Shloka 13
Gārhasthya-Śreṣṭhatā and Kṣatriya-Daṇḍadhāraṇa
Householder Primacy and the Royal Duty of Punishment
एषां ज्यायस्तु कौन्तेय दण्डधारणमुच्यते । बल हि क्षत्रिये नित्यं बले दण्ड: समाहित:
eṣāṃ jyāyas tu kaunteya daṇḍadhāraṇam ucyate | bala hi kṣatriye nityaṃ bale daṇḍaḥ samāhitaḥ ||
在这些职责之中，噢，昆蒂之子，执持惩罚之杖被宣称为至高之法；因为力量恒常安住于刹帝利，而惩戒之权正是牢固建立在力量之上。
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that for a ruler—especially a kṣatriya—the foremost duty is to uphold daṇḍa: disciplined, lawful punishment and coercive authority used to protect dharma, restrain harm, and maintain social order. Because a kṣatriya is defined by strength, the legitimacy of daṇḍa rests upon the responsible use of that strength.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on rājadharma, Vyāsa addresses ‘Kaunteya’ and emphasizes the kingly obligation to govern through daṇḍa—asserting that the ruler’s inherent strength is the foundation by which punishment and protection can be effectively administered.