SECTION XL
'Sisupala said,--'Old and infamous wretch of your race, are you not
ashamed of affrighting all these monarchs with these numerous false
terrors! Thou are the foremost of the Kurus, and living as you dost in
the third state (celibacy) it is but fit for you that you shouldst give
such counsel that is so wide of morality. Like a boat tied to another
boat or the blind following the blind, are the Kurus who have you for
their guide. Thou hast once more simply pained our hearts by reciting
particularly the deeds of this one (Krishna), such as the slaying of
Putana and others. Arrogant and ignorant as you art, and desirous of
praising Kesava, why doth not this tongue of yours split up into a
hundred parts? How dost thou, superior as you are in knowledge, desire
to praise that cow-boy in respect of whom even men of little intelligence
may address invectives? If Krishna in his infancy slew a vulture, what is
there remarkable in that, or in that other feat of his, O Bhishma, viz.,
in his slaughter of Aswa and Vrishava, both of whom were unskilled in
battle? If this one threw drown by a kick an inanimate piece of wood,
viz., a car, what is there, O Bhishma, wonderful in that? O Bhishma, what
is there remarkable in this one's having supported for a week the
Govardhan mount which is like an anthill? 'While sporting on the top of a
mountain this one ate a large quantity of food,'--hearing these words of
thine many have wondered exceedingly. But, O you who are conversant with
the rules of morality, is not this still more wrongful that that great
person, viz., Kansa, whose food this one ate, hath been slain by him?
Thou infamous one of the Kuru race, you are ignorant of the rules of
morality. Hast you not ever heard, from wise men speaking unto thee,
what I would now tell thee? The virtuous and the wise always instruct the
honest that weapons must never be made to descend upon women and kine and
Brahmanas and upon those whose food hath been taken, as also upon those
whose shelter hath been enjoyed. It seemeth, O Bhishma, that all these
teachings hath been thrown away by thee. O infamous one of the Kuru race,
desiring to praise Kesava, you describest him before me as great and
superior in knowledge and in age, as if I knew nothing. If at your word, O
Bhishma, one that hath slain women (meaning Putana) and kine be
worshipped, then what is to become of this great lesson? How can one who
is such, deserve praise, O Bhishma? 'This one is the foremost of all wise
men,--'This one is the lord of the universe'--hearing these words of
thine, Janarddana believeth that these are all true. But surely, they are
all false. The verses that a chanter sings, even if he sings them often,
produce no impression on him. And every creature acts according to his
disposition, even like the bird Bhulinga (that picks the particles of
flesh from between the lion's teeth, though preaching against rashness).
Assuredly your disposition is very mean. There is not the least doubt
about it. And so also, it seemeth, that the sons of Pandu who regard
Krishna as deserving of worship and who have you for their guide, are
possessed of a sinful disposition. Possessing a knowledge of virtue, thou
hast fallen off from the path of the wise. Therefore you are sinful.
Who, O Bhishma, knowing himself to be virtuous and superior in knowledge,
will so act as you hast done from motives of virtue? If you knowest the
ways of the morality, if your mind is guided by wisdom, blessed be thou.
Why then, O Bhishma, was that virtuous girl Amva, who had set her heart
upon another, carried off by thee, so proud of wisdom and virtue? Thy
brother Vichitravirya conformably to the ways of the honest and the
virtuous, knowing that girl's condition, did not marry her though brought
by thee. Boasting as you dost of virtue, in your very sight, upon the
widow of your brother were sons begotten by another according to the ways
of the honest. Where is your virtue, O Bhishma? This your celebacy, which
thou leadest either from ignorance or from impotence, is fruitless. O
thou who are conversant with virtue, I do not behold your well-being. Thou
who expoundest morality in this way dost not seem to have ever waited
upon the old. Worship, gift, study,--sacrifices distinguished by large
gifts to the Brahmanas,--these all equal not in merit even one-sixteenth
part of that which is obtainable by the possession of a son. The merit, O
Bhishma, that is acquired by numberless vows and fasts assuredly becomes
fruitless in the case of one that is childless. Thou are childless and
old and the expounder of false morality. Like the swan in the story, thou
shalt now die at the hands of your relatives. Other men possessed of
knowledge have said this of old. I will presently recite it fully in thy
hearing.
"There lived of yore an old swan on the sea-coast. Ever speaking of
morality, but otherwise in his conduct, he used to instruct the feathery
tribe. Practise the virtue and forego sin,--these were the words that
other truthful birds, O Bhishma, constantly heard him utter And the other
oviparous creatures ranging the sea, it hath been heard by us, O Bhishma
use for virtue's sake to bring him food. And, O Bhishma, all those other
birds, keeping their eggs, with him, ranged and dived in the waters of
the sea. And the sinful old swan, attentive to his own pursuits, used to
eat up the eggs of all those birds that foolishly trusted in him. After a
while when the eggs were decreasing in number, a bird of great wisdom had
his suspicions roused and he even witnessed (the affair) one day. And
having witnessed the sinful act of the old swan, that bird in great
sorrow spoke unto all the other birds. Then, O you best of the Kurus,
all those birds witnessing with their own eyes the act of the old swan,
approached that wretch of false conduct and slew him.
"Thy behaviour, O Bhishma, is even like that of the old swan. These lords
of earth might slay you in anger like those creatures of the feathery
tribe slaying the old swan. Persons conversant with the Puranas recite a
proverb, O Bhishma, as regards this occurrence, I shall, O Bharata,
repeat it to you fully. It is even this: O you that supportest thyself
on your wings, though your heart is affected (by the passions), thou
preachest yet (of virtue); but this your sinful act of eating up the eggs
transgresseth your speech!"
--------------------END OF PARVA 2 : UPA-PARVA 40 ---------------------
