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

“凡达ṇḍa——设立得当、施行得正——如摧敌之力而行于国中之处，便不见欺诈、罪恶与诡骗。在那样的国度里，纪律化的权威运用抑止非行，护持道德秩序。”

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.