Radha Krishna - Chapter 74: The Râjasûya: Krishna the First and S'is'upâla Killed

(1) S'rî S'uka said: 'Yudhishthhira, the king, thus hearing of the death of Jarâsandha and the display of power of the almighty Krishna, pleased with that addressed Him. (2) S'rî Yudhishthhira said: 'All the spiritual masters, inhabitants, and great controllers there are of the three worlds, carry the indeed rarely obtained command [of You] on their heads. (3) That He, the Lotus-eyed Lord Yourself, takes directions of those to the day living people [like us] who presume themselves to be controllers, is, o All-pervading One, the greatest annoyance. (4) Like with the sun indeed, does of the One without a Second, the Absolute Truth, the Supersoul, the power not increase nor diminish by [His] activities [see B.G. 2: 40]. (5) O Mâdhava, the perverted mentality of setting apart 'you and yours' and 'I and mine', as if one is of the animals, is verily not Yours, o Unconquerable One, nor of your bhaktas.'

(6) S'rî S'uka said: 'Thus having spoken chose the son of Prithâ, at the right time for the sacrifice, with the permission of Krishna the priests who were suitable, the brahmins who were vedic experts: (7-9) Dvaipâyana [Vyâsa], Bharadvâja, Sumantu, Gotama, Asita, Vasishthha, Cyavana, Kanva, Maitreya, Kavasha, Trita, Vis'vâmitra, Vâmadeva, Sumati, Jaimini, Kratu, Paila, Parâs'ara, Garga, Vais'ampâyana as also Atharvâ, Kas'yapa, Dhaumya, Râma of the Bhârgavas [Pâras'urâma], Âsuri, Vîtihotra, Madhucchandâ, Vîrasena and Akritavrana. (10-11) Also invited were others like Drona, Bhîshma, Kripa and Dhritarâshthra with his sons, and the highly intelligent Vidura; kings with their royal entourages, brahmins, kshatriyas, vais'yas and s'ûdras, all came there eager to attend the sacrifice, o King. (12) Then furrowed the brahmins with plowshares of gold the place of worshiping the gods and inaugurated they there the king according the injunctions. (13-15) The utensils were of gold like it had been in the past when Varuna sacrificed [compare 9.2: 27]. The rulers of the worlds headed by Indra, including Brahmâ and S'iva; the perfected and heavenly singers with their entourage; the scholars, the great serpents [v.i.p.s, egos], the sages, the wealth keepers and wild men; the birds of heaven [see khaga], the mighty, the venerable and the earthly kings who were invited, as also the wives of the kings came from everywhere to the Râjasûya sacrifice which they, not being surpised, for a devotee of Krishna deemed quite appropriate. (16) The priests who were as powerful as the gods performed for the great king the Râjasûya sacrifice as was vedically prescribed, exactly the way the demigods had done it for Varuna. (17) On the day for extracting the soma-juice worshiped the king very attentively the sacrificers and the exalted personalities of the assembly. (18) The members seated in the assembly pondering over who of them deserved to be worshiped first could not arrive at a conclusion because there were many [who qualified]; then Sahadeva [the Pândava] spoke up: (19) 'Acyuta for sure deserves the supreme position, He is the Supreme Lord, the leader of the Sâtvatas, He doubtlessly covers all the demigods as well as the place, time and necessities and such. (20-21) This universe as well as the great sacrificial performances, the sacred fire, the oblations and the incantations are founded upon Him and the analytical perspective and the yoga are aiming at Him. He is the One alone without a second upon whom the Living Being builds, the Unborn One relying on Himself alone, o members of the assembly, who creates, maintains and destroys.

(22) He generates the various activities out here; to His grace does the whole world endeavor and follow its ideals known as the religiosity and so on [the purusharthas]. (23) Therefore should the greatest honor be given to Krishna, the Supreme One; if we do it this way, will we be honoring all living beings as well as ourselves. (24) It is to be given to Krishna, the Soul of all beings who sees no one as separate from Himself; to the One of Peace Perfectly Complete who for one who wishes his love to be reciprocated, is the Unlimited [the Infinite of Return].'

(25) Sahadeva thus speaking fell silent and all the ones of excellence and truth who heard this and had awoken to the influence of Krishna said happily: 'This is excellent, very fine!'

(26) Hearing what the twiceborn pronounced, worshiped the king overwhelmed by love Hrishîkes'a fully, glad to know that the members of the assembly were content. (27-28) Washing His feet and taking the water that purifies the world on his own head, carried he it with pleasure to his wife, his brothers, his ministers and family. And as he with precious yellow silken garments and jewelry was honoring Him, could he, with the tears filling his eyes, not look Him straight in His face. (29) Seeing Him honored this way exclaimed all the people with joined palms: 'Obeisances to You, all victory to You!' and to that they bowed down to Him and showered they Him with flowers.

