Shloka 9
Śiśupāla-janma-lakṣaṇaṃ (Śiśupāla’s birth marks and the prophecy of his end)
न हि सम्बुध्यते यावत् सुप्त: सिंह इवाच्युत: । तेन सिंहीकरोत्येतान् नृसिंहश्नेदिपुड्रवः
na hi sambudhyate yāvat suptaḥ siṁha ivācyutaḥ | tena siṁhīkaroty etān nṛsiṁhaś cedipuṅgavaḥ ||
Waiśampāyana berkata: “Selama Acyuta (Kṛṣṇa), laksana singa yang tertidur, belum terjaga, orang-orang ini—bagai anjing yang penuh amarah—terus membuat keributan di dekat sang singa. Namun begitu Ia bangkit, siap menjatuhkan hukuman, kegaduhan itu akan padam. Meski demikian, Nṛsiṃha Śiśupāla, kebanggaan wangsa Cedi, telah kehilangan pertimbangan; ia mencoba ‘menjadikan anjing-anjing ini singa’—menghasut para raja menuju jalan kebinasaan dan mengundang maut.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Arrogant provocation thrives only while true authority remains restrained; when power awakens to uphold order, reckless speech and mob-like bravado collapse. The verse warns that anger and loss of discernment can incite others toward self-destruction.
During the royal assembly context, Śiśupāla and others are loudly challenging and insulting Kṛṣṇa. Vaiśaṃpāyana frames Kṛṣṇa as a ‘sleeping lion’: the uproar continues only until Kṛṣṇa chooses to act, while Śiśupāla, blinded by rage, is emboldening the gathered kings into a dangerous confrontation.