ARGHYAHARANA PARVA: Chapter 37

-Contd. The wrath of Shishupala

शिशुपाल उवाच नायमर्हति वार्ष्णेयस्तिष्ठत्स्विह महात्मसु महीपतिषु कौरव्य राजवत् पार्थिवाहणम्॥
Shishupala said O descendant of Kuru, when so many illustrious kings are present here, this man of the Vrishni race does not deserve a royal worship like a king.

नायं युक्तः समाचार: पाण्डवेषु महात्मसु। यत् कामात् पुण्डरीकाक्षं पाण्डवार्चितवानसि॥
Your this conduct in willfully making this lotus-eyed hero worshipped by the Pandavas is not worthy of the illustrious Pandavas.

बाला यूयं न जानीध्वं धर्मः सूक्ष्मो हि पाण्डवाः। अयं च स्मृत्यतिक्रान्तो ह्यापगेयोऽल्पदर्शनः॥
O sons of Pandu, you are children; you do now know what Dharma is, for it (the ways of Dharma) is very subtle. This son of the river (Bhishma) has but little knowledge, and therefore he has transgressed the Smriti (rules of morality).

त्वादृशो धर्मयुक्तो हि कुर्वाणः प्रियकाम्यया। भवत्यभ्यधिकं भीष्म लोकेष्ववमत: सताम्॥
O Bhishma, if a man like you, possessing virtue and morality, acts from motives of pleasing others, he (surely) becomes worthy of censure among all the honest and wise men.

कथं डराजा दाशार्हो मध्ये सर्वमहीक्षिताम्। अर्हणामर्हति तथा यथा युष्माभिरर्चितः॥
How does this man of the Dasarha race, who is not a king, deserve to be worshipped among these kings that you have worshipped him?

अथ वा मन्यसे कृष्णं स्थविरं कुरुपुङ्गव। वसुदेवे स्थिते वृद्धे कथमर्हति तत्सुतः॥
O foremost man of the Puru race, if you consider him to be the eldest, why, here is Vasudeva. How can his son be worshipped before him?

अथ वा वासुदेवोऽपि प्रियकामोऽनुवृत्तवान्। दुपदे तिष्ठति कथं माधवोऽर्हति पूजनम्॥
If you consider him your well-wisher and supporter, why, when Drupada is here, how can he get the (first) worship?

आचार्यं मन्यसे कृष्णमथ वा कुरुनन्दन। द्रोणे तिष्ठति वार्ष्णेयं कस्मादर्चितवानसि॥
O descendant of Kuru, if you consider Krishna your preceptor, when Drona is here, how have you worshipped the Vrishni prince?

ऋत्विजं मन्यसे कृष्णमथ या कुरुनन्दन। द्वैपायने स्थिते वृद्धे कथं कृष्णोऽर्चितस्त्वया॥
O descendant of Kuru, if you consider Krishna as the Ritvija, when old Dvaipayana is here, how have you worshipped Krishna?

भीष्मे शान्तनवे राजन् स्थिते पुरुषसत्तमे। स्वच्छन्दमृत्युके राजन् कथं कृष्णोऽर्चितस्त्वया॥
O king, when that best of men, the son of Shantanu, old Bhishma, who can die only at his will, is here, why have you worshipped Krishna?

अश्वत्थाम्नि स्थिते वीरे सर्वशास्त्रविशारदे। कथं कृष्णस्त्वया राजन्नर्चितः कुरुनन्दन॥
O king, O descendant of Kuru, when the hero Ashvathama who is learned in every branch of knowledge is here, why has Krishna been worshipped by you.

दुर्योधने च राजेन्द्रे स्थिते पुरुषसत्तमे। कृपे च भारताचार्ये कथं कृष्णस्त्वयार्चितः॥
When that best of men, that king of kings, Duryodhana, and also that preceptor of the Kuru race, Kripa, are present here, why Krishna has been worshipped?

दुमं किम्पुरुषाचार्यमतिक्रम्य तथार्चितः। भीष्मके चैव दुर्धर्षं पाण्डुवत् कृतलक्षणे॥
Passing over the preceptor of the Kimpurushas, he (Krishna) has been worshipped by you. When the invincible Bhishmaka, auspicious marked king of Paundrya.

नृपे च रुक्मिणि श्रेष्ठे एकलव्ये तथैव च। शल्ये मद्राधिपे चैव कथं कृष्णस्त्वयार्चितः॥
That best of kings, Rukmi, and Ekalavya, and the king of the Madras, Shalya, are present, why Krishna has been worshipped?

अयं च सर्वराज्ञां वै बलश्लाघी महाबलः। जामदग्न्यस्य दयितः शिष्यो विप्रस्य भारत॥ येनात्मबलमाश्रित्य राजानो युधि निर्जिताः। तं च कर्णमतिक्रम्य कथं कृष्णस्त्वयार्चितः॥
O descendant of Bharata, this greatly powerful hero whose prowess is the pride amongst all kings, who is the favourite disciple of the son of the Brahmana Jamadagni, the hero who defeated all the kings by his prowess alone, that Karna being present here, passing over him, why Krishna has been worshipped?

