Shloka 13
सभा पर्व, अध्याय ३७ — युधिष्ठिरस्य भीष्मोपदेशः
Yudhiṣṭhira’s Consultation and Bhīṣma’s Counsel in the Assembly
द्रुमं किम्पुरुषाचार्यमतिक्रम्य तथार्चित: । भीष्मके चैव दुर्धर्षे पाण्डुवत् कृतलक्षणे
drumaṁ kimpuruṣācāryam atikramya tathārcitaḥ | bhīṣmake caiva durdharṣe pāṇḍuvat kṛtalakṣaṇe ||
Śiśupāla berkata: “Bagaimana engkau dapat menganggap wajar untuk memuliakan Kṛṣṇa dengan pemujaan tertinggi, sedangkan Druma—guru kaum Kiṁpuruṣa—telah engkau langkau? Dan ketika Bhīṣmaka yang sukar ditandingi—berciri tanda-tanda mujur seorang raja seperti Pāṇḍu—hadir di sini, atas alasan apakah pemujaan kepada Kṛṣṇa itu dilakukan?”
शिशुपाल उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds the ethical tension between worldly hierarchies (seniority, rank, renowned kings) and the claim of exceptional worthiness. It shows how disputes over honor can become moral arguments about what counts as legitimate authority—birth, power, reputation, or intrinsic excellence.
During the assembly context where Kṛṣṇa is being accorded special honor, Śiśupāla objects. He challenges the decision to worship Kṛṣṇa first, arguing that other venerable or formidable figures (such as Druma and Bhīṣmaka) were present and should not have been bypassed.