Shloka 44
Gārhasthya-Śreṣṭhatā and Kṣatriya-Daṇḍadhāraṇa
Householder Primacy and the Royal Duty of Punishment
शंख उवाच एवमेतन्मया कार्य नाहं दण्डधरस्तव । सच पूतो नरपतिस्त्वं चापि पितृभि: सह
śaṅkha uvāca | evam etan mayā kāryaṁ nāhaṁ daṇḍadharas tava | sa ca pūto narapatis tvaṁ cāpi pitṛbhiḥ saha ||
商迦说道：“正是如此；我确能如此行事。然而在你这件事上，我并非执罚之人——我无权惩戒你。施行刑罚之责，唯王者当任。王（苏丢姆那）因施罚而得清净；你因受罚而得清净，并且与你的祖先同得清净。”
शंख उवाच
Educational Q&A
Punishment (daṇḍa) is a regulated function of legitimate authority—primarily the king. Even if one has the capacity to act, dharma requires acting within one’s rightful jurisdiction; properly administered and properly accepted punishment is portrayed as morally purifying.
Śaṅkha clarifies that although he could have taken action, he is not entitled to punish the other party. He affirms that the king alone bears that mandate; the king’s act of punishing and the offender’s acceptance of it are both framed as leading to purification, extending even to the offender’s ancestral line.