Mahabharata — Sabha Parva, Shloka 25
सभा पर्व, अध्याय ३७ — युधिष्ठिरस्य भीष्मोपदेशः
Yudhiṣṭhira’s Consultation and Bhīṣma’s Counsel in the Assembly
यदि भीताश्न कौन्तेया: कृपणाश्न॒ तपस्विन: । ननु त्वयापि बोद्धव्यं यां पूजां माधवाहसि
yadi bhītāś ca kaunteyāḥ kṛpaṇāś ca tapasvinaḥ | nanu tvayāpi boddhavyaṃ yāṃ pūjāṃ mādhavāharasi ||
Śiśupāla berkata: “Jika putera-putera Kuntī itu penakut, lemah semangat, dan cenderung kepada tapa (austeriti), sekalipun begitu, wahai Mādhava, engkau juga sepatutnya memahami jenis pemujaan apakah yang benar-benar layak bagimu. Jika mereka, tanpa mengenalmu dengan tepat, telah memuliakanmu, maka engkau patut menimbang sama ada kemuliaan itu wajar diterima.”
शिशुपाल उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a polemical ethical claim about honor: Śiśupāla argues that worship should match the recipient’s true worth and that a discerning person should not accept misplaced honor. In context, it functions as an example of how pride and hostility can distort moral reasoning, turning ‘discernment’ into a weapon of insult.
During the royal assembly connected with Yudhiṣṭhira’s Rājasūya, Kṛṣṇa is honored. Śiśupāla, enraged, publicly attacks Kṛṣṇa and derides the Pāṇḍavas as fearful and weak, claiming their worship is ignorant and that Kṛṣṇa should have recognized he was not worthy of such honor.