Shloka 8
Śiśupāla-vadha in the Rājasūya-sabhā (शिशुपालवधः — राजसूयसभायाम्)
अथ वा नैतदाश्षर्य येषां त्वमसि भारत । स्त्रीसधर्मा च वृद्धश्न सर्वार्थानां प्रदर्शक:
atha vā naitad āścaryaṁ yeṣāṁ tvam asi bhārata | strī-sadharmā ca vṛddhaś ca sarvārthānāṁ pradarśakaḥ ||
“或者说，噢，婆罗多啊，这根本不足为奇：凡事都以你这般人为向导者——我所指控的，性情柔弱如妇人，又且年迈——他们作出这样的判断，本就在意料之中。”
शिशुपाल उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse illustrates adharma in speech: Śiśupāla uses personal abuse and gendered/age-based slurs to undermine authority instead of offering reasoned, dharmic argument. It highlights how rhetoric can be weaponized to shame opponents in royal assemblies.
In the royal assembly context of the Sabha Parva, Śiśupāla is speaking aggressively, addressing someone as “Bhārata,” and mocking him as effeminate and old, claiming it is unsurprising that others follow such a guide in all matters—thereby attempting to discredit the addressee and those aligned with him.