STICK , PUNISHMENT-DANDAH - दण्ड:,

SUBHASHITHANI:246
Danda (दण्ड) in sanskrit literally means 'stick'or rod, an ancient symbol of authority. In Hinduism it is used as a term for punishment. Danda Niti is elaborately discussed in Manusmruti,Mahabharata,and Sukra niti to mention a few.

 नैव राज्यं न राजाऽऽसीत् न दण्डो न च दाण्डिकः।

 धर्मेणैव प्रजाः सर्वा रक्षन्ति च परस्परम्॥ Mahabharatam

Naiva raajyam na raajaa aaseet na dando na daandikah I

Dharmenaiva prajaah sarvaa rakshanti cha parasparam  II

( During kruta yuga ) There was no kingdom no king, no punishment no one to mete out punishment. Every one used to protect each other with dharma and character.
( Bhishma to Yudhishtira )

दुष्टस्य दण्डः सुजनस्य पूजा
    न्यायेन कोशस्य च संप्रवृद्धिः |
अपक्षपातोऽर्थिषु राष्ट्ररक्षा
    पञ्चैव यज्ञाः कथिता नृपाणाम् || Atrisamhita

Punishing the criminals, protecting the virtuous, enhancing revenue through justifiable means, impartial in judgement, and security of the state- These are the five  pious 

duties of a king.

सामादिदण्डपर्यन्तो नयः प्रोक्तः स्वयंभुवा |

तेषां दण्डस्तु पापीयान् तं पश्चाद्विनियोजयेत् ||Panchatantra

The creator, has enumerated Saama ,daana,bheda, danda as ways to deal with

adversaries - starting from patience (saama ) to punishment(dandaa ). 

Among them punishing some one has some sin attached to it. Hence one must resort to punishment (use of dandaa ) only as a last resort.

राजभिर्धृतदण्डास्तु कृत्वा पापानि मानवाः |
निर्मलाः स्वर्गमायान्ति सन्तः सुकृतिनो यथा ||Ramayana
If a sinner gets the right punishment (from a king) then he becomes pure again.
He shall go to heaven just like people who have always done only good work.
( Said in the context of Vali's death )

तस्करस्य वधो दण्डो दासीदण्डस्तु मुण्डनम् |

भार्यादण्ड: पृथक्छय्या मित्रदण्डस्त्वभाषणम् ||

Taskarasya vado dando daasi dandastu mundanam I

Bhaarya dandah prutak chayyaa mitra dandastva bhaashanam II

The punishment for a thief is death. The punishment for the prostitute is shaving off her hair. The punishment for wife is to make her sleep away from her husband. The punishment for the friend is to avoid conversation.

यदि न प्रणयेद्राजा दण्डं दण्डेष्व तंद्रितः |
शूले मत्स्यानि वापक्ष्यन् दुर्बलान् बलवत्तराः ||Manusmruti

Yadi na pranayed raajaa dandam dandeshva tamdritah I

Shule matsyaani vaapakshyan durballaan balavattarah II

If the King did not untiringly mete out punishment to those that deserve punishment, the stronger would have roasted the weaker, like fish, on the spit ( a slender rod ).

सर्वो दण्डजितो लोको दुर्लभो हि शुचिर्नरः ।

दण्डस्य हि भयात् सर्वं जगद् भोगाय कल्पते ॥ Manusmruti

sarvo daṇḍajito loko durlabho hi śucirnaraḥ |
daṇḍasya hi bhayāt sarvaṃ jagad bhogāya kalpate || 22 ||

It is by punishment that  people are kept under control; for an absolutely honest man is hard to find; it is through fear of punishment that the world regulates the  activities of men.

दण्डः शास्ति प्रजाः सर्वा दण्ड एवाभिरक्षति ।
दण्डः सुप्तेषु जागर्ति दण्डं धर्मं विदुर्बुधाः ॥ १८ ॥Manusmruti

daṇḍaḥ śāsti prajāḥ sarvā daṇḍa evābhirakṣati |
daṇḍaḥ supteṣu jāgarti daṇḍaṃ dharmaṃ vidurbudhāḥ || 

Punishment governs all creatures; Punishment alone protects them; Punishment lies awake while all are asleep; the wise regard Punishment as Law itself.

दण्डपारुष्यात् सर्वजनद्वेष्यो भवति ॥ Chanakya sutras

Dandapaarushyaat sarvajana dveshyo bhavati I

Punishment should be commensurate with the intensity of the crime and not be based on personal grudges. Biased judgement will face the wrath of the people.

दण्डः सर्वसम्पदा योजयति ॥ Chanakya sutras

Dandah sarvasampadaa yojayati I

Proper code of punishment fills the royal coffers.

( Good Law and Order helps trade and commerce )

दण्डनीत्यादि विज्ञाने प्रणीयते ॥ Chanakya sutras

Dandaneetyaadi vigyaane praneeyate I

The penal code must be enforced with discretionary wisdom.

( State cannot blindly enforce the penal code. Merits of each case must be carefully looked in to. )

வானோக்கி வாழும் உலகெல்லாம் மன்னவன்
கோல்நோக்கி வாழுங் குடி. Kural : 542

The world looks up to the rain for life; even so men look up to the sceptre of the king for protection.

पिताचार्यः सुहृन्माता भार्या पुत्रः पुरोहितः |
नादण्ड्यो नाम राज्ञोऽस्ति यः स्वधर्मे न तिष्ठति ||Manusmruti

A king should stand by his principles and must not let go the guilty even if they are - his own father, his teacher, his well-wisher, his mother, his wife, his son or his spiritual guide
अङ्गं गलितं पलितं मुन्डं दशनवीहीनं जातं तुन्डम् ।

बृद्धो यति गृहीत्वा दन्डं तदापि न मुञ्चत्याशापिन्डम् ॥Bhaja govindam
The body is drooping, the head is grey-haired, the mouth has no teeth, growing old, the man moves with a staff. Yet the knot of desire has not been loosened.

धिग्बलं क्षत्रियबलं ब्रह्मतेजोबलं बलम् |
एकेन ब्रह्मदण्डेन सर्वास्त्राणि हतानि मे || Ramayana

Fie upon the might of Kshatriya, mightier is the might of Brahman's resplendence, only with one baton of Brahma all of my missiles are defused. ( Visvamitra to Vasishta )

SRI KRISHNAYA THUBHYAM NAMAH