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
cleverness, knowledge of the Vedas, bravery, modesty, achievements,
excellent intelligence, humility, beauty, firmness, contentment and
prosperity--all dwell for ever in Achyuta. Therefore, ye kings, it
behoveth ye to approve of the worship that hath been offered unto
Krishna who is of great accomplishments, who as the preceptor, the
father, the guru, is worthy of the Arghya and deserving of
(everybody's) worship. Hrishikesa is the sacrificial priest, the guru,
worthy of being solicited to accept one's daughter in marriage, the
Snataka, the king, the friend: therefore hath Achyuta been worshipped
by us. Krishna is the origin of the universe and that in which the
universe is to dissolve. Indeed, this universe of mobile and immobile
creatures hath sprung into existence from Krishna only. He is the
unmanifest primal cause (Avyakta Prakriti), the creator, the eternal,
and beyond the ken of all creatures. Therefore doth he of unfading
glory deserve highest worship. The intellect, the seat of sensibility,
the five elements, air, heat, water, ether, earth, and the four species
of beings (oviparous, viviparous, born of filthy damp and vegetal) are
all established in Krishna. The sun, the moon, the constellations, the
planets, all the principal directions, the intermediate directions, are
all established in Krishna. As the Agnihotra is the foremost among all
Vedic sacrifices, as the Gayatri is the foremost among metres, as the
king is the foremost among men, as the ocean is the foremost among all
rivers, as the moon is the foremost among all constellations, as the
sun is the foremost among all luminous bodies, as the Meru is the
foremost among all mountains, as Garuda is the foremost among all
birds, so as long as the upward, downward, and sideway course of the
universe lasteth, Kesava is the foremost in all the worlds including
the regions of the celestials. This Sisupala is a mere boy and hence he
knoweth not Krishna, and ever and everywhere speaketh of Krishna thus.
This ruler of Chedi will never see virtue in that light in which one
that is desirous of acquiring high merit will see it. Who is there
among the old and the young or among these illustrious lords of earth
that doth not regard Krishna as deserving of worship or that doth not
worship Krishna? If Sisupala regardeth this worship as undeserved, it
behoveth him to do what is proper in this matter.'"
SECTION XXXVIII
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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