Shloka 6
Śiśupāla-vadha in the Rājasūya-sabhā (शिशुपालवधः — राजसूयसभायाम्)
यद्ययं जगत: कर्ता यथैनं मूर्ख मन्यसे । कमस्मान्न ब्राह्मणं सम्यगात्मानमवगच्छति,मूर्ख भीष्म! यदि यह कृष्ण सम्पूर्ण जगत्का कर्ता-धर्ता है, जैसा कि तुम इसे मानते हो तो यह अपनेको भलीभाति ब्राह्मण भी क्यों नहीं मानता?
yady ayaṁ jagataḥ kartā yathainaṁ mūḍha manyase | kim asmān na brāhmaṇaṁ samyag ātmānam avagacchati mūḍha bhīṣma ||
Śiśupāla berkata: “Jika, sebagaimana engkau percaya dengan bodohnya, orang ini benar-benar pencipta dunia, mengapa dia tidak mengakui dirinya dengan sewajarnya sebagai seorang brahmin? Wahai Bhīṣma yang bodoh—jika Kṛṣṇa memang pencipta dan pemelihara seluruh alam semesta, mengapa dia tidak memandang dirinya, dengan kesedaran penuh, sebagai brahmin?”
शिशुपाल उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how theological claims (Krishna as cosmic creator) can be challenged through social categories (varna). Shishupala weaponizes the brahmin/kshatriya distinction to mock Bhishma’s reverence, showing the ethical danger of pride and insult: spiritual truth is not settled by status-arguments, and contemptuous speech becomes a cause of conflict.
During the Rajasuya-related assembly scene in the Sabha Parva, Bhishma and others honor Krishna. Shishupala publicly attacks this honor, calling Bhishma deluded and arguing that if Krishna were truly the world’s creator, he would acknowledge himself as a brahmin—thus attempting to discredit Krishna’s supremacy and provoke the court.