Section XXXVII

"Vaisampayana said,—Then the king Yudhishthira hastily ran after Sisupala and spoke unto him sweetly and in a conciliating tone the following words,—

'O lord of earth, what you have said is scarcely proper for you. O king, it is highly sinful and needlessly cruel. Insult not Bhishma, O king, by saying that he does not know what virtue is.

Behold, these many kings, older than you are, all approve of the worship offered unto Krishna. It behoves you to bear it patiently like them.

O ruler of Chedi, Bhishma knows Krishna truly. You knowest him not so well as this one of the Kuru race.'"

"Bhishma also, after this, said,—

He that approves not the worship offered unto Krishna, the oldest one in the universe, deserves neither soft words nor conciliation.

The chief of warriors of the Kshatriya rare who having overcome a Kshatriya in battle and brought him under his power, sets him free, becomes the guru (preceptor or master) of the vanquished one. I do not behold in this assembly of kings even one ruler of men who has not been vanquished in battle by the energy of this son of the Satwata race.

This one (meaning Krishna) here, of undefiled glory, deserves to be worshipped not by ourselves alone, but being of mighty arms, he deserves to be worshipped by the three worlds also. Innumerable warriors among Kshatriyas have been vanquished in battle by Krishna.

The whole universe without limit is established in him of the Vrishni race. Therefore do we worship Krishna amongst the best and the oldest, and not others. It behoves you not to say so. Let your understanding be never so.

I have, O king, waited upon many persons that are old in knowledge. I have heard from all those wise men, while talking; of the numerous much-regarded attributes of the accomplished Sauri.

I have also heard many times all the acts recited by people that Krishna of great intelligence has performed since his birth.

And, O king of Chedi, we do not from caprice, or keeping in view our relationship or the benefits he may confer on us, worship Janarddana who is worshipped by the good on earth and who is the source of the happiness of every creature. We have offered unto him the first worship because of his fame, his heroism, his success.

There is none here of even tender years whom we have not taken into consideration. Passing over many persons that are foremost for their virtues, we have regarded Hari as deserving of the first worship.

Amongst the Brahmanas one that is superior in knowledge,
amongst the Kshatriyas one that is superior in strength,
amongst the Vaisyas one that is superior in possessions and wealth,
and amongst the Sudras one that is superior in years,
deserves to be worshipped.

In the matter of the worship offered unto Govinda, there are two reason, viz., knowledge of the Vedas and their branches, and also excess of strength.

Who else is there in the world of men save Kesava that is so distinguished? Indeed, liberality, cleverness, knowledge of the Vedas, bravery, modesty, achievements, excellent intelligence, humility, beauty, firmness, contentment and prosperity—all dwell for ever in Achyuta.

Therefore, you kings; it behoves you to approve of the worship that has 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 has 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 has 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 does 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 lasts,
Kesava is the foremost in all the worlds including the regions of the celestials.

This Sisupala is a mere boy and hence he knows not Krishna, and ever and everywhere speaks 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 does not regard Krishna as deserving of worship or that does not worship Krishna? If Sisupala regards this worship as undeserved, it behoves him to do what is proper in this matter.'"