Shloka 29
Bhīṣma–Śiśupāla-saṃvādaḥ
Bhishma and Shishupala’s exchange in the assembly
सो<नपत्यश्व वृद्धश्न॒ मिथ्याधर्मानुसारक: । हंसवत् त्वमपीदानी ज्ञातिभ्य: प्राप्तुया वधम्,तुम संतानहीन, वृद्ध और मिथ्याधर्मका अनुसरण करनेवाले हो; अत: इस समय हंसकी भाँति तुम भी अपने जातिभाइयोंके हाथसे ही मारे जाओगे
so 'napatyāś ca vṛddhaś ca mithyādharmānusārakaḥ | haṃsavat tvam apīdānīṃ jñātibhyaḥ prāptavā vadhām ||
నీవు సంతానం లేని వృద్ధుడవు, మిథ్యాధర్మాన్ని అనుసరించేవాడవు; అందుచేత ఇప్పుడు హంసవలె నీవు కూడా నీ బంధువుల చేతిలోనే వధను పొందుతావు.
शिशुपाल उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse illustrates how accusations of “false dharma” function as moral condemnation in epic rhetoric: a person portrayed as deviating from true dharma is said to become vulnerable to downfall, even at the hands of one’s own kin—highlighting the epic’s concern with authentic versus pretended righteousness.
In the royal assembly context of the Sabha Parva, Śiśupāla delivers a harsh taunt, branding his target as childless, old, and a follower of spurious dharma, and predicts that he will be killed by his own relatives—an escalation of verbal hostility within the courtly confrontation.