Shloka 13
Bhīṣma–Śiśupāla-saṃvādaḥ
Bhishma and Shishupala’s exchange in the assembly
स्त्रीषु गोषु न शस्त्राणि पातयेद् ब्राह्मणेषु च । यस्य चान्नानि भुञ्जीत यत्र च स्यात् प्रतिश्रयः,स्त्रीपर, गौपर, ब्राह्मणोंपर तथा जिसका अन्न खाय अथवा जिनके यहाँ अपनेको आश्रय मिला हो, उनपर भी हथियार न चलाये
strīṣu goṣu na śastrāṇi pātayed brāhmaṇeṣu ca | yasya cānnāni bhuñjīta yatra ca syāt pratiśrayaḥ ||
Śiśupāla verkündete eine Regel rechten Handelns im Streit: „Man soll keine Waffen gegen Frauen, gegen Kühe oder gegen Brāhmaṇas führen; noch soll man die Hand zum Angriff erheben gegen den, dessen Speise man gegessen hat, oder an dem Ort, wo man Zuflucht fand.“
शिशुपाल उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even in enmity and political struggle, dharma imposes limits: do not use weapons against women, cows, or Brāhmaṇas, and do not harm those to whom one owes gratitude—especially someone whose food one has eaten or who has given one shelter.
In the Sabha Parva context, Śiśupāla is speaking in the royal assembly and invokes ethical norms to frame what counts as righteous or unrighteous violence, emphasizing protected persons and the binding duty created by hospitality and shared food.