(Arghyaharana Parva)
Vaisampayana said,--"On the last day of the sacrifice when the king was
to be sprinkled over with the sacred water, the great Brahmana Rishis
ever deserving of respectful treatment, along with the invited kings,
entered together the inner enclosure of the sacrificial compound. And
those illustrious Rishis with Narada as their foremost, seated at their
ease with those royal sages within that enclosure, looked like the gods
seated in the mansion of Brahma in the company of the celestial Rishis.
Endued with immeasurable energy those Rishis, having obtained leisure,
started various topics of conversation. 'This is so,' 'This is not so,'
'This is even so.' 'This cannot be otherwise,'--thus did many of them
engage in discussions with one another. Some amongst the disputants, by
well-chosen arguments made the weaker position appear the stronger and
the stronger the weaker. Some disputants endued with great intelligence
fell upon the position urged by others like hawks darting at meat
thrown up into the air, while some amongst them versed in the
interpretations of religious treatises and others of rigid vows, and
well-acquainted with every commentary and gloss engaged themselves in
pleasant converse. And, O king, that platform crowded with gods,
Brahmanas and great Rishis looked extremely handsome like the wide
expanse of the firmament studded with stars. O monarch, there was then
no Sudra near that platform of Yudhisthira's mansion, nor anybody that
was without vows.
"And Narada, beholding the fortunate Yudhisthira's prosperity that was
born of that sacrifice, became highly gratified. Beholding that vast
concourse all the Kshatriyas, the Muni Narada, O king of men, became
thoughtful. And, O bull amongst men, the Rishi began to recollect the
words he had heard of old in the mansion of Brahma regarding the
incarnation on earth of portions of every deity. And knowing, O son of
the Kuru race, that that was a concourse (of incarnate) gods, Narada
thought in his mind of Hari with eyes like lotus-petals. He knew that
that creator himself of every object one, that exalted of all
gods--Narayana--who had formerly commanded the celestials, saying,--'Be
ye born on earth and slay one another and come back to heaven'--that
slayer of all the enemies of the gods, that subjugator of all hostile
towns, in order to fulfil his own promise, had been born in the
Kshatriya order. And Narada knew that the exalted and holy Narayana,
also called Sambhu the lord of the universe, having commanded all the
celestials thus, had taken his birth in the race of Yadus and that
foremost of all perpetuator of races, having sprung from the line of
the Andhaka-Vrishnis on earth was graced with great good fortune and
was shining like the moon herself among stars. Narada knew that Hari
the grinder of foes, whose strength of arm was ever praised by all the
celestials with Indra among them, was then living in the world in human
form. Oh, the Self-Create will himself take away (from the earth) this
vast concourse of Kshatriyas endued with so much strength. Such was the
vision of Narada the omniscient who knew Hari or Narayana to be that
Supreme Lord whom everybody worshipped with sacrifice. And Narada,
gifted with great intelligence and the foremost of all persons and
conversant with morality, thinking of all this, sat at that sacrifice
of the wise king Yudhisthira the just with feelings of awe.
"Then Bhishma, O king, addressing king Yudhisthira the just, said, 'O
Bharata, let Arghya (an article of respect) be offered unto the kings
as each of them deserveth. Listen, O Yudhishthira, the preceptor, the
sacrificial priest, the relative, the Snataka, the friend, and the
king, it hath been said are the six that deserve Arghya. The wise have
said that when any of these dwell with one for full one year he
deserveth to be worshipped with Arghya. These kings have been staying
with us for some time. Therefore, O king, let Arghyas be procured to be
offered unto each of them. And let an Arghya be presented first of all
unto him among those present who is the foremost.'
"Hearing these words of Bhishma, Yudhishthira said--'O Grandsire, O
thou of the Kuru race, whom thou deemest the foremost amongst these and
unto whom the Arghya should be presented by us, O tell me.'"
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.'