Shloka 8
सभा पर्व, अध्याय ३७ — युधिष्ठिरस्य भीष्मोपदेशः
Yudhiṣṭhira’s Consultation and Bhīṣma’s Counsel in the Assembly
आचार्य मन्यसे कृष्णमथ वा कुरुनन्दन । द्रोणे तिष्ठति वाष्णेयं कस्मादर्चितवानसि
ācārya manyase kṛṣṇam atha vā kurunandana | droṇe tiṣṭhati vāṣṇeyaṃ kasmād arcitavān asi ||
Śiśupāla sprach: „O Kurunandana, hältst du Kṛṣṇa für deinen Lehrer? Oder wenn du behauptest, er sei zu ehren, obwohl Droṇa noch unter den Lehrmeistern steht—warum hast du dann diesen Vāṣṇeya verehrt? Indem du Kṛṣṇa in dieser königlichen Versammlung auszeichnest, setzt du die festgelegte Rangordnung außer Kraft—eine Tat, die nach Śiśupālas Ansicht gegen die sittliche Schicklichkeit verstößt, nach der zuerst die Ältesten und anerkannten Lehrer zu achten sind.“
शिशुपाल उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds the dharmic idea of social and ethical precedence: in public rites and assemblies, honor is expected to follow recognized hierarchies—especially toward elders and established teachers. Śiśupāla weaponizes this norm to argue that honoring Kṛṣṇa over Droṇa is improper, illustrating how dharma-language can be used both to uphold order and to attack rivals.
During Yudhiṣṭhira’s great royal rite and assembly, Kṛṣṇa is offered special honor. Śiśupāla objects and challenges the legitimacy of that honor, asking why Kṛṣṇa is treated as an ācārya or worthy of worship when eminent figures like Droṇa are present.