Shloka 4
Śiśupāla-vadha in the Rājasūya-sabhā (शिशुपालवधः — राजसूयसभायाम्)
येन धर्मात्मना5>त्मानं ब्रह्मण्यमविजानता । नेषितं पाद्यमस्मै तद् दातुमग्रे दुरात्मने,उस धर्मात्मा जरासंधने जब इस दुरात्माके आगे ब्राह्मण अतिथिके योग्य पाद्य आदि प्रस्तुत किये, तब इसने यह जानकर कि मैं ब्राह्मण नहीं हूँ, उसे ग्रहण करनेकी इच्छा नहीं की
yena dharmātmanātmānaṁ brāhmaṇyam avijānātā | neṣitaṁ pādyam asmai tad dātum agre durātmane ||
Śiśupāla berkata: “Orang yang kononnya berpegang pada dharma itu, tidak mengenali kedudukanku sebagai brahmin; lalu sejak awal enggan menghulurkan air upacara untuk membasuh kaki—kehormatan yang wajib bagi tetamu brahmin—dan menahan daripadaku apa yang sepatutnya diberikan.”
शिशुपाल उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds the dharmic weight of atithi-satkāra (honoring a guest). Withholding customary honors like pādya is framed as a moral failing, while also showing how claims of dharma can be weaponized through social-status arguments.
Śiśupāla is criticizing an opponent as ‘dharmātmā’ only in name, alleging that he refused to offer him pādya—an honor due to a Brahmin guest—because he did not acknowledge Śiśupāla’s brahminical standing. Jarāsandha is referenced as the setting/context for this grievance.