Shloka 20
Bhīṣma–Śiśupāla-saṃvādaḥ
Bhishma and Shishupala’s exchange in the assembly
येषामर्च्यतम: कृष्णस्त्वं च येषां प्रदर्शक: । धर्मवांस्त्वमधर्मज्ञ: सतां मार्गादवप्लुत:,अथवा क्यों न हो, जिनका परम पूजनीय कृष्ण है और सत्पुरुषोंके मार्गसे गिरा हुआ तुम-जैसा धर्मज्ञानशून्य धर्मात्मा जिनका मार्गदर्शक है
yeṣām arcyatamaḥ kṛṣṇas tvaṃ ca yeṣāṃ pradarśakaḥ | dharmavāṃs tvam adharmājñaḥ satāṃ mārgād avaplutaḥ ||
«Pour ceux dont l’objet le plus digne de vénération est Kṛṣṇa—et pour qui toi, déchu de la voie des justes, es donné en exemple comme guide—comment en serait-il autrement ? On te parade comme “vertueux” alors que tu ignores l’adharma ; tu as glissé hors de la route même que suivent les hommes de bien.»
शिशुपाल उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse dramatizes how claims of moral authority can be weaponized: Śiśupāla attacks the legitimacy of honoring Kṛṣṇa by portraying the ‘guide’ (the addressee) as one who has deviated from the path of the good. Ethically, it highlights the contested nature of dharma in public life—who is deemed worthy of worship and who is accepted as a moral exemplar.
In the royal assembly during Yudhiṣṭhira’s Rājasūya context, Śiśupāla delivers a hostile speech objecting to the special honor shown to Kṛṣṇa. Here he mocks the assembly’s judgment, insinuating that those who revere Kṛṣṇa must also accept a misguided ‘teacher’ and thus have strayed from the righteous path.