Shloka 7
Adharmic Victory as Unstable; Rules of Restraint, Mediation, and Conciliation (अधर्मविजय-अध्रुवत्व तथा क्षमा-नयः)
राज्ञा राजैव योद्धव्यस्तथा धर्मो विधीयते । नान्यो राजानमभ्यस्थेदराजन्य: कथउ्चन
rājñā rājaiva yoddhavyas tathā dharmo vidhīyate | nānyo rājānam abhyasthed arājanyaḥ kathaṃcana ||
Bhīṣma berkata: “Seorang raja hanya patut diperangi oleh seorang raja; demikianlah ketetapan dharma yang telah digariskan. Sesiapa yang bukan daripada golongan pahlawan diraja (kṣatriya)—bukan raja dan bukan putera raja—tidak boleh, dalam apa jua keadaan, menyerang raja dengan senjata.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
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.
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.