Shloka 6
Bhīṣma–Śiśupāla-saṃvādaḥ
Bhishma and Shishupala’s exchange in the assembly
यत्र कुत्सा प्रयोक्तव्या भीष्म बालतरैनरै: | तमिमं ज्ञानवृद्धः सन् गोपं संस्तोतुमिच्छसि
yatra kutsā prayoktavyā bhīṣma bālatarair naraiḥ | tam imaṁ jñāna-vṛddhaḥ san gopaṁ saṁstotum icchasi bhīṣma ||
Śiśupāla berkata: “Wahai Bhīṣma, orang yang bahkan manusia paling kebudak-budakan dan paling bodoh pun patut hanya menaruh hina—dialah si penggembala lembu itu—namun engkau, walau matang dalam pengetahuan, masih mahu memujinya. Sungguh menghairankan!”
शिशुपाल उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how ethical judgment can be distorted by envy and status-pride: Śiśupāla frames contempt as ‘proper’ and attacks Bhīṣma’s discernment, illustrating the Mahābhārata theme that true worth is not determined by birth or occupation, and that speech used to demean others becomes a moral failing.
In the royal assembly during Yudhiṣṭhira’s Rājasūya context, Bhīṣma supports honoring Kṛṣṇa; Śiśupāla, hostile to Kṛṣṇa, publicly rebukes Bhīṣma and derides Kṛṣṇa as a mere cowherd, escalating the confrontation that leads to further denunciations.