Shloka 31
Adhyāya 39: Śiśupāla’s Censure and Bhīma’s Contained Wrath (शिशुपाल-निन्दा तथा भीमक्रोध-निग्रहः)
स एव हि मया वध्यो भविष्यति न संशय: । “राजाओ! केशी दैत्यका वध करनेवाले अनन्त-पराक्रमी भगवान् श्रीकृष्णकी मेरे द्वारा जो पूजा की गयी है, उसे आपलोगोंमेंसे जो सहन न कर सकें, उन सब बलवानोंके मस्तकपर मैंने यह पैर रख दिया। मैंने खूब सोच-समझकर यह बात कही है। जो इसका उत्तर देना चाहे, वह सामने आ जाय। मेरे द्वारा वह वधके योग्य होगा; इसमें संशय नहीं है
sa eva hi mayā vadhyo bhaviṣyati na saṁśayaḥ |
स एव हि मया वध्यो भविष्यति न संशयः। “राजानः! केशीदैत्यवधकर्तुरनन्तपराक्रमस्य भगवान् श्रीकृष्णस्य मया या पूजा कृता, तां युष्माकं मध्ये ये न सहन्ते, तेषां सर्वेषां बलवतां मस्तके मया पादो न्यस्तः। सुविचार्यैवैतदुक्तं मया। योऽस्योत्तरं दातुमिच्छति, स सम्मुखो भवतु। मया स वध्य एव; नात्र संशयः।”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the moral psychology of the epic’s courtly world: when honor is perceived as violated, a warrior’s vow can harden into absolute certainty, leaving little room for reconciliation. It highlights how public humiliation and retaliatory resolve become engines of adharma-driven escalation.
In the assembly setting, the narration marks a decisive moment: the speaker (as reported by Vaiśampāyana) declares that a particular person is unquestionably destined to be slain by him, indicating that the dispute has moved from insult and challenge into a fixed vow of lethal retaliation.