Shloka 12
Śakuni–Duryodhana-saṃvāda: Dyūta-yojanā (Śakuni and Duryodhana on Planning the Dice-Game)
द्रोणं द्रौर्णिं च साधु त्वं पितापुत्रौ महारथौ । स्तुहि स्तुत्यावुभी भीष्म सततं द्विजसत्तमौ
droṇaṃ drauṇiṃ ca sādhu tvaṃ pitāputrau mahārathau | stuhi stutyāv ubhau bhīṣma satataṃ dvijasattamau ||
Śiśupāla drängt Bhīṣma, Droṇa und Droṇas Sohn Aśvatthāman zu preisen, und nennt sie ein Vater-und-Sohn-Paar großer Wagenkämpfer (mahārathas) und die Vornehmsten unter den Brāhmaṇas. Die Bemerkung hat eine ethische Schärfe: Indem er ihren brahmanischen Stand und ihre Ehrenwürdigkeit betont, setzt er Bhīṣma unter Druck, ihr Ansehen in der königlichen Versammlung öffentlich zu bekräftigen, und macht das Lob zum politischen Werkzeug.
शिशुपाल उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how public praise (stuti) can be used to confer legitimacy and social authority. By stressing that Droṇa and Aśvatthāman are ‘foremost brāhmaṇas’ and ‘worthy of praise,’ the speaker frames honor as a moral obligation—yet the context suggests rhetoric can also serve political pressure within the assembly.
In the royal court setting of the Sabha Parva, Śiśupāla addresses Bhīṣma and urges him to praise Droṇa and his son Aśvatthāman. The statement functions as a pointed intervention in court discourse, invoking their lineage (father-son), martial eminence (mahāratha), and brahmin rank (dvijasattama) to demand public commendation.