12.121
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca॥
Yudhiṣṭhira said.
ayaṃ pitāmahenokto rājadharmaḥ sanātanaḥ। īśvaraśca mahādaṇḍo daṇḍe sarvaṃ pratiṣṭhitam ॥12-121-1॥
This is the eternal king's duty spoken by the grandsire. The Lord is the great chastiser; in punishment, everything is established.
devatānām ṛṣīṇāṃ ca pitṝṇāṃ ca mahātmanām। yakṣarakṣaḥpiśācānāṃ martyānāṃ ca viśeṣataḥ ॥12-121-2॥
Especially of the deities, sages, ancestors, great souls, yakṣas, rākṣasas, piśācas, and mortals.
sarveṣāṃ prāṇināṃ loke tiryakṣv api nivāsinām। sarvavyāpī mahātejā daṇḍaḥ śreyān iti prabho ॥12-121-3॥
O Lord, it is said that among all living beings in the world, even among animals, the all-pervading and greatly powerful punishment is superior.
ity etad uktaṃ bhavatā sarvaṃ daṇḍyaṃ carācaram। dṛśyate lokam āsaktaṃ sa-surāsura-mānuṣam ॥12-121-4॥
Thus, as you have said, all moving and unmoving beings are punishable. The world, consisting of gods, demons, and humans, is seen to be attached.
etadicchāmyahaṃ jñātuṃ tattvena bharatarṣabha। ko daṇḍaḥ kīdr̥śo daṇḍaḥ kiṃrūpaḥ kimparāyaṇaḥ ॥12-121-5॥
O best of the Bharatas, I wish to know this in reality: What is punishment, of what kind is punishment, of what form, and what is its ultimate aim?
kimātmakaḥ kathambhūtaḥ katimūrtiḥ kathamprabhuḥ। jāgarti sa kathaṃ daṇḍaḥ prajāsvavahitātmakaḥ ॥12-121-6॥
Of what nature is he, of what kind, in how many forms, and how is he the lord? How does that rod of punishment, being of attentive nature, remain awake among the subjects?
kaśca pūrvāparamidaṃ jāgarti paripālayan। kaśca vijñāyate pūrvaṃ ko'paro daṇḍasañjñitaḥ ॥ kiṃsaṃsthaśca bhaveddanḍaḥ kā cāsya gatiriṣyate ॥12-121-7॥
Who is it that keeps watch over this former and later, protecting it? Who is known as the former, and who is the later called punishment? What is the state in which punishment should exist, and what is considered its course?
bhīṣma uvāca॥
Bhīṣma said.
śṛṇu kauravya yo daṇḍo vyavahāryo yathā ca saḥ। yasmin hi sarvam āyattaṃ sa daṇḍa iha kevalaḥ॥12-121-8॥
Listen, O descendant of Kuru, to what punishment is to be administered and how; for upon it alone, here, everything depends.
dharmasyākhyā mahārāja vyavahāra itīṣyate। tasya lopaḥ kathaṃ na syāllokeṣvavahitātmanaḥ ॥ ityarthaṃ vyavahārasya vyavahāratvamiṣyate ॥12-121-9॥
O great king, the term 'dharma' is designated as legal procedure. Its loss would not occur among those with attentive minds in the world. Therefore, the status of being a legal procedure is ascribed to legal procedure for this reason.
api caitat purā rājan manunā proktam āditaḥ। supranītena daṇḍena priyāpriyasamātmanā ॥ prajā rakṣati yaḥ samyag dharma eva sa kevalaḥ ॥12-121-10॥
O king, Manu also declared this from the beginning: Only he who, with impartiality towards those he likes or dislikes, protects his subjects properly with well-administered punishment, is truly righteous.
athoktam etad vacanaṃ prāg eva manunā purā। janma coktaṃ vasiṣṭhena brahmaṇo vacanaṃ mahat ॥12-121-11॥
Now, this statement was previously spoken by Manu in ancient times; and the birth was also declared by Vasiṣṭha as the great statement of Brahmā.
