Shloka 23

Daṇḍa as the Foundation of Social Order (दण्डप्रतिष्ठा)

Devanagari script

विधान दैवविदहितं तत्र विद्वान्‌ न मुहाृति । यथा सृष्टोडसि राजेन्द्र तथा भवितुमरहसि

Transliteration

vidhānaṁ daivavihitaṁ tatra vidvān na muhyati | yathā sṛṣṭo ’si rājendra tathā bhavitum arhasi ||

Translation

“此乃命运所立之法度；故智者于此不迷。至善之王啊，造物主如何塑成你——置你于其出生、族系与位分——你便当如其所是：依所分配的本性与职责（达摩）而行。”

Word by Word

• vidhānam: ordinance, arrangement, decree
• vidhānam: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: vidhāna
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• daiva-vidhitam: ordained by fate/divinity
• daiva-vidhitam: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: daiva-vidhita
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• tatra: therein, in that matter
• tatra: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatra

• vidvān: a wise man
• vidvān: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: vidvas
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• muhyati: is deluded, becomes confused
• Type: Verb
• Root: muh
• Form: Present, Third, Singular

• yathā: as, just as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yathā

• sṛṣṭaḥ: created, made
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sṛṣṭa
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• asi: you are
• Type: Verb
• Root: as
• Form: Present, Second, Singular

• rājendra: O best of kings
• rājendra: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: rājendra
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• tathā: so, in that manner
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā

• bhavitum: to be, to become
• Type: Verb
• Root: bhū
• Form: Infinitive

• arhasi: you ought, you are fit
• Type: Verb
• Root: arh
• Form: Present, Second, Singular

Speaker

अजुन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Arjuna
• rājendra (addressed king)