Shloka 10

Daṇḍa as the Foundation of Social Order (दण्डप्रतिष्ठा)

Devanagari script

असम्मोहाय मर्त्यनामर्थसंरक्षणाय च | मर्यादा स्थापिता लोके दण्डसंज्ञा विशाम्पते,प्रजानाथ! मनुष्योंको प्रमादसे बचाने और उनके धनकी रक्षा करनेके लिये लोकमें जो मर्यादा स्थापित की गयी है, उसीका नाम दण्ड है

Transliteration

asammohāya martyānām artha-saṁrakṣaṇāya ca | maryādā sthāpitā loke daṇḍa-saṁjñā viśāmpate prajānātha |

Translation

Arjuna nói: Ôi bậc chúa của muôn dân, đấng che chở thần dân! Ranh giới của trật tự được thiết lập trong đời—nhằm ngăn người phàm khỏi sự lơ đễnh và gìn giữ tài sản của họ—chính là điều được gọi là daṇḍa, quyền lực của hình phạt và trị quốc.

Word by Word

• असम्मोहाय: for non-delusion / for preventing confusion
• असम्मोहाय: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: असम्मोह
• Form: Masculine, Dative, Singular

• मर्त्यानाम्: of mortals / of men
• मर्त्यानाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्त्य
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• अर्थसंरक्षणाय: for the protection of wealth/property
• अर्थसंरक्षणाय: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्थसंरक्षण
• Form: Neuter, Dative, Singular

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

• मर्यादा: a boundary/limit; rule; restraint
• मर्यादा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मर्यादा
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• स्थापिता: established / set up
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Feminine, Nominative, Singular, Passive (PPP)

• लोके: in the world
• लोके: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• दण्डसंज्ञा: having the designation/name 'daṇḍa' (punishment/rod)
• दण्डसंज्ञा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: दण्डसंज्ञा
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• विशाम्पते: O lord of the people/subjects
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशाम्पति
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• प्रजानाथ: O protector/lord of creatures (subjects)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजानाथ
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

अजुन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Arjuna
• daṇḍa (punitive authority)
• maryādā (social-legal boundary/order)
• martyāḥ (mortals/people)
• prajā (subjects)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Daṇḍa (punitive authority) is justified as a dharmic instrument: it establishes maryādā (limits and order) so that people do not fall into negligence and wrongdoing, and so that their property and material interests are protected.

What is happening in the narrative?

Arjuna addresses a ruler-like figure (prajānātha/viśāmpati) and defines daṇḍa as the socially established mechanism of restraint and protection—linking political authority to ethical responsibility toward subjects.