prāg idaṃ vacanaṃ proktam ataḥ prāg-vacanaṃ viduḥ। vyavahārasya ca ākhyānāt vyavahāra iha ucyate॥12-121-12॥
This statement was spoken earlier; therefore, it is known as the prior statement. And because the transaction is narrated, it is called a transaction here.
daṇḍāt trivargaḥ satataṃ supraṇītāt pravartate। daivaṃ hi paramo daṇḍo rūpato'gnirivocchikhaḥ ॥12-121-13॥
The three aims of life—dharma, artha, and kāma—always proceed from proper administration of punishment. Indeed, fate is the supreme punishment, which in form is like fire with an upraised flame.
nīlotpaladalaśyāmaś caturdaṃṣṭraś caturbhujaḥ। aṣṭapānnaikanayanaḥ śaṅkukarṇordhvaromavān ॥12-121-14॥
He is dark like the petal of a blue lotus, has four fangs and four arms; eight feet, one eye, conical ears, and hair standing upwards.
jaṭī dvijihvastāmrāsyō mṛgarājatanuccḥadaḥ। etadrūpaṃ bibhartyugraṃ daṇḍō nityaṃ durāvaraḥ॥12-121-15॥
Daṇḍa, who is always difficult to resist, assumes this terrible form: matted hair, two tongues, copper mouth, and covered with a lion's skin.
asir-gadā dhanuḥ śakti-triśūlaṃ mudgaraḥ śaraḥ। musalaṃ paraśuś-cakraṃ prāso daṇḍa-rṣṭi-tomarāḥ ॥12-121-16॥
Sword, mace, bow, spear, trident, club, arrow, pestle, axe, discus, lance, staff, pike, and javelins.
sarvapraharaṇīyāni santi yāni iha kānicit। daṇḍa eva hi sarvātmā loke carati mūrtimān ॥12-121-17॥
Whatever weapons exist here, it is punishment alone, the soul of all, that truly moves embodied in the world.
bhindaṃś chindan rujan kṛntan dārayan pāṭayan tathā। ghātayan abhidāvaṃś ca daṇḍa eva caraty uta ॥12-121-18॥
The rod acts by breaking, cutting, hurting, severing, tearing, splitting, striking, and attacking.
asir-viśasano dharmas-tīkṣṇa-vartmā durāsadaḥ। śrī-garbho vijayaḥ śāstā vyavahāraḥ prajāgaraḥ ॥12-121-19॥
He is the sword, the destroyer, the embodiment of righteousness, one with a sharp path, difficult to approach; he contains prosperity, is victorious, the ruler, the regulator of conduct, and ever wakeful.
śāstraṃ brāhmaṇamantraś ca śāstā prāgvacanaṃ gataḥ। dharmapālo'kṣaro devaḥ satyago nityago grahaḥ ॥12-121-20॥
The treatise, the Brāhmaṇa-mantra, and the teacher, having gone before the speech; the protector of dharma, the imperishable, the deity, the one who pursues truth, the one who pursues the eternal, and the planet.
asaṅgo rudratanayo manujyeṣṭhaḥ śivaṅkaraḥ। nāmānyetāni daṇḍasya kīrtitāni yudhiṣṭhira ॥12-121-21॥
O Yudhiṣṭhira, these are the names of Daṇḍa: Asaṅga (unattached), Rudratnaya (son of Rudra), Manujyeṣṭha (eldest among men), and Śivaṅkara (bestower of auspiciousness), as have been mentioned.
daṇḍo hi bhagavān viṣṇur yajño nārāyaṇaḥ prabhuḥ। śaśvad rūpaṃ mahat bibhran mahāpuruṣa ucyate॥12-121-22॥
Indeed, punishment is none other than Lord Viṣṇu, and sacrifice is Nārāyaṇa, the supreme master; the great person who eternally bears the great form is called the Mahāpuruṣa.
yathoktā brahmakanyeti lakṣmīrnītiḥ sarasvatī। daṇḍanītirjagaddhātrī daṇḍo hi bahuvigrahaḥ ॥12-121-23॥
As stated, Lakṣmī is called the daughter of Brahmā, policy is Sarasvatī; the science of punishment is the sustainer of the world, for punishment indeed takes many forms.
