Shloka 21
Śiśupāla-vākya: Bhīṣma-nindā and the ‘Haṃsa’ Exemplum (शिशुपालवाक्यम् — भीष्मनिन्दा, हंसदृष्टान्तः)
तमिमं गुणसम्पन्नमार्य च पितरं गुरुम् । अर्घ्यमर्चितमर्चहिं सर्वे संक्षन्तुमर्हथ
tam imaṃ guṇasampannam āryaṃ ca pitaraṃ gurum | arghyam arcitam arcaiḥ sarve saṃkṣantum arhatha ||
Bhīṣma berkata: “Kami telah mempersembahkan arghya dan memuja bapa serta guru yang mulia ini, yang lengkap dengan segala kebajikan—yang sepenuhnya layak menerima arghya dan dihormati. Maka, hendaklah semua raja mengampuni kami atas perbuatan ini.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
True honor follows dharma: one who is genuinely virtuous and worthy of reverence should be honored, and social friction arising from rightful honor should be met with kṣamā (forbearance/forgiveness).
In the royal assembly context, Bhīṣma justifies the offering of arghya to Kṛṣṇa as the most deserving guest and asks the assembled kings to pardon any offense or resentment caused by giving Kṛṣṇa precedence.