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• पालयेत्: would protect, would guard
• Type: Verb
• Root: पाल्
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

अजुन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Arjuna
• dog (śvā)
• crow (kākaḥ)
• havis (oblation)
• puroḍāśa (sacrificial cake)
• daṇḍa (punitive authority)