Shanti Parva Section 121
The word Vyavahara is used in this section as a
synonym for Dharma. It is translated into the English word Chastisement by
Prof. Ganguli. Vyavahara is Vi
AND avahara, that through which misappropriations are stopped. It
refers to law and administration of justice. Yudhishtra says that Dharma as
proper administration of justice is necessary for a king to perform his duties
and establish a peaceful kingdom. Therefore, chastisement is his foremost duty (dharma)
as a king. The original Sanskrit word used in Maha Bharata is danda, or punishment.
This observation is also made by Machiavelli and
Sir Thomas More who said that laws without a bite (or a method to enforce them) will
not work.
Bhishma goes on to describe chastisement (punishment as a rajadharma,
danda) in the form of a fierce
creature called mrigaraja (king of
animals). He is said to be Rudra, Vishnu and Brahma. But he is also given the
name of Mahapurusha (Supreme Being)
and his wife is called neethi (morality).
There are eight other names for this deified chastisement, the God of
Punishments: Ishvara (god), purusha (man), prana (life), sattvam (strength,
mind), vittam (wealth, heart), prajapati (lord of creatures), bhootatma (one who dwells inside every
life) and jiva (lives). Bhishma also
lists all dualities such as morality-immorality, truth-falsehood, and calmness
– agitation and then points out that understanding all the differences between
the dualities listed above is possible only because of the fear of danda, the chastisement.
It is the chastisement which leads to understanding of
righteousness, which leads us to the Vedas. Vedas lead us to sacrifices.
Sacrifices make it possible to please the devas. Devas take our offerings to
Indra and Indra is pleased and gives us rain ad food. All of this is possible
only if the King wields his power of chastisement (danda). So says Bhishma.
In Section 123 there is a story of Brahman wanting a priest
capable of officiating in a sacrifice He wants to conduct. There is no one fit
for that office. Therefore, Brahman conceives a child in His mind. That child
who comes out when Brahman sneezes goes by the name of Kashupa. When Kashupa
starts the sacrifice, Brahman (the formless, unknowable) has to appear in a
visible form to perform the sacrifice. When Brahma took the visible form, danda (chastisement) disappeared.
Therefore, great confusion arose in this world. People started stealing each
other’s property and killing each other. All ideas of property ceased. Brahma
prayed to Vishnu and who created Himself in the form of danda (chastisement) for the protection of the world.
It is fascinating to read the importance given to this
aspect of life and its role in civil society. Both Yudhishtra and Bhishma say
that proper order in a society depends on the rule of law and that this is
possible only someone is there to use the stick (danda)!