Shloka 11

Daṇḍa as the Foundation of Social Order (दण्डप्रतिष्ठा)

Devanagari script

यत्र श्यामो लोहिताक्षो दण्डश्चरति सूद्यत: । प्रजास्तत्र न मुहान्ते नेता चेत्‌ साधु पश्यति

Transliteration

yatra śyāmo lohitākṣo daṇḍaś carati sūdyataḥ | prajāstatra na muhyante netā cet sādhu paśyati ||

Translation

Nơi nào cây gậy trừng phạt—đen sẫm và mắt đỏ—luôn đi lại, sẵn sàng giáng xuống, và nơi nào bậc quân vương tỉnh thức, sáng suốt, chăm chú xét soi các lỗi phạm, thì ở đó dân chúng không rơi vào rối loạn hay lơ là; trật tự được giữ vững nhờ sự giám sát công minh và sự hiện diện đáng tin của kỷ cương.

Word by Word

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र
• Form: indeclinable (locative adverb)

• श्यामः: black/dark
• श्यामः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्याम
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• लोहिताक्षः: red-eyed (one whose eyes are red)
• लोहिताक्षः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोहिताक्ष
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• दण्डः: punishment; the rod (of chastisement)
• दण्डः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: दण्ड
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• चरति: moves about; operates; is applied
• Type: Verb
• Root: चर्
• Form: present tense (lat), 3rd person, singular, parasmaipada

• सूद्यतः: ready/intent (to punish); prepared
• सूद्यतः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सूद्यत्
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular (present participle, passive/ātmanepada sense: 'being ready/intent')

• प्रजाः: subjects; people
• प्रजाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजा
• Form: feminine, nominative, plural

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र
• Form: indeclinable (locative adverb)

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न
• Form: indeclinable (negation)

• मुह्यन्ते: become deluded; go astray; are negligent
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुह्
• Form: present tense (lat), 3rd person, plural, ātmanepada

• नेता: leader; ruler
• नेता: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नेतृ
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• चेत्: if
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चेत्
• Form: indeclinable (conditional particle)

• साधु: well; properly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: साधु
• Form: indeclinable (adverb)

• पश्यति: sees; observes; keeps watch
• Type: Verb
• Root: पश्
• Form: present tense (lat), 3rd person, singular, parasmaipada

Speaker

अजुन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• daṇḍa (punishment/rod of governance)
• netā (ruler/leader)
• prajā (subjects/people)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Effective and ethical governance requires the credible presence of punishment (daṇḍa) and the ruler’s careful oversight; when discipline is ready and judgement is vigilant, society avoids moral and civic negligence.

What is happening in the narrative?

The speaker describes the conditions of a well-governed realm: punishment is actively operative and the ruler attentively observes wrongdoing; as a result, the people do not lapse into disorder or heedlessness.