arthānarthau sukhaṃ duḥkhaṃ dharmādharmau balābale। daurbhāgyaṃ bhāgadheyaṃ ca puṇyāpuṇye guṇāguṇau ॥12-121-24॥
Both meaning and non-meaning, happiness and sorrow, righteousness and unrighteousness, strength and weakness, misfortune and fortune, merit and demerit, and qualities and faults exist together.
kāmākāmāvṛturmāsaḥ śarvarī divasaḥ kṣaṇaḥ। aprasādaḥ prasādaśca harṣaḥ krodhaḥ śamo damaḥ ॥12-121-25॥
Desire and absence of desire, seasons and months, night and day, moments, displeasure and pleasure, joy and anger, tranquility and self-restraint — all these are part of life.
daivaṃ puruṣakāraś ca mokṣāmokṣau bhayābhaye। hiṃsāhiṃse tapo yajñaḥ saṃyamo'tha viṣāviṣam ॥12-121-26॥
Divine will and human effort, liberation and bondage, fear and fearlessness, violence and non-violence, austerity, sacrifice, restraint, and both poison and its opposite.
antaś cādiś ca madhyaṃ ca kṛtyānāṃ ca prapañcanam। madaḥ pramādo darpaś ca dambho dhairyaṃ nayānayau ॥12-121-27॥
The end, beginning, and middle of actions, their elaboration; arrogance, negligence, pride, hypocrisy, fortitude, policy, and impropriety.
aśaktiḥ śaktirityeva mānastambhau vyayāvyayau। vinayaśca visargaśca kālākālāu ca bhārata ॥12-121-28॥
O Bhārata, incapacity and capacity, pride and obstinacy, expenditure and non-expenditure, humility and liberality, time and untimely actions—these pairs are to be understood as opposites.
anṛtaṃ jñājñatā satyaṃ śraddhāśraddhe tathaiva ca। klībatā vyavasāyaśca lābhālābhau jayājayau ॥12-121-29॥
Untruth, knowledge and ignorance, truth, faith and lack of faith, impotence, effort, gain and loss, victory and defeat—these pairs are described here.
tīkṣṇatā mṛdutā mṛtyur āgamānāgamau tathā। virāddhiś caiva rāddhiś ca kāryākārye balābale ॥12-121-30॥
Sharpness and softness, death, arrival and non-arrival, likewise failure and success, in what should and should not be done, in strength and weakness.
asūyā cān asūyā ca dharmādharmau tathaiva ca। apatrāpānapatrape hrīś ca sampad vipac ca ha ॥12-121-31॥
Envy and non-envy, righteousness and unrighteousness, shamelessness and absence of shamelessness, modesty, prosperity, and adversity all indeed exist together.
tejaḥ karmaṇi pāṇḍityaṃ vākśaktis tattvabuddhitā। evaṃ daṇḍasya kauravya loke 'smin bahurūpatā ॥12-121-32॥
O Kauravya, in this world, the power of punishment manifests in many forms—such as brilliance in action, wisdom, eloquence, and discernment of reality.
na syād yadīha daṇḍo vai pramatheyuḥ parasparam। bhayād daṇḍasya ca anyonyaṃ ghnanti naiva yudhiṣṭhira॥12-121-33॥
If there were no punishment here, people would oppress each other. Out of fear of punishment, they do not strike one another, O Yudhiṣṭhira.
daṇḍena rakṣyamāṇā hi rājan naharahaḥ prajāḥ। rājānaṃ vardhayantīha tasmāddaṇḍaḥ parāyaṇam ॥12-121-34॥
O king, when the people are protected by the rod (punishment) day after day, they make the king prosper in this world; therefore, punishment is the ultimate means.
vyavasthāpayati kṣipram imaṃ lokaṃ nareśvara। satye vyavasthito dharmo brāhmaṇeṣv avatiṣṭhate ॥12-121-35॥
O lord of men, it is by truth that dharma is established and abides in the Brāhmaṇas, and thus the world is quickly set in order.
