Shloka 11
Śiśupāla-vākya: Bhīṣma-nindā and the ‘Haṃsa’ Exemplum (शिशुपालवाक्यम् — भीष्मनिन्दा, हंसदृष्टान्तः)
तस्मात् सत्स्वपि वृद्धेषु कृष्णमर्चाम नेतरान् । एवं वक्तुं न चार्हस्त्वं मा ते भूद् बुद्धिरीदृशी
tasmāt satsv api vṛddheṣu kṛṣṇam arcāma netarān | evaṁ vaktuṁ na cārhas tvaṁ mā te bhūd buddhir īdṛśī ||
Maka, walaupun para tua yang mulia hadir, kami menyembah Kṛṣṇa sahaja, bukan yang lain. Wahai Raja, engkau tidak sepatutnya mengucapkan kata-kata demikian tentang Kṛṣṇa; janganlah timbul sangkaan sedemikian dalam fikiranmu terhadap baginda.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma emphasizes discernment in reverence: true honor is directed to the supremely worthy (here, Kṛṣṇa), and ethical restraint in speech is mandatory—one should not utter disparaging or improper words about such a person, nor cultivate a misguided attitude toward him.
In the royal assembly context, Bhīṣma rebukes a king’s improper remarks about Kṛṣṇa. He explains that even in the presence of many respected elders, the assembly’s veneration is directed specifically to Kṛṣṇa, and he warns the king to abandon such disrespectful thinking and speech.