Shloka 39

Daṇḍotpatti-kathana (Origin and Function of Daṇḍa) — वसुहोम–मान्धातृ संवाद

Devanagari script

प्राणाश्न सर्वभूतानां नित्यमन्ने प्रतिष्ठिता: । तस्मात्‌ प्रजा: प्रतिष्ठन्ते दण्डो जागर्ति तासु च

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca | prāṇāśn sarvabhūtānāṃ nityam anne pratiṣṭhitāḥ | tasmāt prajāḥ pratiṣṭhante daṇḍo jāgarti tāsu ca |

Translation

Bhishma nói: Sinh khí của muôn loài luôn nương tựa nơi lương thực. Vì thế dân chúng mới được an lập và duy trì; và cây gậy trị quốc (daṇḍa)—quyền năng trừng phạt và bảo hộ theo pháp—hằng tỉnh thức canh giữ họ.

Word by Word

• प्राणाः: vital breaths/lives
• प्राणाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• सर्वभूतानाम्: of all beings
• सर्वभूतानाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्वभूत
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य

• अन्ने: in/depending on food
• अन्ने: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• प्रतिष्ठिताः: are established/rest on
• प्रतिष्ठिताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रतिष्ठित
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• तस्मात्: therefore/from that
• तस्मात्: Apadana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तस्मात् (तद्-प्रातिपदिक)

• प्रजाः: subjects/people
• प्रजाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजा
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• प्रतिष्ठन्ते: stand firm/are sustained
• प्रतिष्ठन्ते: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति-स्था
• Form: Present, Third, Plural, Atmanepada

• दण्डः: punishment/royal authority
• दण्डः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: दण्ड
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• जागर्ति: keeps watch/is awake
• जागर्ति: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: जागर्
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• तासु: among/over them (those people)
• तासु: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Plural

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

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Daṇḍa (royal authority/punishment)
• Prajā (subjects/people)
• Anna (food)
• Prāṇa (life-breath)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

All beings depend on food for life, so society’s stability depends on securing sustenance; and this requires daṇḍa—lawful authority that protects, restrains wrongdoing, and maintains order—remaining vigilant.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Shanti Parva’s discourse on rājadharma, Bhishma instructs the king (Yudhishthira) by linking material welfare (food sustaining life) with political-ethical necessity (daṇḍa as constant guardianship that keeps the people established).