Shloka 15
Śiśupāla-vākya: Bhīṣma-nindā and the ‘Haṃsa’ Exemplum (शिशुपालवाक्यम् — भीष्मनिन्दा, हंसदृष्टान्तः)
न सम्बन्ध॑ पुरस्कृत्य कृतार्थ वा कथंचन । अर्चामहेअ<र्चितं सद्धिर्भुवि भूतसुखावहम्
na sambandhaṁ puraskṛtya kṛtārthā vā kathaṁcana | arcāmahe ’rcitaṁ sadbhir bhuvi bhūta-sukhāvaham, cedirāja |
Bhīṣma berkata: “Wahai raja Chedi, kami tidak menyembah Kṛṣṇa dengan mengutamakan hubungan peribadi, dan bukan juga kerana baginda telah berbuat jasa kepada kami dalam apa jua cara. Kami memuliakan baginda kerana di bumi ini baginda membawa kesejahteraan bagi semua makhluk, dan kerana orang-orang mulia serta para suci telah pun terlebih dahulu menghormatinya.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Honor should be grounded in intrinsic worth and universal beneficence, not in personal gain, favoritism, or transactional obligation; the truly noble revere what benefits all beings.
During Yudhishthira’s Rajasuya context, Bhishma answers the Chedi king’s objection to honoring Krishna, explaining that Krishna is revered not due to kinship or favors but because he is universally welfare-giving and already honored by the virtuous.