02.035
Pancharatra: Bhishma justifies why Krishna deserves the highest honour.
vaiśampāyana uvāca॥
Vaiśampāyana said.
tato yudhiṣṭhiro rājā śiśupālam upādravat। uvāca cainaṃ madhuraṃ sāntvapūrvam idaṃ vacaḥ ॥2-35-1॥
Then King Yudhishthira approached Shishupala and addressed him with these conciliatory and gentle words. (2-35-1)
nedaṃ yuktaṃ mahīpāla yādṛśaṃ vai tvamuktavān। adharmaśca paro rājan pāruṣyaṃ ca nirarthakam ॥2-35-2॥
O king, what you have spoken is not proper. It is great unrighteousness, harshness, and meaningless. (2-35-2)
na hi dharmaṃ paraṃ jātu nāvabudhyeta pārthiva। bhīṣmaḥ śāntanavas tvenaṃ māvamansṭhā ato'nyathā ॥2-35-3॥
O king, no one ever understands a dharma higher than this; Bhishma, son of Shantanu, do not despise him for any other reason. (2-35-3)
paśya cemān mahīpālāṁs tvatto vṛddhatamān bahūn | mṛśyante cārhaṇāṁ kṛṣṇe tadvattvaṁ kṣantum arhasi ||2-35-4||
See, O Krishna, these many kings, most senior to you, are tolerated and honored; likewise, you should also be forgiving. (2-35-4)
veda tattvena kṛṣṇaṃ hi bhīṣmaś cedipate bhṛśam। na hy enaṃ tvaṃ tathā vettha yathainaṃ veda kauravaḥ ॥2-35-5॥
O king of the Cedis, Bhīṣma indeed knows Kṛṣṇa in reality and thoroughly; you do not know him in the same way as the Kaurava does. (2-35-5)
bhīṣma uvāca॥
Bhīṣma said.
nāsmā anunayo deyo nāyam arhati sāntvanam। lokavṛddhatame kṛṣṇe yo'rhaṇāṃ nānumanyate ॥2-35-6॥
He should not be conciliated; he does not deserve soothing words. Even among the most senior in the world, Kṛṣṇa does not approve of honor. (2-35-6)
kṣatriyaḥ kṣatriyaṃ jitvā raṇe raṇakṛtāṃ varaḥ। yo muñcati vaśe kṛtvā gurur bhavati tasya saḥ॥2-35-7॥
A warrior who conquers another warrior in battle is the best among those who fight; but he who, having subdued someone, releases him, becomes his teacher. (2-35-7)
asyāṃ ca samitau rājñām ekam api ajitam yudhi। na paśyāmi mahīpālaṃ sātvati-putra-tejasā ॥2-35-8॥
And in this assembly of kings, I do not see even a single king unconquered in battle by the energy of Satyavati's son. (2-35-8)
na hi kevalamasmākamayamarcyatamo'cyutaḥ। trayāṇāmapi lokānāmarcanīyo janārdanaḥ ॥2-35-9॥
Acyuta is not only the most worthy of worship for us; Janardana is worthy of worship even for the three worlds. (2-35-9)
kṛṣṇena hi jitā yuddhe bahavaḥ kṣatriyarṣabhāḥ। jagatsarvaṃ ca vārṣṇeye nikhilena pratiṣṭhitam ॥2-35-10॥
Indeed, many mighty kṣatriyas were conquered in battle by Kṛṣṇa; and the entire world was established by the descendant of Vṛṣṇi. (2-35-10)
tasmātsatsvapi vṛddheṣu kṛṣṇamarcāma netarān। evaṃ vaktuṃ na cārhastvaṃ mā bhūtte buddhirīdṛśī ॥2-35-11॥
Therefore, even among the virtuous and elders, let us worship Kṛṣṇa and not others. You should not speak thus, nor should your mind be like this. (2-35-11)
jñānavṛddhā mayā rājanbahavaḥ paryupāsitāḥ। teṣāṃ kathayatāṃ śaurerahaṃ guṇavato guṇān॥ samāgatānāmaśrauṣaṃ bahūnbahumatānsatām॥2-35-12॥
O king, I have attended many who are grown in knowledge. Among them, as they spoke of Śauri, I heard the qualities of the virtuous. Of those assembled, I heard many highly esteemed virtues of the good. (2-35-12)
karmāṇy api ca yāny asya janma-prabhṛti dhīmataḥ। bahuśaḥ kathyamānāni narair bhūyaḥ śrutāni me ॥2-35-13॥
The actions of that wise one, from his birth onwards, which have often been recounted by men, I have heard again and again. (2-35-13)
na kevalaṃ vayaṃ kāmāccedirāja janārdanam। na sambandhaṃ puraskṛtya kṛtārthaṃ vā kathañcana ॥2-35-14॥
Not only do we, out of desire, seek the king of Cedi, O Janardana, but not even considering relationship or whether one has achieved his purpose in any way. (2-35-14)
arcāmahe'rcitaṃ sadbhirbhuvi bhaumasukhāvaham। yaśaḥ śauryaṃ jayaṃ cāsya vijñāyārcāṃ prayujmahe ॥2-35-15॥
