Shloka 18
Daṇḍotpatti-kathana (Origin and Function of Daṇḍa) — वसुहोम–मान्धातृ संवाद
सर्वप्रहरणीयानि सन्ति यानीह कानिचित् । दण्ड एव स सर्वात्मा लोके चरति मूर्तिमान्
sarvapraharaṇīyāni santi yānīha kānicit | daṇḍa eva sa sarvātmā loke carati mūrtimān ||
毗湿摩说：世间凡一切可用于击打的器具——无论何类——其实皆是檀陀（Daṇḍa，惩罚与约束之力）。那遍在的原则，乃秩序之自性，以具身之态行于世，显现为兵器与强制之手段。
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that Daṇḍa—lawful punishment and coercive authority—is the manifest force that upholds order. All weapons and instruments of force are expressions of this single principle; when aligned with dharma, it restrains wrongdoing and protects society.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on rājadharma, Bhīṣma explains to the listener (Yudhiṣṭhira in context) the nature of governance: the king’s power to punish is not merely a tool but a universal principle that appears in many forms, including weapons, to maintain worldly order.