Shloka 22
Śakuni–Duryodhana-saṃvāda: Dyūta-yojanā (Śakuni and Duryodhana on Planning the Dice-Game)
अतिक्रम्य महावीर कि प्रशंससि केशवम् । महापराक्रमी भीष्मक, भूमिपाल दन्तवक्र, भगदत्त, यूपकेतु, जयत्सेन, मगधराज सहदेव, विराट, द्रुपद, शकुनि, बृहद्धल, अवन्तीके राजकुमार विन्द-अनुविन्द, पाण्ड्यनरेश, श्वेत, उत्तर, महाभाग शंख, अभिमानी वृषसेन, पराक्रमी एकलव्य तथा महारथी एवं महाबली कलिंगनरेशकी अवहेलना करके कृष्णकी प्रशंसा क्यों कर रहे हो? ।। १९--२१ $ || शल्यादीनपि कस्मात् त्वं न सतौषि वसुधाधिपान् । स्तवाय यदि ते बुद्धिर्वर्तते भीष्म सर्वदा,भीष्म! यदि तुम्हारा मन सदा दूसरोंकी स्तुति करनेमें ही लगता है तो इन शल्य आदि श्रेष्ठ राजाओंकी स्तुति क्यों नहीं करते?
atikramya mahāvīra kiṁ praśaṁsasi keśavam | mahāparākramī bhīṣmakaḥ, bhūmipālaḥ dantavakraḥ, bhagadattaḥ, yūpaketuḥ, jayatsenaḥ, magadharājaḥ sahadevaḥ, virāṭaḥ, drupadaḥ, śakuniḥ, bṛhaddhalaḥ, avantīke rājakumārau vinda-anūvindaḥ, pāṇḍyanareśaḥ, śvetaḥ, uttaraḥ, mahābhāgaḥ śaṅkhaḥ, abhimānī vṛṣasenaḥ, parākramī ekalavyaḥ tathā mahārathī evaṁ mahābalī kaliṅganareśaḥ—eteṣāṁ avahēlanāṁ kṛtvā kṛṣṇasya praśaṁsāṁ kuto ’si kurvase || śalyādīn api kasmāt tvaṁ na santoṣi vasudhādhipān | stavāya yadi te buddhir vartate bhīṣma sarvadā ||
Śiśupāla berkata: “Wahai wira agung, mengapa engkau memuji Keśava, sedangkan engkau melangkaui begitu ramai raja termasyhur—Bhīṣmaka, Dantavakra, Bhagadatta, Yūpaketu, Jayatsena, Sahadeva raja Magadha, Virāṭa, Drupada, Śakuni, Bṛhaddhala, putera-putera Avanti Vinda dan Anuvinda, raja Pāṇḍya, Śveta, Uttara, Śaṅkha yang mulia, Vṛṣasena yang angkuh, Ekalavya yang gagah, serta raja Kaliṅga yang perkasa, seorang maharathi? Mengapa, dengan meremehkan mereka, engkau mengagungkan Kṛṣṇa? Dan jika, Bhīṣma, fikiranmu sentiasa cenderung memuji orang lain, mengapa tidak engkau puji Śalya dan para penguasa bumi yang utama itu?”
शिशुपाल उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage highlights how public praise in a royal assembly is not merely personal admiration but a political and ethical claim about worthiness. Śiśupāla frames Bhīṣma’s praise of Kṛṣṇa as an affront to other kings, exposing how envy and status-competition can distort judgment and provoke adharma in speech.
In the Sabha (court) setting during the Rājasūya context, Bhīṣma has endorsed honoring Kṛṣṇa. Śiśupāla objects, listing many celebrated rulers and demanding why they are ‘passed over,’ and challenges Bhīṣma to praise Śalya and others instead—escalating the confrontation that will culminate in Śiśupāla’s downfall.