Shloka 28
Bhīṣma–Śiśupāla-saṃvādaḥ
Bhishma and Shishupala’s exchange in the assembly
ब्रतोपवासैर्बहुभि: कृतं भवति भीष्म यत् | सर्व तदनपत्यस्य मोघं भवति निश्चयात्,भीष्म! अनेक व्रतों और उपवासोंद्वारा जो पुण्य कार्य किया जाता है, वह सब संतानहीन पुरुषके लिये निश्चय ही व्यर्थ हो जाता है
vratopavāsair bahubhiḥ kṛtaṃ bhavati bhīṣma yat | sarvaṃ tad anapatyasya moghaṃ bhavati niścayāt ||
Shishupala addresses Bhishma: “Bhishma! Whatever merit is accumulated through many vows and fasts becomes, in my view, certainly fruitless for a man who has no offspring.”
शिशुपाल उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse presents a contested social-ethical assertion: Shishupala claims that austerities (vows and fasts) are ultimately pointless without progeny, emphasizing lineage as the measure of religious success. In the broader Mahabharata context, this reflects a debate over what truly constitutes dharma and lasting merit—external observance and social continuity versus deeper ethical and spiritual values.
During the Sabha Parva proceedings, Shishupala delivers a confrontational speech and addresses Bhishma directly. He uses a provocative argument—linking the worth of religious austerity to having offspring—to criticize and unsettle the assembly, sharpening the rhetorical conflict around honor, dharma, and legitimacy.