Shloka 32
Bhīṣma–Śiśupāla-saṃvādaḥ
Bhishma and Shishupala’s exchange in the assembly
धर्म चरत माधर्ममिति तस्य वच: किल । पक्षिण: शुश्रुवुर्भीष्म सततं सत्यवादिन:
dharmaṁ carata mādharmam iti tasya vacaḥ kila | pakṣiṇaḥ śuśruvur bhīṣma satataṁ satyavādinaḥ ||
「ダルマを行え、アダルマを行うな」――それが彼の口癖であったと伝えられる。おおビーマよ、鳥たちは、常に真実を語る者と見なされたその白鳥から、この訓戒を幾度も聞いた。だが物語の眼目は、彼の行いが説教と相反していたことにある。彼は他者に正しさを教えながら、自らは別の生を送っていたのだ。
शिशुपाल उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the ethical tension between preaching and practice: exhortations to dharma are hollow if one’s own conduct contradicts them. It implicitly critiques moral hypocrisy—being a ‘truth-speaker’ in words is not the same as being righteous in action.
Śiśupāla addresses Bhīṣma and introduces a proverbial account: a figure repeatedly tells others (here, birds) to follow dharma and avoid adharma. The surrounding story context (as commonly explained in the tradition) underscores that the speaker’s behavior does not match his advice, setting up a moral comparison or rebuke.