We worship him who is worshipped by the virtuous on earth and brings earthly happiness; knowing his fame, valor, and victory, we perform his worship. (2-35-15)
na hi kaścidi hāsmābhiḥ subālo'pyaparīkṣitaḥ। guṇairvṛddhānatikramya harirarcya-tamo mataḥ ॥2-35-16॥
Indeed, no one here, not even a very young boy, has been left unexamined by us; surpassing the elders in virtues, Hari is considered the most worthy of worship. (2-35-16)
jñānavṛddho dvijātīnāṃ kṣatriyāṇāṃ balādhikaḥ। pūjye tāviha govinde hetū dvāvapi saṃsthitau ॥2-35-17॥
Among the twice-born, one who is advanced in knowledge, and among the kṣatriyas, one who is superior in strength—these two are worthy of worship here; in Govinda, both these reasons are present. (2-35-17)
vedavedāṅgavijñānaṃ balaṃ cāpyamitaṃ tathā। nṛṇāṃ hi loke kasyāsti viśiṣṭaṃ keśavādṛte ॥2-35-18॥
Who among men in this world possesses distinguished knowledge of the Vedas and Vedāṅgas, special knowledge, and immeasurable strength, except Keśava? (2-35-18)
dānaṃ dākṣyaṃ śrutaṃ śauryaṃ hrīḥ kīrtirbuddhiruttamā। saṃnatiḥ śrīrdhṛtistuṣṭiḥ puṣṭiśca niyatācyute ॥2-35-19॥
Gift, skill, learning, valor, modesty, fame, excellent intellect, humility, prosperity, steadfastness, contentment, and nourishment — all these are firmly established in Acyuta (Viṣṇu). (2-35-19)
tam imaṃ sarvasampannam ācāryaṃ pitaraṃ gurum। arcyam arcitam arcārhaṃ sarve saṃmantum arhatha ॥2-35-20॥
All of you ought to honor him, this teacher, father, and preceptor, who is endowed with all virtues and is worthy of worship, worshipped, and deserving of worship. (2-35-20)
ṛtvig-gurur-vivāhyaś-ca snātako nṛpatiḥ priyaḥ। sarvam-etad-dhṛṣīkeśe tasmād-abhyarcito'cyutaḥ ॥2-35-21॥
The priest, the teacher, the bridegroom, the graduate, and the king are all dear; therefore, all these were offered to Dhṛṣīkeśa, and thus Acyuta was worshipped. (2-35-21)
kṛṣṇa eva hi lokānām utpattir api ca āpyayaḥ। kṛṣṇasya hi kṛte bhūtam idaṃ viśvaṃ samarpitam ॥2-35-22॥
Kṛṣṇa alone is the origin and dissolution of the worlds; for the sake of Kṛṣṇa, indeed, this entire universe of beings is dedicated. (2-35-22)
eṣa prakṛtiravyaktā kartā caiva sanātanaḥ। paraśca sarvabhūtebhyastasmādvṛddhatamo'cyutaḥ ॥2-35-23॥
This nature is unmanifest, the eternal doer; and the transcendent, therefore, is the most ancient and infallible among all beings. (2-35-23)
buddhirmano mahānvāyustejo’mbhaḥ khaṃ mahī ca yā। caturvidhaṃ ca yadbhūtaṃ sarvaṃ kṛṣṇe pratiṣṭhitam ॥2-35-24॥
Intellect, mind, the great principle (mahat), air, fire, water, ether, earth, and all fourfold beings—everything is established in Kṛṣṇa. (2-35-24)
ādityaś candramāś caiva nakṣatrāṇi grahāś ca ye। diśaś copadiśaś caiva sarvaṃ kṛṣṇe pratiṣṭhitam ॥2-35-25॥
The sun, the moon, the stars, the planets, the directions and the intermediate directions—all are established in Kṛṣṇa. (2-35-25)
ayaṃ tu puruṣo bālaḥ śiśupālo na budhyate। sarvatra sarvadā kṛṣṇaṃ tasmādevaṃ prabhāṣate ॥2-35-26॥
But this man, the child Śiśupāla, does not understand. Therefore, everywhere and always, he thus speaks about Kṛṣṇa. (2-35-26)
yo hi dharmaṃ vicinuyād utkṛṣṭaṃ matimān naraḥ। sa vai paśyed yathā adharmaṃ na tathā ca edirāḍ ayam ॥2-35-27॥
An intelligent man who truly investigates the highest dharma will recognize what is adharma, and will not see it as this king of the Cedis does. (2-35-27)
savṛddhabāleṣvatha vā pārthiveṣu mahātmasu। ko nārhaṃ manyate kṛṣṇaṃ ko vāpyenaṃ na pūjayet ॥2-35-28॥
Among the aged and the young, or among kings and great souls, who would not consider Kṛṣṇa worthy? Who indeed would not worship him? (2-35-28)
athemāṃ duṣkṛtāṃ pūjāṃ śiśupālo vyavasyati। duṣkṛtāyāṃ yathānyāyaṃ tathāyaṃ kartumarhati ॥2-35-29॥
Now, Śiśupāla determines to perform this evil worship. Since it is wrongdoing, he is justified in acting in such an unjust manner. (2-35-29)
