Shloka 11
Śiśupāla-vadha in the Rājasūya-sabhā (शिशुपालवधः — राजसूयसभायाम्)
त्रिशिखां भ्रुकु्टी चास्य ददृशु: सर्वपार्थिवा: । ललाटस्थां त्रिकूटस्थां गड़ां त्रिपथगामिव
triśikhāṃ bhru-kuṭī cāsya dadṛśuḥ sarva-pārthivāḥ | lalāṭasthāṃ trikūṭasthāṃ gaṅgāṃ tripathagām iva ||
Vaiśampāyana said: All the kings saw that his brow had tightened into a three-lined frown upon his forehead—like the Gaṅgā, the river that flows in three courses, surging forth upon Mount Trikūṭa.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Public anger in a royal assembly is not merely personal emotion; it becomes a political and ethical signal. The verse warns that when honor is strained and resentment rises, rulers must restrain passion and return to dharma, or the entire polity can be drawn toward conflict.
In the court setting, all the kings observe a visible transformation: the central figure’s eyebrows knit into a three-lined frown on his forehead. The poet compares this to the three-course Gaṅgā swelling on Mount Trikūṭa, emphasizing the intensity and ominous force of the moment.