Shloka 7

Devanagari script

राज्ञा राजैव योद्धव्यस्तथा धर्मो विधीयते । नान्यो राजानमभ्यस्थेदराजन्य: कथउ्चन,राजाको राजाके साथ ही युद्ध करना चाहिये। उसके लिये यही धर्म विहित है। जो राजा या राजकुमार नहीं है, उसे किसी प्रकार भी राजापर अस्त्र-शस्त्रोंका प्रहार नहीं करना चाहिये

Transliteration

rājñā rājaiva yoddhavyas tathā dharmo vidhīyate | nānyo rājānam abhyasthed arājanyaḥ kathaṃcana ||

Translation

Bhīṣma said: “A king should be fought only by a king; such is the rule of dharma that is laid down. No one who is not of the royal warrior order—no non-king and no non-prince—should, under any circumstance, assail a king with weapons.”

Word by Word

राज्ञाby a king

राजाa king

एवonly/indeed

योद्धव्यःmust be fought (i.e., should fight)

तथाthus/so

धर्मःdharma/duty

विधीयतेis prescribed/ordained

नnot

अन्यःany other (person)

राजानम्the king

अभ्यस्थेत्should assail/attack/approach aggressively

अराजन्यःone who is not of the royal/warrior class (non-rajanya)

कथंचनin any way/at all

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

rājā (king)

arājanya (non-royal person)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhīṣma states a rule of righteous warfare: combat against a king is properly undertaken only by another king (i.e., by rightful royal-kṣatriya peers). Those outside that status should not strike a king with weapons, emphasizing restraint, hierarchy, and regulated violence.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma and governance, Bhīṣma lays down norms for royal conduct and warfare. Here he specifies who is entitled to engage a king in battle, framing it as a prescribed dharmic rule.