वैशम्पायन उवाच ततो युधिष्ठिरो राजा शिशुपालमुपाद्रवत्। उवाच चैनं मधुरं सान्त्वपूर्वमिदं वचः॥
Vaishampayana said Thereupon king Yudhishthira ran after Shishupala and spoke thus to him in sweet and conciliating tone.
नेदं युक्तं महीपाल यादृशं वै त्वमुक्तवान्। अधर्मश्च परो राजन् पारुष्यं च निरर्थकम्॥
Yudhishthira said O lord of the earth, what you have said does not suit you, O king, it is highly sinful and needlessly cruel.
न हि धर्मं परं जातु नावबुध्येत पार्थिवः। भीष्मः शान्तनवस्त्वेनं मावमंस्थास्त्वमन्यथा॥
O king, do not insult the son of Shantanu, Bhishma, by erroneously thinking that he does not know what is the great Dharma.
पश्य चैतान् महीपालांस्त्वत्तो वृद्धतरान् बहून्। मृष्यन्ते चार्हणां कृष्णे तद्वत् त्वं क्षन्तुमर्हसि॥
Look, these many kings, who are all older than you, approve the worship offered to Krishna. You should also approve it.
वेद तत्त्वेन कृष्णं हि भीष्मश्चेदिपते भृशम्। न ह्येनं त्वं तथा वेत्थ यथैनं वेद कौरवः॥
O king of Chedi, the descendant of Kuru, Bhishma, knows truly and well what Krishna is. You do not know him so well as he knows.
भीष्म उवाच नास्मै देयो ह्यनुनयो नायमर्हति सान्त्वनम्। लोकवृद्धतमे कृष्णे योऽर्हणां नाभिमन्यते॥
Bhishma said He, who does not approve of the worship offered to Krishna, who is the oldest in the universe, deserves neither soft words nor conciliation.
क्षत्रियः क्षत्रियं जित्वा रणे रणकृतां वरः। यो मुञ्चति वशे कृत्वा गुरुर्भवति तस्य सः॥
That chief of warriors in the Kshatriya race, who, having overcome a Kshatriya in battle and brought him under his power, sets him free, becomes his preceptor.
अस्यां हि समितौ राज्ञामेकमप्यजितं युधि। न पश्यामि महीपालं सात्वतीपुत्रतेजसा॥
I do not see any king in this assembly of monarchs who has not been defeated by the prowess of this descendant of Satvata race (Krishna).
न हि केवलमस्माकमयमर्च्यतमोऽच्युतः। त्रयाणामपि लोकानामर्चनीयो महाभुजः॥
This mighty-armed hero of unfading glory deserve to be worshipped not only by us alone, but by all the three worlds.
कृष्णेन हि जिता युद्धे बहवः क्षत्रियर्षभाः। जगत् सर्वं च वार्ष्णेय निखिलेन प्रतिष्ठितम्॥
Many best of Kshatriyas have been defeated by Krishna in battle. The infinite universe is established in this Vrishni hero.
तस्मात् सत्स्वपि वृद्धेषु कृष्णमर्चाम नेतरान्। एवं वक्तुं न चार्हस्त्वं मा ते भूद् बुद्धिरीदृशी॥
Therefore, we worship Krishna. Amongst the best and the oldest, we do not worship any other. you should not say so, your understanding should not be so.
ज्ञानवृद्धा मया राजन् बहवः पर्युपासिताः। तेषां कथयतां शौरेरहं गुणवतो गुणान्॥ समागतानामश्रौषं बहून् बहुमतान् सताम्। कर्माण्यपि च यान्यस्य जन्मप्रभृति धीमतः॥ बहुशः कथ्यमानानि नरैर्भूयः श्रुतानि मे। न केवलं वयं कामाच्चेदिराज जनार्दनम्॥
O king, I have worshipped many men who are old in knowledge. I have heard from all those wise men when they came and talked to me what are the many accomplishments of Shauri (Krishna). I have heard many times narrated by the people all the acts which greatly intelligent Krishna performed since his birth. O king of Chedi, we do not worship Janardana only from caprice,
न सम्बन्धं पुरस्कृत्य कृतार्थं वा कथंचन। अर्चामहेऽर्चितं सद्भिर्भुवि भूतसुखावहम्॥
Or from keeping in view our relationship with him, or from expected benefits (to be received from him). He is worshipped by all the pious men on earth, and he is the source of all happiness.
यशः शौर्यं जयं चास्य विज्ञायार्चा प्रयुञ्जमहे। न च कश्चिदिहास्माभिः सुबालोऽप्यपरीक्षितः॥
We have offered him the first worship in consideration of his fame, his heroism and his success. There is none here, even if he is a child, whom we have not taken into our consideration (when offering the Arghya to Krishna).
