Shishupala insults Bhishma for praising Krishna
Bhishma declares that Shishupala's challenge to Krishna is not his own will but destiny's design. Enraged, Shishupala launches a torrent of insults, accusing Bhishma of being a sycophantic bard and comparing him to a foolish bird that lives at a lion's pleasure.
Bhishma looked at the furious king of Chedi and spoke, not to him, but to the assembly. "The Chedi king's intention of challenging Achyuta is not his own. There is no doubt that Krishna, lord of the universe, determined this." He turned to Bhimasena. "What king on earth dares abuse me now, as this defiler of his lineage has done, had it not been for incitement by destiny?" He explained the core of the conflict: Shishupala was but a small part of Hari's divine energy, and the greatly famous Hari wished to reclaim it. "It is for this reason that the evil-minded king of Chedi roars like a tiger, without thinking about all of us."
Shishupala could not tolerate these words. His anger boiled over, and he addressed Bhishma directly.
"O Bhishma! Let our enemies possess the influence that Keshava possesses. You always arise and praise him like a bard." He mocked Bhishma's devotion. "If your mind finds pleasure in praising others, then praise the real kings, leaving out Janardana."
He began to list them, a pointed catalogue of warriors Bhishma had ignored. "Praise Darada of Bahlika, supreme among kings. When he was born, he tore the earth asunder. Praise this Karna. He is the wielder of a mighty bow. He equals the thousand-eyed one in strength and is the ruler of Vanga and Anga. Always praise Drona and Drouni. The father and son are maharathas (great chariot-warriors), supreme among brahmanas, and worthy of praise." He insisted that if either Drona or Ashvatthama were enraged, they could annihilate the earth itself. "Why don't you wish to praise them? Since your mind is always fixed on praising, why don't you praise Shalya and the other rulers of earth?"
Then Shishupala shifted from mockery to a lecture on conduct, invoking ancient wisdom. "There are four things that must not be done—self-censure, worship of oneself, censure of others and worship of others. These are not done by those who follow proper conduct." He accused Bhishma of violating this code through his continual, deluded praise of Krishna. "How can you establish the entire universe in this evil-minded protector of herds, Bhoja’s servant?"
He concluded with a parable meant to humiliate. "Have I not mentioned the bhulinga bird earlier? The bhulinga bird lives on the other side of the Himalayas. What it spoke was always devoid of meaning. 'Do not act out of extreme courage' was what it always said. But in folly, it always acted out of extreme courage." He described the bird's fatal habit: picking pieces of flesh from between the teeth of a feeding lion. "O Bhishma! There is no doubt that the bird's life was dependent on the lion's pleasure. You are based in what is not dharma and always speak like it. There is no doubt that you live at the pleasure of these lords of the earth. There is no one like you, engaged in deeds that the worlds abhor."