Shloka 12
न ते श्रुतमिदं भीष्म नूनं कथयतां सताम् | यद् वक्ष्ये त्वामधर्मज्ञं वाक्यं कुरुकुलाधम,कुरुकुलाधम भीष्म! तुम धर्मको बिलकुल नहीं जानते। मैं तुमसे धर्मकी जो बात कहूँगा, वह तुमने संत-महात्माओंके मुखसे भी नहीं सुनी होगी
na te śrutam idaṃ bhīṣma nūnaṃ kathayatāṃ satām | yad vakṣye tvām adharmajñaṃ vākyaṃ kurukulādhama ||
Śiśupāla dit : «Ô Bhīṣma, assurément tu n’as jamais entendu cela de la bouche des vertueux. Je vais te dire—à toi qui ignores le dharma—des paroles dignes de l’opprobre de la lignée des Kuru.»
शिशुपाल उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse illustrates how moral discourse can be weaponized: Śiśupāla claims authority over dharma while using abusive speech. It highlights the ethical tension between professing righteousness and violating it through harsh, lineage-shaming rhetoric.
In the royal assembly context of the Sabha Parva, Śiśupāla addresses Bhīṣma directly and provocatively, accusing him of ignorance of dharma and calling him a disgrace to the Kuru line, setting a confrontational tone for further denunciation.