SECTION XXXVI
"Sisupala said--'O you of the Kuru race, this one of the Vrishni race
doth not deserve royal worship as if he were a king, in the midst of all
these illustrious monarchs. O son of Pandu, this conduct of yours in thus
willingly worshipping him with eyes like lotus-petals is not worthy of
the illustrious Pandavas. Ye sons of Pandu. Ye are children. Ye know not
what morality is, for that is very subtle. Bhishma, this son also of
Ganga is of little knowledge and hath transgressed the rules of morality
(by giving the such counsel). And, O Bhishma, if one like thee, possessed
of virtue and morality acteth from motives of interest, he is deserving
of censure among the honest and the wise. How doth he of the Dasarha
race, who is not even a king, accept worship before these kings and how
is it that he hath been worshipped by ye? O bull of the Kuru race, if
thou regardest Krishna as the oldest in age, here is Vasudeva, and how
can his son be said so in his presence? Or, if you regardest Vasudeva as
your well-wisher and supporter, here is Drupada; how then can Madhava
deserve the (first) worship? Or, O son of Kuru, regardest you Krishna as
preceptor? When Drona is here, how hast you worshipped him of the
Vrishni race? Or, O son of Kuru, regardest you Krishna as the Ritwija?
When old Dwaipayana is here, how hath Krishna been worshipped by thee?
Again when old Bhishma, the son of Santanu, that foremost of men who is
not to die save at his own wish is here, why, O king, hath Krishna been
worshipped by thee? When the brave Aswatthaman, versed in every branch of
knowledge is here, why, O king, hath Krishna, O you of the Kuru race,
been worshipped by thee? When that King of kings, Duryyodhana, that
foremost of men, is here, as also Kripa the preceptor of the Bharata
princes, why hath Krishna been worshipped by thee? How, O son of Pandu,
passing over Druma, the preceptor of the Kimpurusas, hast you worshipped
Krishna? When the invincible Bhishmaka and king Pandya possessed of every
auspicious mark, and that foremost of kings--Rukmi and Ekalavya and
Salya, the king of the Madras, are here, how, O son of Pandu, hast thou
offered the first worship unto Krishna? Here also is Karna ever boasting
of his strength amongst all kings, and (really) endued with great might,
the favourite disciple of the Brahmana Jamadagnya, the hero who
vanquished in battle all monarchs by his own strength alone. How, O
Bharata, hast thou, passing him over, offered the first worship unto
Krishna? The slayer of Madhu is neither a sacrificial priest nor a
preceptor, nor a king. That you hast notwithstanding all these
worshipped him, O chief of the Kurus, could only have been from motives
of gain. If, O Bharata, it was your wish to offer the first worship unto
the slayer of Madhu, why were these monarchs brought here to be insulted
thus? We have not paid tributes to the illustrious son of Kunti from
fear, from desire of gain, or from having been won over by conciliation.
On the other hand, we have paid him tribute simply because he hath been
desirous of the imperial dignity from motives of virtue. And yet he it is
that thus insulteth us. O king, from what else, save motives of insult,
could it have been that you hast worshipped Krishna, who possesseth not
the insignia of royalty, with the Arghya in the midst of the assembled
monarchs? Indeed, the reputation for virtue that the son of Dharma hath
acquired, hath been acquired by him without cause, for who would offer
such undue worship unto one that hath fallen off from virtue. This wretch
born in the race of the Vrishnis unrighteously slew of old the
illustrious king Jarasandha. Righteousness hath today been abandoned by
Yudhishthira and meanness only hath been displayed by him in consequence
of his having offered the Arghya to Krishna. If the helpless sons of
Kunti were affrighted and disposed to meanness, thou, O Madhava, ought to
have enlightened them as to your claims to the first worship? Why also, O
Janarddana, didst you accept the worship of which you are unworthy,
although it was offered unto you by those mean-minded princes? Thou
thinkest much of the worship unworthily offered unto thee, like a dog
that lappeth in solitude a quantity of clarified butter that it hath
obtained. O Janarddana, this is really no insult offered unto the
monarchs; on the other hand it is you whom the Kurus have insulted.
Indeed, O slayer of Madhu, as a wife is to one that is without virile
power, as a fine show is to one that is blind, so is this royal worship
to you who are no king. What Yudhishthira is, hath been seen; what
Bhishma is, hath been seen; and what this Vasudeva is hath been seen.
Indeed, all these have been seen as they are!"
"Having spoken these words, Sisupala rose from his excellent seat, and
accompanied by the kings, went out of that assembly."
--------------------END OF PARVA 2 : UPA-PARVA 36 ---------------------
