Shloka 138
Varṇa-dharma and Rājadharma: Yudhiṣṭhira’s Inquiry and Bhīṣma’s Normative Outline (वर्णधर्म-राजधर्म-प्रश्नोत्तरम्)
महत्त्वात् तस्य दण्डस्य नीतिर्विस्पष्टलक्षणा । नयचारश्न विपुलो येन सर्वमिदं ततम्
mahattvāt tasya daṇḍasya nītir vispaṣṭa-lakṣaṇā | nyāyācāraś ca vipulo yena sarvam idaṃ tatam ||
毗湿摩说道：“正因王家惩戒之权——檀荼（daṇḍa）——伟大无比，治国之学的诸般标识才得以分明确立；依正义而立的正行亦广为流布——由此，整个世界被其遍覆，并得以维系与统摄。”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Effective and legitimate authority (daṇḍa) is presented as the foundation that makes nīti (good governance) clearly intelligible and enables nyāya-based ācāra (just social conduct) to flourish; through this, society and the world remain pervaded by order rather than collapsing into disorder.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on rājadharma, Bhīṣma continues advising Yudhiṣṭhira about kingship and social stability, emphasizing that the king’s daṇḍa—properly applied—supports the spread of justice and right conduct across the realm.