A penal code (or policy) prevalent in very ancient time, in which there was provision for punishment corresponding to the graveness of crime.
daṇḍnam daṇḍaḥ - aparādhināmannśāsanaṃ, tatra tasya vāsa eva vā nītiḥ - nayo daṇḍanītiḥ.
(Sthā 7.66 Vṛ Pa 378)