Shloka 8
Śiśupāla-janma-lakṣaṇaṃ (Śiśupāla’s birth marks and the prophecy of his end)
भषन्ते तात संक्रुद्धा: श्वानः सिंहस्य संनिधौ
bhaṣante tāta saṅkruddhāḥ śvānaḥ siṁhasya saṁnidhau
Sinabi ni Vaiśampāyana: “O mahal ko, gaya ng mga asong nag-aalab sa galit na tumatahol sa mismong harap ng isang leon, ang mga taong ito’y nag-iingay lamang hangga’t si Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa—na tulad ng leon—ay hindi pa ganap na nagigising upang parusahan sila. Maging si Śiśupāla, ang leon sa mga hari at hiyas ng angkan ng Cedi, ay nawalan na ng paghatol; sa pagnanais na ipadala ang mga haring ito sa kaharian ni Yama, sinusubukan niya ang imposible—gawing leon ang isang aso.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
Arrogant speech and mob-like clamor persist only while true authority remains restrained; when dharmic power awakens to administer daṇḍa (just punishment), empty bravado collapses. The verse also warns that anger and loss of viveka (discernment) can drive even a renowned king into self-destructive provocation.
During the Sabhā Parva episode surrounding the Rājasūya and the honoring of Kṛṣṇa, hostile kings—led by Śiśupāla—raise an uproar. Vaiśampāyana describes them through a metaphor: like dogs barking near a lion, they are loud only until Kṛṣṇa decides to act, foreshadowing Śiśupāla’s impending punishment.