Shloka 19
Bhīṣma–Śiśupāla-saṃvādaḥ
Bhishma and Shishupala’s exchange in the assembly
नूनं प्रकृतिरेषा ते जघन्या नात्र संशय: । अति पापीयसी चैषा पाण्डवानामपीष्यते,निश्चय ही तुम्हारी यह प्रकृति बड़ी अधम है, इसमें संशय नहीं है। अतएव इन पाण्डवोंकी प्रकृति भी तुम्हारे ही समान अत्यन्त पापमयी होती जा रही है
nūnaṁ prakṛtir eṣā te jaghanyā nātra saṁśayaḥ | ati pāpīyasī caiṣā pāṇḍavānām apīṣyate ||
ശിശുപാലൻ പറഞ്ഞു—നിശ്ചയം ഇതാണ് നിന്റെ സ്വഭാവം—അധമവും നീചവും; ഇതിൽ സംശയമില്ല. ഇപ്പോൾ അതേ അത്യന്തം പാപമയമായ പ്രവണത പാണ്ഡവന്മാരുടെ കാര്യത്തിലും അംഗീകരിക്കപ്പെടുന്നു.
शिशुपाल उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how moral judgment can be weaponized in political speech: Śiśupāla condemns an opponent’s character as inherently “base” and claims that such wrongdoing is being socially validated. It implicitly raises the ethical issue that public approval can normalize adharma, even among those reputed to be righteous.
In the royal assembly context of the Sabha Parva, Śiśupāla delivers a harsh denunciation. He attacks the addressee’s character and extends the accusation to the Pāṇḍavas, alleging that their conduct is becoming similarly sinful because they are accepting or endorsing what he considers wrongdoing.