Shloka 44

Daṇḍa as the Foundation of Social Order (दण्डप्रतिष्ठा)

Devanagari script

न तत्र कूटं पापं वा वज्चना वापि दृश्यते । यत्र दण्ड: सुविहितश्चरत्यरिविनाशन:,जहाँ शत्रुओंका विनाश करनेवाला दण्ड सुन्दर ढंगसे संचालित हो रहा है, वहाँ छल, पाप और ठगी भी नहीं देखनेमें आती है

Transliteration

na tatra kūṭaṃ pāpaṃ vā vañcanā vāpi dṛśyate | yatra daṇḍaḥ suvihitaś caraty arivināśanaḥ ||

Translation

“Nơi nào daṇḍa—được thiết lập nghiêm minh và thi hành đúng phép—đi lại như kẻ diệt thù, nơi ấy không thấy mưu trá, tội lỗi hay gian lận. Trong một vương quốc như vậy, quyền uy được vận dụng có kỷ cương sẽ ngăn điều ác và gìn giữ trật tự đạo đức.”

Word by Word

• na: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na

• tatra: there
• tatra: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra

• kūṭam: deceit, fraud
• kūṭam: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: kūṭa
• Form: neuter, nominative, singular

• pāpam: sin, evil
• pāpam: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: pāpa
• Form: neuter, nominative, singular

• vā: or
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā

• vañcanā: cheating, deception
• vañcanā: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: vañcanā
• Form: feminine, nominative, singular

• vā: or
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vā

• api: even, also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api

• dṛśyate: is seen, appears
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (paśyati)
• Form: present, passive, third, singular

• yatra: where
• yatra: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yatra

• daṇḍaḥ: punishment; the rod (of governance)
• daṇḍaḥ: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: daṇḍa
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• su-vihitaḥ: well-established, properly ordained
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vihita (√dhā + vi + ni, past passive participle); su- (upasarga/avyaya-prefix)
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• carati: moves, operates, is in force
• Type: Verb
• Root: car
• Form: present, active, third, singular

• ari-vināśanaḥ: destroyer of enemies
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ari + vināśana
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

Speaker

अजुन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Arjuna (speaker)
• daṇḍa (punitive authority/governance)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Properly established and impartially enforced punishment (daṇḍa) prevents social evils: when authority functions rightly, deceit, sin, and fraud diminish, supporting dharma and public trust.

What is happening in the narrative?

Arjuna states an observation about governance: in a polity where the king’s punitive power is well administered and effectively checks hostile forces, moral corruption such as cheating and wrongdoing is not seen to flourish.