SECTION XXXV
(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 you 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."
--------------------END OF PARVA 2 : UPA-PARVA 35 ---------------------
