Shloka 6

Śiśupāla-vadha in the Rājasūya-sabhā (शिशुपालवधः — राजसूयसभायाम्)

Devanagari script

यद्ययं जगत: कर्ता यथैनं मूर्ख मन्यसे । कमस्मान्न ब्राह्मणं सम्यगात्मानमवगच्छति

Transliteration

yady ayaṁ jagataḥ kartā yathainaṁ mūḍha manyase | kim asmān na brāhmaṇaṁ samyag ātmānam avagacchati mūḍha bhīṣma ||

Translation

尸修波罗说道：“若如你这般愚昧所信，此人真是世界的造作者，那么他为何不正当地承认自己是婆罗门？噢，愚昧的毗湿摩——若奎师那确为整个宇宙的创造者与维系者，为何他不以圆满自知，将自己视为婆罗门？”

Word by Word

• यदि: if
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि

• अयम्: this (person)
• अयम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• जगतः: of the world
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत्
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• कर्ता: creator/doer
• कर्ता: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्तृ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• यथा: as/just as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• एनम्: him/this one
• एनम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• मूर्ख: O fool
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूर्ख
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• मन्यसे: you think/consider
• Type: Verb
• Root: मन् (मन्यते)
• Form: Present, Second, Singular, Atmanepada

• किम्: why/what
• किम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अस्मात्: from himself/from us (context: from himself)
• अस्मात्: Apadana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Ablative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• ब्राह्मणम्: a brahmin
• ब्राह्मणम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• सम्यक्: properly/correctly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्यक्

• आत्मानम्: himself
• आत्मानम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अवगच्छति: understands/recognizes
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव + गम्
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

शिशुपाल उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Shishupala
• Bhishma
• Krishna

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how theological claims (Krishna as cosmic creator) can be challenged through social categories (varna). Shishupala weaponizes the brahmin/kshatriya distinction to mock Bhishma’s reverence, showing the ethical danger of pride and insult: spiritual truth is not settled by status-arguments, and contemptuous speech becomes a cause of conflict.

What is happening in the narrative?

During the Rajasuya-related assembly scene in the Sabha Parva, Bhishma and others honor Krishna. Shishupala publicly attacks this honor, calling Bhishma deluded and arguing that if Krishna were truly the world’s creator, he would acknowledge himself as a brahmin—thus attempting to discredit Krishna’s supremacy and provoke the court.