Shloka 53
Adhyāya 39: Śiśupāla’s Censure and Bhīma’s Contained Wrath (शिशुपाल-निन्दा तथा भीमक्रोध-निग्रहः)
मानिनां बलिनां राज्ञां मध्ये वै दर्शिते पदे । सहदेवने महामानी और बलवान् राजाओंके बीच खड़े होकर अपना पैर दिखाया था, तो भी जो बुद्धिमान एवं श्रेष्ठ नरेश थे, उनमेंसे कोई कुछ न बोला
mānināṁ balināṁ rājñāṁ madhye vai darśite pade | sahadevena mahāmānī balavān rājñāṁ madhye sthitvā svapādaḥ pradarśitaḥ, tathāpi ye buddhimantaḥ śreṣṭhā nṛpāḥ teṣāṁ madhye kaścid api na kiñcid abravīt |
Vaiśampāyana sprach: Inmitten stolzer und mächtiger Könige zeigte Sahadeva—unter jenen großen, selbstgefälligen Herrschern stehend—seinen Fuß. Und doch brachte keiner der weisen und angesehenen Monarchen, die zugegen waren, ein Wort hervor.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even wise people can become silent in the face of wrongdoing when surrounded by power, pride, and social pressure; ethical courage requires speaking up against insult and injustice, not merely recognizing it.
In a royal assembly filled with proud and powerful rulers, Sahadeva publicly displays his foot as a provocative gesture; despite the presence of discerning and eminent kings, no one responds, highlighting the tense atmosphere and the paralysis of the court.