Shloka 8
सभा पर्व, अध्याय ३७ — युधिष्ठिरस्य भीष्मोपदेशः
Yudhiṣṭhira’s Consultation and Bhīṣma’s Counsel in the Assembly
आचार्य मन्यसे कृष्णमथ वा कुरुनन्दन । द्रोणे तिष्ठति वाष्णेयं कस्मादर्चितवानसि
ācārya manyase kṛṣṇam atha vā kurunandana | droṇe tiṣṭhati vāṣṇeyaṃ kasmād arcitavān asi ||
Śiśupāla disse: “Ó Kurunandana, consideras Kṛṣṇa teu mestre? Ou, se afirmas que ele deve ser honrado mesmo enquanto Droṇa ainda se encontra entre os preceptores, por que então adoraste este Vāṣṇeya? Ao honrar Kṛṣṇa nesta assembleia régia, deixaste de lado a ordem de precedência estabelecida—um ato que, aos olhos de Śiśupāla, viola o decoro ético pelo qual os anciãos e os mestres reconhecidos devem ser respeitados primeiro.”
शिशुपाल उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds the dharmic idea of social and ethical precedence: in public rites and assemblies, honor is expected to follow recognized hierarchies—especially toward elders and established teachers. Śiśupāla weaponizes this norm to argue that honoring Kṛṣṇa over Droṇa is improper, illustrating how dharma-language can be used both to uphold order and to attack rivals.
During Yudhiṣṭhira’s great royal rite and assembly, Kṛṣṇa is offered special honor. Śiśupāla objects and challenges the legitimacy of that honor, asking why Kṛṣṇa is treated as an ācārya or worthy of worship when eminent figures like Droṇa are present.