Shloka 7
Rājā–Rāja-Śabda-Prabhavaḥ — The Origin and Rationale of Kingship and Daṇḍanīti
तुल्यशुक्रास्थिमज्जा च तुल्यमांसासूगेव च । नि:श्वासोच्छवासतुल्यश्षतुल्यप्राणशरीरवान्
tulyaśukrāsthimajjā ca tulyamāṃsāsṛgevaca | niḥśvāsocchvāsatulyas tu tulya-prāṇaśarīravān ||
तुल्यशुक्रास्थिमज्जा च तुल्यमांसासृगेव च । निःश्वासोच्छ्वासतुल्यश्च तुल्यप्राणशरीरवान् ॥
युधिछ्िर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse questions the basis of political authority: since a king is physically and psychologically the same as other humans, sovereignty cannot be justified by mere bodily difference; it must rest on dharma—legitimate conduct, protection, and moral-political competence.
In the Śānti Parva’s discussions on rājadharma, Yudhiṣṭhira raises a probing doubt about how one person, who is human like everyone else, can rightfully rule over many capable and valorous people—prompting a deeper explanation of the foundations of kingship.