(30) The son of Damaghosha [S'is'upâla, see 10.53] hearing this rose, aroused by the descriptions of Krishna's qualities, from his seat angrily waving with his arms and said, resolutely addressing the Fortunate One with harsh words, this in the middle of the assembly: (31) 'The vedic word of truth that Time is the unavoidable controller, has been proven true since even the intelligence of the elders could be led astray by the words of a boy! (32) All of you very well know who would be the most praiseworthy; please, all you leaders of the assembly, pay no attention to the statements of the boy that Krishna should be chosen for being honored. (33-34) You overlook the leaders in the assembly who are the best among the wise. They, dedicated to the Absolute Truth, are held high by the local authorities, they are men who by spiritual understanding, austerity, vedic knowledge and vows eradicated their impurities. How can a cowherd, who is a disgrace to His family, deserve it to be worshiped? He deserves it no more than a crow deserves the sacred rice cake! (35) How can He, acting on His own accord and devoid of kula [a proper upbringing] varna [vocational propriety] and âs'rama [sense of duty to one's age], thus missing the qualities, deserve it to be worshiped? (36) With their [Yadu-]dynasty cursed by Yayâti [see 9.18: 40-44], being ostracized by well-behaved persons [see 10.52: 9] and wantonly addicted to drinking [e.g. 10.67: 9-10], how can such a one deserve the worship? (37) Abandoning the lands [of Mathurâ] graced by the brahmin sages took these Ones to a fortress in the sea [10.50: 49] where the brahminical is not observed [10.57: 30], and where They as thieves give a lot of trouble to the people [e.g. 10.61].'

(38) Before him who, with speaking such and more harsh words, had lost all his chances, spoke the Supreme Lord not a word. He kept silent like a lion to a jackal's cry. (39) Hearing that intolerable criticism, covered the members of the assembly their ears and went they away cursing the king of Cedi angrily. (40) A person dedicated to Him who does not leave the place where criticism of the Supreme Lord is heard, will, having lost his pious credit, fall down. (41) The sons of Pându, the Matsyas, Kaikayas and Sriñjayas then, infuriated raising their weapons, stood prepared to kill S'is'upâla. (42) Thereupon, o scion of Bharata, took S'is'upâla undaunted up his sword and shield to challenge with insults the kings in the assembly who were the proponents of Krishna. (43) The Supreme Lord just then rising stopped His devotees and displeased attacked His enemy with His sharp-edged disc with which He severed his head. (44) With S'is'upâla killed there was a tumultuous uproar among the audience, which thus offered the kings who sided with him and feared for their lives the opportunity to flee. (45) Right before the eyes of all the living rose from the body of S'is'upâla a light that entered Krishna like it was a meteor from the sky falling to earth [see also 10.12: 33]. (46) Extending throughout three lifetimes had he been obsessed by a mentality of enmity and attained he thus meditating Oneness with Him [B.G. 4: 9]. It is really so that one's attitude is the cause of one's rebirth! [see B.G. 8: 6 & Jaya and Vijaya] (47) The emperor gave in gratitude the priests and the members of the assembly abundant gifts, respecting them all properly according the scriptural injunctions, and performed the avabhritha ceremony [of washing himself and the utensils to conclude the sacrifice]. (48) Krishna, the Controller of the Controllers of Yoga, seeing to it that the sacrifice of the king was performed, stayed a couple of months [in Indraprastha] on the request of His well-wishers. (49) Then asking permission with a reluctant king, went the son of Devakî, Îs'vara, with His wives and ministers away to His own city. (50) The tale of the two Vaikunthha residents that due to the curse of the learned ones had to be born again and again, has by me been related to you in detail [see 3.16]. (51) King Yudhishthhira in the midst of the brahmins and kshatriyas bathing at the avabhritha of the Râjasûja shone as brilliant as the king of the demigods. (52) All the gods, humans and beings in the sky [the lesser gods, the Pramathas] honored by the king happily returned to their own domains, full of praise for Krishna and the sacrifice. (53) [All were happy], except for the sinful Duryodhana, who was the pest of the Kuru dynasty and the personification of the Age of Quarrel. To face the flourishing opulence of the Pândavas was something he couldn't bear.

(54) He who recites these activities of Lord Vishnu, the deliverance of the kings, the sacrifice and the killing of the king of Cedi and such, is delivered from all sin.'