dharmayuktā dvijāḥ śreṣṭhā vedayuktā bhavanti ca। babhūva yajño vedebhyo yajñaḥ prīṇāti devatāḥ ॥12-121-36॥
Those twice-born who are endowed with dharma are excellent, and those endowed with the Veda become so; sacrifice arose from the Vedas, and sacrifice pleases the deities.
prītāś ca devatā nityam indre paridadaty uta। annaṃ dadāti śakraś cāpy anugṛhṇann imāḥ prajāḥ॥12-121-37॥
The pleased deities always offer to Indra; Śakra (Indra) gives food, favoring these creatures.
prāṇāś ca sarvabhūtānāṃ nityam anne pratiṣṭhitāḥ। tasmāt prajāḥ pratiṣṭhante daṇḍo jāgarti tāsu ca ॥12-121-38॥
The vital breaths of all beings are always established in food. Therefore, creatures are sustained. The rod of punishment remains vigilant among them as well.
evamprayojanaścaiva daṇḍaḥ kṣatriyatāṃ gataḥ। rakṣanprajāḥ prajāgarti nityaṃ suvihito'kṣaraḥ ॥12-121-39॥
Thus, the purpose and function of punishment has become the duty of the Kṣatriya; protecting the people, he always remains vigilant, being well-established and imperishable.
īśvaraḥ puruṣaḥ prāṇaḥ sattvaṃ vittaṃ prajāpatiḥ। bhūtātmā jīva ityeva nāmabhiḥ procyate'ṣṭabhiḥ ॥12-121-40॥
He is called by eight names: 'Lord', 'Person', 'Life-breath', 'Essence', 'Wealth', 'Lord of Creatures', 'Soul of Beings', and 'Living Being'.
adadaddaṇḍa evāsmài dhruvamaiśvaryameva ca। bale nayaśca saṃyuktaḥ sadā pañcavidhātmakaḥ ॥12-121-41॥
He who does not inflict punishment, to him sovereignty is certainly assured only when he is always endowed with strength and policy of fivefold nature.
kulabāhudhānāmātyāḥ prajñā coktā balāni ca। āhāryaṃ cāṣṭakairdhravyairbalamanyadyudhiṣṭhira ॥12-121-42॥
Family, physical power, wealth, ministers, and wisdom are said to be strengths; and, O Yudhiṣṭhira, there is another strength that can be acquired by eight kinds of means.
hastino'śvā rathāḥ pattirnāvo viṣṭistathaiva ca। daiśikāścārakāścaiva tadaṣṭāṅgaṃ balaṃ smṛtam ॥12-121-43॥
Elephants, horses, chariots, infantry, boats, auxiliary troops, guides, and spies—these eight are considered the components of an army.
aṣṭāṅgasya tu yuktasya hastino hastiyāyinaḥ। aśvārohāḥ padātāś ca mantriṇo rasadāś ca ye ॥12-121-44॥
But those who are associated with the eight-limbed yoked chariots, elephants, elephant-riders, horse-riders, foot-soldiers, counselors, and suppliers of provisions;
bhikṣukāḥ prāḍvivākāś ca mauhūrtā daivacintakāḥ। kośo mitrāṇi dhānyaṃ ca sarvopakaraṇāni ca ॥12-121-45॥
Mendicants, judges, astrologers, soothsayers, the treasury, friends, grain, and all implements.
sapta-prakṛti ca aṣṭāṅgaṃ śarīram iha yad viduḥ। rājyasya daṇḍa eva aṅgaṃ daṇḍaḥ prabhava eva ca ॥12-121-46॥
The wise know that the body of the kingdom consists of seven constituents and eight limbs; among these, punishment is itself a limb of the kingdom, and punishment is indeed its origin as well.
