Shloka 32
Śiśupāla-vākya: Bhīṣma-nindā and the ‘Haṃsa’ Exemplum (शिशुपालवाक्यम् — भीष्मनिन्दा, हंसदृष्टान्तः)
सवृद्धबालेष्वथवा पार्थिवेषु महात्मसु । को ना मन्यते कृष्णं को वाप्येनं न पूजयेत् ।।
sa-vṛddha-bāleṣv athavā pārthiveṣu mahātmasu | ko nā manyate kṛṣṇaṃ ko vāpy enaṃ na pūjayet ||
Bhīṣma berkata: Dalam kalangan raja-raja berjiwa agung yang berhimpun di sini—bersama para tua dan kanak-kanak—siapakah yang tidak menganggap Kṛṣṇa layak dimuliakan? Atau siapakah pula yang tidak akan menyembah dan menghormatinya?
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
True nobility recognizes and honors genuine greatness: Bhīṣma frames reverence for Kṛṣṇa as the natural ethical response of wise rulers, implying that refusal to honor the worthy signals moral blindness or envy.
In the royal assembly context of the Sabha Parva, Bhīṣma speaks to affirm Kṛṣṇa’s universal worthiness of honor among the gathered kings, rhetorically asking who could possibly deny him respect or fail to worship him.