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 thou hast said is scarcely
proper for thee. O king, it is highly sinful and needlessly cruel.
Insult not Bhishma, O king, by saying that he doth not know what virtue
is. Behold, these many kings, older than thou art, all approve of the
worship offered unto Krishna. It behoveth thee to bear it patiently
like them. O ruler of Chedi, Bhishma knoweth Krishna truly. Thou
knowest him not so well as this one of the Kuru race.'
"Bhishma also, after this, said,--'He that approveth not the worship
offered unto Krishna, the oldest one in the universe, deserveth neither
soft words nor conciliation. The chief of warriors of the Kshatriya
race who having overcome a Kshatriya in battle and brought him under
his power, setteth him free, becometh the guru (preceptor or master) of
the vanquished one. I do not behold in this assembly of kings even one
ruler of men who hath not been vanquished in battle by the energy of
this son of the Satwata race. This one (meaning Krishna) here, of
undefiled glory, deserveth to be worshipped not by ourselves alone, but
being of mighty arms, he deserveth 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 behoveth thee not to say so.
Let thy 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 hath 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, deserveth to be worshipped. In the matter of the worship offered
unto Govinda, there are two reasons, 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, 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.'"