Shloka 28
Śakuni–Duryodhana-saṃvāda: Dyūta-yojanā (Śakuni and Duryodhana on Planning the Dice-Game)
भूलिड्शशकुनिर्नाम पाश्वे हिमवतः परे । भीष्म तस्या: सदा वाच: श्रूयन्ते<र्थविगर्हिता:,भीष्म! हिमालयके दूसरे भागमें भूलिंग नामसे प्रसिद्ध एक चिड़िया रहती है। उसके मुखसे सदा ऐसी बात सुनायी पड़ती है, जो उसके कार्यके विपरीत भावकी सूचक होनेके कारण अत्यन्त निन्दनीय जान पड़ती है
bhūliṅgaśakuniḥ nāma pārśve himavataḥ pare | bhīṣma tasyāḥ sadā vācaḥ śrūyante ’rthavigarhitāḥ ||
Śiśupāla berkata: “Wahai Bhīṣma! Di seberang jauh Himavat ada seekor burung bernama Bhūliṅga. Dari mulutnya sentiasa terdengar kata-kata yang tercela pada maknanya—ucapan yang bertentangan dengan perilaku yang wajar, maka patut dikecam.”
शिशुपाल उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse warns against speech whose meaning is ethically censurable—words that contradict right conduct. It implies that constant, ill-meaning speech is a mark of blame and should not be emulated in a dharmic assembly.
In the royal assembly context, Śiśupāla addresses Bhīṣma and introduces a proverbial example: a bird beyond the Himālaya whose speech is always reprehensible in meaning. He uses this image as a rhetorical device within his critique in the Sabha.