Shloka 133

Prajñā as Pratiṣṭhā — Indra–Kāśyapa Saṃvāda (Śānti-parva 12.173)

Devanagari script

राजधर्मशरीरं च पक्षास्थिचरणोज्झितम्‌ | तदनन्तर कुछ ही दूर जानेपर राक्षसोंने गौतमको पकड़ लिया। साथ ही उन्हें पंख, पैर और हड्ियोंसे रहित राजधर्माकी लाश भी मिल गयी

Transliteration

rājadharmaśarīraṃ ca pakṣāsthicaraṇojjhitam |

Translation

Bhishma said: “And there was also the body of ‘royal dharma’—a corpse bereft of wings, legs, and bones.” In the narrative frame, this image underscores the ethical collapse of kingship: when rājadharma loses its supporting limbs (strength, mobility, and structural integrity), it becomes a lifeless form—present in name, but incapable of protecting or sustaining society.

Word by Word

राजधर्मशरीरम्the body/corpse of royal duty (rajadharma)

चand

पक्षwith wings (as things absent: 'devoid of wings')

अस्थिwith bones (as things absent: 'devoid of bones')

चरणwith feet/legs (as things absent: 'devoid of feet')

उज्झितम्devoid of, abandoned/left without

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

rājadharma (as a personified/figurative body)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Rājadharma must have functional supports—strength, stability, and effective action. When governance loses these foundations, it becomes an empty shell: dharma in name only, unable to uphold justice or protect the people.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma presents a striking image: the ‘body’ of royal duty is found mutilated—without wings, legs, or bones—signifying that the system of righteous rule has been rendered powerless and structurally broken.