īśvareṇa prayatnena dhāraṇe kṣatriyasya hi। daṇḍo dattaḥ samānātmā daṇḍo hīdaṃ sanātanam ॥ rājñāṃ pūjyatamo nānyo yathādharmapradarśanaḥ ॥12-121-47॥
Punishment, established by the Lord and by effort for the upholding of the Kṣatriya, is of equal essence and is indeed eternal. Among kings, none is more worthy of worship than the upholder of dharma.
brahmaṇā lokarakṣārthaṃ svadharmasthāpanāya ca। bhartṛpratyaya utpanno vyavahāras tathāparaḥ॥ tasmād yaḥ sahito dṛṣṭo bhartṛpratyayalakṣaṇaḥ॥12-121-48॥
Brahman established, for the protection of the worlds and the establishment of one's own dharma, a conduct based on trust in the ruler; thus, another form of conduct arose. Therefore, whoever is seen to possess the characteristic of trust in the ruler is recognized as such.
vyavahāras tu vedātmā vedapratyaya ucyate। maulaś ca naraśārdūla śāstroktas ca tathāparaḥ ॥12-121-49॥
But, O best of men, practical conduct is said to have the Veda as its essence and to be based on Vedic authority. There is the original (conduct), that prescribed by the śāstra, and also the other.
ukto yaścāpi daṇḍo'sau bhartṛpratyayalakṣaṇaḥ। jñeyo na sa narendrastho daṇḍapratyaya eva ca ॥12-121-50॥
That punishment which is declared as characterized by the authority's command should be understood not as being with the king, but only as that which is characterized by the certainty of punishment.
daṇḍapratyayadṛṣṭo'pi vyavahārātmakaḥ smṛtaḥ। vyavahāraḥ smṛto yaśca sa vedaviṣayātmakaḥ ॥12-121-51॥
Even what is recognized as based on punishment and certainty is regarded as conduct. And that conduct which is recognized is of the nature of the subject matter of the Veda.
yaś ca vedaprasūtātmā sa dharmo guṇadarśakaḥ। dharmapratyaya utpanno yathādharmāḥ kṛtātmabhiḥ ॥12-121-52॥
He whose self is born of the Veda, who discerns qualities, is dharma. The conviction of dharma arises just as adharma arises among those whose selves are purified.
vyavahāraḥ prajāgoptā brahmadiṣṭo yudhiṣṭhira। trīndhārayati lokānvai satyātmā bhūtivardhanaḥ ॥12-121-53॥
Yudhishthira, whose conduct is righteous, who protects his subjects, and is ordained by Brahman, truly supports the three worlds and is of true essence, increasing prosperity.
yaś ca daṇḍaḥ sa dṛṣṭo no vyavahāraḥ sanātanaḥ। vyavahāraś ca yo dṛṣṭaḥ sa dharma iti naḥ śrutaḥ॥ yaś ca vedaḥ sa vai dharmo yaś ca dharmaḥ sa satpathaḥ॥12-121-54॥
That which is called punishment is not considered eternal conduct by us. The conduct that is observed is what we have heard to be dharma. The Veda itself is indeed dharma, and dharma is the true path.
brahmā prajāpatiḥ pūrvaṃ babhūvātha pitāmahaḥ। lokānāṃ sa hi sarveṣāṃ sasurāsurarakṣasām ॥ samanūṣyoragavatāṃ kartā caiva sa bhūtakṛt ॥12-121-55॥
Brahmā, the lord of creatures, was formerly the grandfather of all. He is the lord of all worlds, including gods, asuras, rākṣasas, men, and serpents; he is the creator and the maker of all beings.
tato no vyavahāro'yaṃ bhartṛpratyayalakṣaṇaḥ। tasmādidamavocāma vyavahāranidarśanam ॥12-121-56॥
Therefore, our conduct is characterized by faith in the master. Hence, we have stated this as an example of conduct.
mātā pitā ca bhrātā ca bhāryā cātha purohitaḥ। nādaṇḍyo vidyate rājñāṃ yaḥ svadharme na tiṣṭhati॥12-121-57॥
Mother, father, brother, wife, and even the family priest—among kings, no one is exempt from punishment who does not adhere to their own duty.
