Shloka 22
Śakuni–Duryodhana-saṃvāda: Dyūta-yojanā (Śakuni and Duryodhana on Planning the Dice-Game)
अतिक्रम्य महावीर कि प्रशंससि केशवम् । महापराक्रमी भीष्मक
atikramya mahāvīra kiṁ praśaṁsasi keśavam | mahāparākramī bhīṣmakaḥ, bhūmipālaḥ dantavakraḥ, bhagadattaḥ, yūpaketuḥ, jayatsenaḥ, magadharājaḥ sahadevaḥ, virāṭaḥ, drupadaḥ, śakuniḥ, bṛhaddhalaḥ, avantīke rājakumārau vinda-anūvindaḥ, pāṇḍyanareśaḥ, śvetaḥ, uttaraḥ, mahābhāgaḥ śaṅkhaḥ, abhimānī vṛṣasenaḥ, parākramī ekalavyaḥ tathā mahārathī evaṁ mahābalī kaliṅganareśaḥ—eteṣāṁ avahēlanāṁ kṛtvā kṛṣṇasya praśaṁsāṁ kuto ’si kurvase || śalyādīn api kasmāt tvaṁ na santoṣi vasudhādhipān | stavāya yadi te buddhir vartate bhīṣma sarvadā ||
Wahai pahlawan agung, mengapa engkau memuji Keśava dengan mengabaikan begitu banyak raja termasyhur—Bhīṣmaka, Dantavakra, Bhagadatta, Yūpaketu, Jayatsena, raja Magadha Sahadeva, Virāṭa, Drupada, Śakuni, Bṛhaddhala, para pangeran Avanti Vinda dan Anuvinda, penguasa Pāṇḍya, Śveta, Uttara, Śaṅkha yang mulia, Vṛṣasena yang angkuh, Ekalavya yang gagah, serta raja Kaliṅga yang perkasa, seorang mahāratha? Mengapa, meremehkan mereka, engkau menyanjung Kṛṣṇa? Dan bila, Bhīṣma, buddhi-mu selalu condong untuk memuji, mengapa engkau tidak memuji Śalya dan para penguasa bumi lainnya?
शिशुपाल उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights how public praise in a royal assembly is not merely personal admiration but a political and ethical claim about worthiness. Śiśupāla frames Bhīṣma’s praise of Kṛṣṇa as an affront to other kings, exposing how envy and status-competition can distort judgment and provoke adharma in speech.
In the Sabha (court) setting during the Rājasūya context, Bhīṣma has endorsed honoring Kṛṣṇa. Śiśupāla objects, listing many celebrated rulers and demanding why they are ‘passed over,’ and challenges Bhīṣma to praise Śalya and others instead—escalating the confrontation that will culminate in Śiśupāla’s downfall.