Shloka 56

Daṇḍa as the Foundation of Social Order (दण्डप्रतिष्ठा)

Devanagari script

अवध्य: सर्वभूतानामन्तरात्मा न संशय: । अवध्ये चात्मनि कथं वध्यो भवति कस्यचित्‌,समस्त प्राणियोंका अन्तरात्मा अवध्य है, इसमें संशय नहीं है। जब आत्माका वध हो ही नहीं सकता तब वह किसीका वध्य कैसे होगा?

Transliteration

avadhyaḥ sarvabhūtānām antarātmā na saṁśayaḥ | avadhye cātmani kathaṁ vadhyo bhavati kasyacit ||

Translation

अवध्यः सर्वभूतानामन्तरात्मा न संशयः । अवध्ये चात्मनि कथं वध्यो भवति कस्यचित् ॥

Word by Word

अवध्यःnot to be slain, inviolable

सर्वभूतानाम्of all beings

अन्तरात्माthe inner Self

नnot

संशयःdoubt

अवध्येin/with regard to (one that is) unslayable

चand

आत्मनिin the Self

कथम्how?

वध्यःslayable, fit to be slain

भवतिbecomes/is

कस्यचित्of anyone, of someone (at all)

Speaker

अजुन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Arjuna

antarātmā (the inner Self/Ātman)

sarvabhūta (all beings)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse asserts the inviolability of the Ātman (inner Self) present in all beings: since the Self cannot be slain, the notion of truly ‘killing’ the essential Self of anyone is philosophically incoherent. This frames ethical reflection on violence by distinguishing the perishable body from the imperishable Self.

What is happening in the narrative?

Arjuna speaks, raising a philosophical objection: if the indwelling Self in all creatures is inherently unkillable, then in what sense can anyone be called a slayer or anyone else be called slain? He is probing the moral and metaphysical basis of harm and responsibility.