Shloka 26
Bhīṣma–Śiśupāla-saṃvādaḥ
Bhishma and Shishupala’s exchange in the assembly
न त्वहं तव धर्मज्ञ पश्याम्युपचयं क्वचित् | नहि ते सेविता वृद्धा य एवं धर्ममब्रवी:
na tv ahaṃ tava dharmajña paśyāmy upacayaṃ kvacit | nahi te sevitā vṛddhā ya evaṃ dharmam abravīḥ ||
Śiśupāla berkata: “Wahai yang mengetahui dharma, aku tidak melihat sebarang kemajuan yang sejati padamu di mana-mana. Sesungguhnya engkau tidak pernah bergaul dengan para tua yang telah matang dengan kebijaksanaan; sebab itulah engkau berbicara tentang dharma dengan cara begini.”
शिशुपाल उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights a traditional ethical claim: genuine understanding of dharma is grounded in humility and learning through association with wise elders; without such guidance, one’s moral pronouncements are portrayed as unreliable.
In the royal assembly context of the Sabha Parva, Śiśupāla attacks Bhīṣma verbally, questioning his moral authority and implying that Bhīṣma’s counsel on dharma is misguided because he lacks the refining influence of wise elders.