Shloka 25
दुर्योधनस्य बलिवर्णनम् — Duryodhana’s Description of Tribute at the Rājasūya
पश्य सात्वतमुख्येन शिशुपालो निपातित: । न च तत्र पुमानासीत् कश्चित् तस्य पदानुग:,और भी देखिये, यदुवंशशिरोमणि श्रीकृष्णने शिशुपालको मार गिराया, परंतु वहाँ कोई भी वीर पुरुष उसका बदला लेनेको तैयार नहीं हुआ
paśya sātvata-mukhyena śiśupālo nipātitaḥ | na ca tatra pumān āsīt kaścit tasya padānugaḥ ||
“চাওঁ, সাত্বতসকলৰ শ্ৰেষ্ঠ শ্ৰীকৃষ্ণে শিশুপালক নিপাত কৰিলে; কিন্তু তাত কোনো পুৰুষ নাছিল যিয়ে তাৰ পদাঙ্ক অনুসৰণ কৰে—অৰ্থাৎ তাৰ পক্ষ লৈ প্ৰতিশোধত উঠি দাঁড়ায়।”
दुर्योधन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how overwhelming authority and moral-political dominance can suppress even the normal code of retaliation: when Kṛṣṇa acts, opponents may lack the courage or legitimacy to respond, revealing the gap between boastful hostility and actual resolve.
In the royal assembly context, Duryodhana points to the earlier episode where Kṛṣṇa slew Śiśupāla, emphasizing that none of Śiśupāla’s supporters dared to avenge him—using this as a political observation (and warning) about Kṛṣṇa’s formidable influence.