Shloka 8
Śiśupāla-janma-lakṣaṇaṃ (Śiśupāla’s birth marks and the prophecy of his end)
भषन्ते तात संक्रुद्धा: श्वानः सिंहस्य संनिधौ
bhaṣante tāta saṅkruddhāḥ śvānaḥ siṁhasya saṁnidhau
Waiśampāyana berkata: “Wahai yang terkasih, seperti anjing-anjing yang menggelepar oleh amarah menggonggong di hadapan singa, demikianlah orang-orang ini membuat hiruk-pikuk hanya selama Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa—laksana singa—belum bangkit sepenuhnya untuk menghukum mereka. Bahkan Śiśupāla, singa di antara para raja dan perhiasan wangsa Cedi, telah kehilangan daya budi; didorong hasrat seakan hendak mengirim para penguasa ini ke alam Yama, ia mencoba yang mustahil—mengubah anjing menjadi singa.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Arrogant speech and mob-like clamor persist only while true authority remains restrained; when dharmic power awakens to administer daṇḍa (just punishment), empty bravado collapses. The verse also warns that anger and loss of viveka (discernment) can drive even a renowned king into self-destructive provocation.
During the Sabhā Parva episode surrounding the Rājasūya and the honoring of Kṛṣṇa, hostile kings—led by Śiśupāla—raise an uproar. Vaiśampāyana describes them through a metaphor: like dogs barking near a lion, they are loud only until Kṛṣṇa decides to act, foreshadowing Śiśupāla’s impending punishment.