सभा पर्व, अध्याय ३७ — युधिष्ठिरस्य भीष्मोपदेशः
Yudhiṣṭhira’s Consultation and Bhīṣma’s Counsel in the Assembly
न त्वयं पार्थिवेन्द्राणामपमान: प्रयुज्यते । त्वामेव कुरवो व्यक्त प्रलम्भन्ते जनार्दन
na tvayaṃ pārthivendrāṇām apamānaḥ prayujyate | tvām eva kuravo vyakta pralambhante janārdana |
សិសុបាលបាននិយាយថា៖ «ការធ្វើនេះ មិនមែនជាការប្រមាថដល់ស្តេចទាំងឡាយលើផែនដីទេ។ តែឯងវិញ—ឱ ជនារទន—គឺជាអ្នកដែលពួកកុរុកំពុងបោកបញ្ឆោតយ៉ាងច្បាស់ ដោយថ្វាយអរឃ្យដល់ឯង ហើយប្រកាសឲ្យឯងជាអ្នកឧត្តមបំផុត»។
शिशुपाल उवाच
The verse highlights how honor can be weaponized in politics: Śiśupāla reframes Kṛṣṇa’s foremost worship not as an affront to other kings, but as a manipulative act by the Kurus—showing how envy and rivalry distort ethical judgment and public speech.
During Yudhiṣṭhira’s royal rite/assembly where Kṛṣṇa is offered the first honor (agrāpūjā) and arghya, Śiśupāla objects. He argues that the kings are not insulted; instead, the Kuru party is, in his view, merely flattering and deceiving Kṛṣṇa by granting him precedence.