नैवविंग् नैव चाचार्यो न राजा मधुसूदनः। अर्चितश्च कुरुश्रेष्ठ किमन्यत्प्रियकाम्यया॥
O best of the Kuru race, the slayer of Madhu (Krishna) is neither a sacrificial priest, nor a preceptor, nor a king, why have you worshipped Krishna with the motive of pleasing others?

अथ वाभ्यर्चनीयोऽयं युष्माकं मधुसूदनः। किं राजभिरिहानीवैरवमानाय भारत॥
O descendant of Bharata, if it was your intention to offer the first worship to the slayer of Madhu, why were these kings brought here to be insulted?

वयं तु न भयादस्य कौन्तेयस्य महात्मनः। प्रयच्छामः करान्सर्वे न लोभान्न च सान्त्वनात्॥
We have not paid tribute to the illustrious son of Kunti out of fear of temptation (the desire of gain) or conciliation:

अस्य धर्मप्रवृत्तस्य पार्थिवत्वं चिकीर्षतः। करानस्मै प्रयच्छामः सोऽयमस्मान् न मन्यते॥
We have paid him tribute only because he was desirous of obtaining the imperial dignity from the motive of virtue. He it is who is now insulting us.

किमन्यदवमानाद्वि यदेनं राजसंसदि। अप्राप्तलक्षणं कृष्णमयेणार्चितवानसि॥
What else could be your motive, except that of insult, that in the midst of this assembly of kings, you have worshipped Krishna, who does not possess the insignia of royalty, with the Arghya?

अकस्माद् धर्मपुत्रस्य धर्मात्मेति यशो गतम्। को हि धर्मच्युत पूजामेवं युक्तां नियोजयेत्॥
The tile of "virtuous" achieved by the son of Dharma (Yudhishthira), has been obtained without any cause. Who will offer such unworthy worship to one who has failed from religion?

योऽयं वृष्णिकुले जातो राजानं हतवान् पुरा। जरासंधं महात्मानमन्यायेन दुरात्मवान्॥
This wretch, born in the Vrishni race, formerly most unrighteously killed the illustrious king Jarasandha.

अद्य धर्मात्मता चैव व्यपकृष्टा युधिष्ठिरात्। दर्शितं कृपणत्वं च कृष्णेऽय॑स्य निवेदनात्॥
Righteousness has today left Yudhishthira, and his meanness only has been displayed by his offering the Arghya to Krishna.

यदि भीताश्च कौन्तेयाः कृपणाश्च तपस्विनः। ननु त्वयापि बोद्धव्यं यां पूजां माधवार्हसि॥
O Janardana, if the helpless sons of Kunti are frightened, and if they have become mean for their asceticism, you ought to have enlightened them as to your claim to the first worship.

अथ वा कृपणैरेतामुपनीतां जनार्दना। पूजामनर्हः कस्मात् त्वमभ्यनुज्ञातवानसि॥
O Janardana, why did you accept the worship of which you are not worthy, although it was offered to you by these mean-minded princes?

अयुक्तामात्मनः पूजां त्वं पुनर्बहु मन्यसे। हविषः प्राप्य निष्यन्दं प्राशिता श्वेव निर्जने॥
You (surely) think much of the worship so unworthy of freed to you, as a dog (joyfully) licks in solitude a quantity of Ghee which he has obtained.

न त्वयं पार्थिवेन्द्राणामपमानः प्रयुज्यते। त्वामेव कुरवो व्यक्तं प्रलम्भन्ते जनार्दन॥
OJanardana, this is no insult to the kings, but it is you whom the Kurus have insulted.

क्लीबे दारक्रिया यादृगन्धे वा रूपदर्शनम्। अराज्ञो राजवत् पूजा तथा ते मधुसूदन॥.
O slayer of Madhu, as a wife is to an impotent man and a beautiful sight to a blind man, so is this worship to you who are not a king (at all).

दृष्टो युधिष्ठिरो राजा दृष्टो भीष्मश्च यादृशः। वासुदेवोऽप्ययं दृष्टः सर्वमेतद् यथातथम्॥
What (sort of man) Yudhishthira is, it has been (well) seen today; what (sort of man) Bhishma is, it has (also) been seen: what (sort of man) Vasudeva is, it has been also seen. all these men have been seen as they (really) are.

इत्युक्त्वा शिशुपालस्तानुत्थाय परमासनात्। निर्ययौ सदसस्तस्मात् सहितो राजभिस्तदा॥
Vaishampayana said Having said this, Shishupala rose from the excellent seat (on which he was seated). He then went out of the assembly accompanied by the kings.