Hearing these words of Yajnasena's daughter, Arjuna once more spoke, showing every respect for his mighty-armed and ever illustrious eldest brother.

Arjuna said (A king with) the rod of chastisement sways all subjects and protects them. The rod of chastisement is awake when all else is under sleep. For this, the wise have designated the rod of chastisement as Righteousness itself.

The rod of chastisement protects. Religion and Profit. It protects Pleasure also, O king! For this, the rod of chastisement is identified with the three-fold objects of life.

Corn and riches are both protected by the rod of chastisement. Knowing this, O learned king, take up the rod of chastisement and follow the ways of the world!

One class of wicked men refrain from committing sins through fear of the rod of chastisement in the king's hands. Another section desist from similar acts out of fear of Yama's rod, and another from fear of the next world.

Another class of persons refrain from committing sinful acts through fear of society. Thus, O king, in this world, everything depends on the rod of chastisement.

There are persons who are checked by only the rod of chastisement from devouring one another. If the rod of chastisement did not protect people, they would have been immersed in the darkness of hell.

The rod of chastisement (Danda) has been so designated by the wise, because it governs the ungovernable and punishes the wicked.

The chastisement should be meted to the Brahmanas by words only; to the Kshatriyas, by giving them only that much of food as would suffice for the up-keep of life; to the Vaishyas, by the imposition of fines and forfeitures of property, while for the Sudras there is no punishment.

For compelling men to stick to their duties) and for the protection of property, punitive laws, O king, have been established in the world.

The subjects never forget their duties, where Chastisement, of dark complexion and red eyes, stand ready (to grapple with every offender) and the king is of righteous vision.

The Brahmacharin and the householder, the hermit and the religious mendicant, all follow their respective duties through fear of chastisement only.

He that is without any fear, O king, never celebrates a sacrifice. He that is without fear never gives away. The man that is without any fear never desires to satisfy and engagement or contract.

Without cutting the vital parts of others, without performing the most difficult deeds, and without killing creatures like a fisherman (slaying fish), no person can acquire great prosperity.

Without slaughter no man has been able to acquire fame in this world or wealth or subjects. Indra himself, by killing Vritra, became the great Indra.

Those amongst the gods that are giving to killing others are worshipped much more by inen. Rudra, Skanda, Shakra, Agni, Varuna, are all destroyers.

Kala and Mrityu and Vayu and Kubera and Surya, the Vasus, the Maruts, the Saddhyas and the Vishvedevas, O Bharata, are all destroyers.

Humiliated by their power, all people bow to these gods, but not to Brahmana or Dhatri or Pushan at any time.

Only a few noble-ininded men worship in all their acts those among the gods who treat all creatures equally and who are self-restrained and peaceful.

I do not see any such creature in this world that supports life without doing any act of injury to others. Animals live upon animals, the stronger upon the weaker.

The mungoose eats up mice; the cat eats up inungoose; the dog eats up the cat; the dog again is devoured by the spotted leopard.

Behold, all things again are eaten up by the Destroyer when he comes! This mobile and immobile universe is food for living creatures.

This has been ordained by the celestials. The learned man, therefore, is never stupefied at it. You should, O great king, become what you are by birth!

Only the foolish (Kshatriyas) controlling anger and joy, dwell in the woods. The very ascetics cannot maintain their lives without killing creatures.

Innumerable creature live in water, on earth and in fruits. It is not true that one does not kill them. What greater duty is there than supporting one's life?

There are many creatures that are so ininute that their existence is not perceptible. The falling of the eyelids even kills them.

There are men who controlling anger and pride love like ascetics and abandoning villages and towns repair to the forests. Coming there, those men become so stupefied that they live like householder again.

Others living like householders and tilling the soil, uprooting herbs, cutting off trees and killing birds and animals celebrate sacrifices and at last attain to heaven.

O son of Kunti, I am sure that the acts of all creatures become successful only when the policy of chastisement is properly applied.

If chastisement were done away with in this word, creatures would soon be destroyed. Like fishes in the water, stronger animals devour the weaker.

Formerly Brahman himself, said that chastisement, properly applied, maintains creatures. Behold, the very fires, when put out, blaze up again, in fright, when blown! This is owing to the fear of force.

If there were no chastisement in the world differentiating the good from the evil, the whole world would have been covered with sheer darkness and all things would have been unsettled.

By chastisement the violators of laws, the atheists and scoffers of the Vedas, soon become disposed to observe rules and regulations.

Every one in this world is kept all right by chastisement. A person by nature pure and pious is rare. In fear of chastisement, man becomes disposed to observe rules and restrictions.

Chastisement was introduced by the Creator himself for protecting Religion and Profit, for the happiness of all the four orders, and for making thein pious and humble.

If there had been no fear of chastisement, then ravens and beasts of prey would have devoured all other animals and men and the clarified butter intended for sacrifices.

If chastisement did not keep up and protect (the world), then no body would have read the Vedas, nobody would have milked a milch cow, and no maiden would have married.

If chastisement did not uphold and protect, then destruction and confusion would have prevailed everywhere and all restrictions would have disappeared, and the idea of property would have gone away.

If chastisement did not uphold and protect, people could never duly celebrate annual sacrifices with profuse presents.

If chastisement did not uphold and protect, no one would observe the duties of his own order as sanctioned (in the scriptures), and no one would have succeeded in gaining knowledge.

If chastisement did not reign supreme, neither, nor asses, would, even if yoked thereto, would carry cars and carriages.

All creatures depend upon chastisement. The learned, therefore, declare that chastisement is the root of all things. Upon chastisement rests the heaven that people seek, and upon il rests this world also.

No sin, no falsehood, and no wickedness, is to be seen there where foe-destroying chastisement is properly used.

If the rod of chastisement be not taken up, the dog will lick the sacrificial butter. If that rod were not raised up, the crow also would take away the first (sacrificial) offering.

Fairly or unfairly, this kingdom has not been gained by us. Our duty now is to give up grief. Do you, therefore, enjoy it and celebrate sacrifices!

Living with their dear wives the lucky men, cat good food, wear good clothes, and cheerfully acquire virtue by fruits and gifts.

Forsooth, all our acts, depend on wealth : that wealth again depends on chastisement. Mark, therefore, the utility of chastisement!

Duties have been laid down for maintaining the various relations of the world. There are two things here, viz., abstention from injury and injury done with righteous motives, Of these two, that which brings in righteousness is preferable.

There is no act that is entirely pure, nor any that is entirely simple. In all acts, right or wrong, something of both prevails.

Animals are castrated, and their horns are cut off. They are then compelled to carry weights are tethered, and beaten.

In this world that is unsubstantial full of abuses and painful, O king, do you practise the old customs of men, following rules and examples quoted above.

Celebrate sacrifices, distribute alms, protect your subjects, and practise righteousness. Kill your enemies, O son of Kunti, and protect your friends.

Be not dispirited. O king, while killing enemies! He that does it, О Bharata, does not commit the slightest sin!

He who takes up a weapon and kills an arined enemy advancing against him, does not incur the sin of killing a man, for it is the anger of the advancing enemy that excites the anger of the destroyer.

The soul of every creature cannot be killed. When the soul cannot be killed how then can one be killed by another?

As a person enters a new house, so does a creature put on successive bodies.

Leaving behind decrepit bodies, a creature acquires new forms. People gifted with true insight consider this change as death.