Shloka 34
Bhīṣma–Śiśupāla-saṃvādaḥ
Bhishma and Shishupala’s exchange in the assembly
ते च तस्य समभ्याशे निक्षिप्याण्डानि सर्वश: । समुद्राम्भस्यमज्जन्त चरन्तो भीष्म पक्षिण: । तेषामण्डानि सर्वेषां भक्षयामास पापकृत्
te ca tasya samabhyāśe nikṣipyāṇḍāni sarvaśaḥ | samudrāmbhasy amajjanta caranto bhīṣma pakṣiṇaḥ | teṣām aṇḍāni sarveṣāṃ bhakṣayāmāsa pāpakṛt, bhīṣma! haṃsaḥ ||
Und jene Vögel, o Bhīṣma, vertrauten ihm, legten all ihre Eier in seine Nähe und tauchten dann hinab und streiften in den Wassern des Meeres umher. Doch jener ruchlose Schwan verschlang die Eier von ihnen allen — ein Bild des Verrats, in dem Vertrauen ausgebeutet und Unschuld verletzt wird.
शिशुपाल उवाच
Educational Q&A
Trust (viśvāsa) is ethically binding: exploiting another’s confidence—especially the helpless (like eggs left for safekeeping)—is portrayed as pāpa (sin/adharma). The verse condemns betrayal and warns that apparent guardianship can mask predation.
Śiśupāla addresses Bhīṣma and recounts a vignette: birds, believing a swan to be trustworthy, leave their eggs near him while they dive and wander in the sea; the swan, however, is an evil-doer who eats all the eggs.