Shloka 3
Daṇḍotpatti-kathana (Origin and Function of Daṇḍa) — वसुहोम–मान्धातृ संवाद
सर्वेषां प्राणिनां लोके तिर्यग्योनिनिवासिनाम् | सर्वव्यापी महातेजा दण्ड: श्रेयानिति प्रभो
sarveṣāṃ prāṇināṃ loke tiryagyoninivāsinām | sarvavyāpī mahātejā daṇḍaḥ śreyān iti prabho
Yudhiṣṭhira thưa: “Bạch Chúa tể, giữa mọi loài hữu tình trong thế gian—kể cả những kẻ mang thân súc sinh—dường như Daṇḍa, quyền lực uy nghi lan khắp, là con đường tốt hơn; vì nó ngăn điều phi pháp và giữ vững trật tự.”
युधिछ्िर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights daṇḍa—lawful punishment and the coercive authority of rule—as a universally effective force for restraining harm and maintaining order, implying that ethical governance sometimes requires firm discipline rather than mere persuasion.
In the Śānti Parva’s discussions on rājadharma, Yudhiṣṭhira addresses a revered interlocutor (‘O lord’) and raises a pointed reflection: across all beings, even among animals, the principle of restraint through punishment appears to be the more beneficial means of preventing disorder.