Shloka 22
सभा पर्व, अध्याय ३७ — युधिष्ठिरस्य भीष्मोपदेशः
Yudhiṣṭhira’s Consultation and Bhīṣma’s Counsel in the Assembly
अकस्माद् धर्मपुत्रस्य धर्मात्मेति यशो गतम् | को हि धर्मच्युते पूजामेवं युक्तां नियोजयेत्
akasmād dharmaputrasya dharmātmeti yaśo gatam | ko hi dharmac yute pūjām evaṁ yuktāṁ niyojayet ||
Śiśupāla berkata: “Anak Dharma itu tiba-tiba mendapat nama sebagai ‘berjiwa dharma’. Jika tidak, siapakah orang yang benar-benar teguh pada dharma akan mengatur pemuliaan dan pemujaan yang begitu ‘sesuai’ bagi seseorang yang telah menyimpang daripada dharma?”
शिशुपाल उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how public reputation (yaśas) for righteousness can be contested and rhetorically manipulated: Śiśupāla questions whether honor and ritual reverence are truly deserved, implying that dharma must be judged by conduct, not by sudden acclaim.
During the royal assembly context, Śiśupāla attacks Yudhiṣṭhira (Dharmaputra) with sarcasm, challenging the propriety of the honors being arranged and casting doubt on the moral legitimacy behind the ceremonial worship.