Shloka 10
Bhīṣma–Śiśupāla-saṃvādaḥ
Bhishma and Shishupala’s exchange in the assembly
भुक्तमेतेन बद्धन्नं क्रीडता नगमूर्थनि । इति ते भीष्म शृण्वाना: परे विस्मयमागता:
bhuktam etena baddhānnaṁ krīḍatā nagamūrdhani | iti te bhīṣma śṛṇvānāḥ pare vismayam āgatāḥ ||
Śiśupāla sprach: „Bhīṣma, man sagt, Kṛṣṇa habe, während er auf dem Gipfel des Berges spielte, ganz allein eine große Menge zubereiteter Speise verzehrt. Wenn andere solche Worte aus deinem eigenen Mund hören, müssen sie wohl in Staunen geraten sein—ich jedoch nicht.“
शिशुपाल उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how pride and hostility can make a person dismiss even widely attested accounts; ethical discernment requires humility and fairness, especially in public judgment.
In the royal assembly, Śiśupāla mocks Bhīṣma’s praise of Kṛṣṇa by citing a reported feat—Kṛṣṇa eating much food while playing on a mountain summit—and claims that only others would be amazed, not him.