Shloka 31
Śiśupāla-vākya: Bhīṣma-nindā and the ‘Haṃsa’ Exemplum (शिशुपालवाक्यम् — भीष्मनिन्दा, हंसदृष्टान्तः)
यो हि धर्म विचिनुयादुत्कृष्टं मतिमान् नर: । स वै पश्येद् यथा धर्म न तथा चेदिराडयम्
yo hi dharma vicinuyād utkṛṣṭaṃ matimān naraḥ | sa vai paśyed yathā dharma na tathā cedīrāḍ ayam ||
Bhishma berkata: Seorang yang bijaksana, yang menyelidiki dharma dalam bentuknya yang tertinggi, akan melihat dharma sebagaimana adanya. Namun raja Cedi ini—Shishupala—tidak memahami dharma dengan cara demikian.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
True understanding of dharma requires reflective inquiry and higher discernment; without such examination, a person—even a king—misapprehends what is right.
Bhishma contrasts the insight of a wise seeker of dharma with Shishupala’s flawed understanding, identifying Shishupala (the Cedi king) as someone who does not grasp dharma correctly.