The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa Translated into English Prose: Sabha Parva
Religion
The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa Translated into English Prose: Sabha Parva
Epic literature, Sanskrit
Vaisampayana continued,--"Then, O Bharata, Bhishma the son of Santanu,
judged it by his intelligence that on earth Krishna was the foremost of
all. And he said--'As is the sun among all luminous objects, so is the
one (meaning Krishna) (who shines like the sun) among us all, in
consequence of his energy, strength and prowess. And this our
sacrificial mansion is illuminated and gladdened by him as a sunless
region by the sun, or a region of still air by a gust of breeze. Thus
commanded by Bhishma, Sahadeva endued with great prowess duly presented
the first Arghya of excellent ingredients unto Krishna of the Vrishni
race. Krishna also accepted it according to the forms of the ordinance.
But Sisupala could not bear to see that worship offered unto Vasudeva.
And this mighty king of Chedi, reproving in the midst of that assembly
both Bhishma and. Yudhishthira, censured Vasudeva thereafter.'
SECTION XXXVI
"Sisupala said--'O thou of the Kuru race, this one of the Vrishni race
doth not deserve royal worship as if he were a king, in the midst of
all these illustrious monarchs. O son of Pandu, this conduct of thine
in thus willingly worshipping him with eyes like lotus-petals is not
worthy of the illustrious Pandavas. Ye sons of Pandu. Ye are children.
Ye know not what morality is, for that is very subtle. Bhishma, this
son also of Ganga is of little knowledge and hath transgressed the
rules of morality (by giving ye such counsel). And, O Bhishma, if one
like thee, possessed of virtue and morality acteth from motives of
interest, he is deserving of censure among the honest and the wise. How
doth he of the Dasarha race, who is not even a king, accept worship
before these kings and how is it that he hath been worshipped by ye? O
bull of the Kuru race, if thou regardest Krishna as the oldest in age,
here is Vasudeva, and how can his son be said so in his presence? Or,
if thou regardest Vasudeva as your well-wisher and supporter, here is
Drupada; how then can Madhava deserve the (first) worship? Or, O son of
Kuru, regardest thou Krishna as preceptor? When Drona is here, how hast
thou worshipped him of the Vrishni race? Or, O son of Kuru, regardest
thou Krishna as the Ritwija? When old Dwaipayana is here, how hath
Krishna been worshipped by thee? Again when old Bhishma, the son of
Santanu, that foremost of men who is not to die save at his own wish is
here, why, O king, hath Krishna been worshipped by thee? When the brave
Aswatthaman, versed in every branch of knowledge is here, why, O king,
hath Krishna, O thou of the Kuru race, been worshipped by thee? When
that King of kings, Duryyodhana, that foremost of men, is here, as also
Kripa the preceptor of the Bharata princes, why hath Krishna been
worshipped by thee? How, O son of Pandu, passing over Druma, the
preceptor of the Kimpurusas, hast thou worshipped Krishna? When the
invincible Bhishmaka and king Pandya possessed of every auspicious
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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