Shloka 12
Bhīṣma–Śiśupāla-saṃvādaḥ
Bhishma and Shishupala’s exchange in the assembly
न ते श्रुतमिदं भीष्म नूनं कथयतां सताम् | यद् वक्ष्ये त्वामधर्मज्ञं वाक्यं कुरुकुलाधम
na te śrutam idaṃ bhīṣma nūnaṃ kathayatāṃ satām | yad vakṣye tvām adharmajñaṃ vākyaṃ kurukulādhama ||
Śiśupāla berkata: “Wahai Bhīṣma, pasti engkau belum pernah mendengar hal ini daripada bibir orang-orang saleh. Aku akan berkata kepadamu—yang jahil tentang dharma—kata-kata yang layak bagi kehinaan keturunan Kuru.”
शिशुपाल उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse illustrates how moral discourse can be weaponized: Śiśupāla claims authority over dharma while using abusive speech. It highlights the ethical tension between professing righteousness and violating it through harsh, lineage-shaming rhetoric.
In the royal assembly context of the Sabha Parva, Śiśupāla addresses Bhīṣma directly and provocatively, accusing him of ignorance of dharma and calling him a disgrace to the Kuru line, setting a confrontational tone for further denunciation.