Shloka 7
Śiśupāla-janma-lakṣaṇaṃ (Śiśupāla’s birth marks and the prophecy of his end)
प्रसुप्ते हि यथा सिंहे श्वानस्तस्मिन् समागता: । भषेयु: सहिता: सर्वे तथेमे वसुधाधिपा:
prasupte hi yathā siṁhe śvānastasmin samāgatāḥ | bhaṣeyuḥ sahitāḥ sarve tatheme vasudhādhipāḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana berkata: “Seperti ketika seekor singa tertidur, anjing-anjing berkumpul di sekelilingnya dan bersama-sama menggonggong—demikian pula para raja, penguasa bumi ini, telah berhimpun dan menjadi berani bersuara (karena melihat kelengahan sesaat).”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse critiques opportunistic bravado: the weak become noisy and aggressive only when the truly powerful are inactive or restrained. Ethically, it warns rulers against joining unjust majorities and mistaking temporary advantage for real strength.
Vaiśampāyana uses a vivid simile—dogs barking at a sleeping lion—to describe how assembled kings, emboldened by numbers, act insolently when a formidable figure is momentarily unable or unwilling to respond.