Shloka 4
Śiśupāla-vākya: Bhīṣma-nindā and the ‘Haṃsa’ Exemplum (शिशुपालवाक्यम् — भीष्मनिन्दा, हंसदृष्टान्तः)
पश्य चैतान् महीपालांस्त्वत्तो वृद्धतरान् बहून् । मृष्यन्ते चार्हणां कृष्णे तद्वत् त्वं क्षन्तुमहसि
paśya caitān mahīpālāṁs tvatto vṛddhatarān bahūn | mṛṣyante cārhaṇāṁ kṛṣṇe tadvat tvaṁ kṣantum arhasi ||
“Lihatlah raja-raja ini—ramai yang lebih tua dan lebih tinggi kedudukannya daripada engkau. Mereka diam menahan diri ketika penghormatan tertinggi dipersembahkan kepada Kṛṣṇa. Demikian juga engkau patut bersabar dan berhenti berkata-kata menentangnya.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse urges kṣānti (forbearance) and respect for communal decision and senior consensus: if even elder kings accept Kṛṣṇa’s foremost honor, one should restrain anger and speech, maintaining decorum and dharma in a public assembly.
In the royal assembly during Yudhiṣṭhira’s Rājasūya context, Kṛṣṇa is being offered agrapūjā (preeminent worship). The speaker points to the many senior kings who are silently accepting this honor, advising the objector to tolerate it likewise and not protest.