गुणवृद्धानतिक्रम्य हरिरर्च्यतमो मतः। ज्ञानवृद्धो द्विजातीनां क्षत्रियाणां बलाधिकः॥
Passing over many persons who are accomplished and learned, we have thought Hari as deserving of the first worship. Amongst Brahmanas he, who is old in knowledge, amongst Kshairiyas he, who is great in strength.
वैश्यानां धान्यधनवाञ्छूद्राणामेव जन्मतः। पूज्यतायां च गोविन्दे हेतू द्वावपि संस्थितौ॥
Amongst Vaishyas, he, who is rich in possessions and wealth; and amongst the Shudras he, who is old in age, deserves to be worshipped. There are two reasons for offering the worship to Govinda (Krishna).
वेदवेदाङ्गविज्ञानं बलं चाभ्यधिकं तथा। नृणां लोके हि कोऽन्योऽस्ति विशिष्टः केशवादृते॥
He is vastly learned in the Vedas and the Vedangas, and he is also very great in prowess. Who else is there in the world of men except Keshava (Krishna) who is so distinguished?
दानं दाक्ष्यं श्रुतं शौर्यं ह्रीः कीर्तिर्बुद्धिरुत्तमा। सन्नतिः श्रीकृतिस्तुष्टिः पुष्टिश्च नियताच्युते॥
Liberality, cleverness, knowledge of the Shruti (Veda), bravery, modesty, achievements, excellent intelligence, humility, beauty, firmness, contentment and prosperity, all live for ever in Achyuta (Krishna).
तमिमं गुणसम्पन्नमार्यं च पितरं गुरुम्। अर्घ्यमर्चितमर्चाहँ सर्वे संक्षन्तुमर्हथ॥
Therefore, you should approve the worship offered to one who is endued with such accomplishments, who is (our) preceptor, father, and Guru, and who is worthy of the Arghya and of the worship.
ऋत्विग् गुरुस्तथाऽऽचार्यः स्नातको नृपतिः प्रियः। सर्वमेतद्धृषीकेशस्तस्मादभ्यर्चितोऽच्युतः॥
Hrishikesha (Krishna) is the Ritvija, preceptor, worthy of being solicited to marry one's daughter, the Snataka, the king and the friend. Therefore, Achyuta (Krishna) has been worshipped.
कृष्ण एव हि लोकानामुत्पत्तिरपि चाप्ययः। कृष्णस्य हि कृते विश्वमिदं भूतं चराचरम्॥
Krishna is the origin of the universe, and he is that in which the universe is to dissolve. This universe of mobile and immobile creatures has sprung into existence from Krishna alone.
एष प्रकृतिरव्यक्ता कर्ता चैव सनातनः। परश्च सर्वभूतेभ्यस्तस्मात् पूज्यतमोऽच्युतः॥
He is unmanifest primal nature, he is the creator, he is eternal, and he is beyond all creatures. Therefore, Achyuta deserves the highest worship.
बुद्धिर्मनो महद् वायुस्तेजोऽम्भः खं मही च या। चतुर्विधं च यद् भूतं सर्वं कृष्णे प्रतिष्ठितम्॥
The intellect, the seat of sensibility, the primal elements, air, heat, water, space, earth and the four kings of life, are all established in Krishna.
आदित्यश्चन्द्रमाश्चैव नक्षत्राणि ग्रहाश्च ये। दिशश्च विदिशश्चैव सर्वं कृष्णे प्रतिष्ठितम्॥
The sun, the moon, the stars, the planets, the chief directions and the intermediate directions are all established in Krishna.
अग्निहोत्रमुखा वेदा गायत्री छन्दसां मुखम्। राजा मुखं मनुष्याणां नदीनां सागरो मुखम्॥ नक्षत्राणां मुखं चन्द्र आदित्यस्तेजसां मुखम्। पर्वतानां मुखं मेरुर्गरुडः पततां मुखम्॥
As the Agnihotra is the foremost of all Vedic rites, as Gayatri is that of the metres, as the king is that of men as the ocean is that of all rivers, as the moon is the foremost of all constellations, as the sun is that of luminous bodies, as the Meru is that of all mountains, as Garuda is that of all birds.
ऊर्ध्वं तिर्यगधश्चैव यावती जगतो गतिः। सदेवकेषु लोकेषु भगवान् केशवो मुखम्॥
So is the illustrious Keshava, (Krishna) the foremost in all the worlds including that of the celestials, so he is as long as the upward, downward and sideways course of the universe lasts.
अयं तु पुरुषो बालः शिशुपालो न बुध्यते। सर्वत्र सर्वदा कृष्णं तस्मादेवं प्रभाषते॥
This Shishupala is a mere child. He does not know who Krishna is, and therefore every where and always he speaks of Krishna thus.
यो हि धर्मं विचिनुयादुत्कृष्टं मतिमन् नरः। स वै पश्येद् यथा धर्मं न तथा चेदिराडयम्॥
This ruler of Chedi cannot see virtue in that light in which those intelligent men who desire to acquire high merits sees it.
सवृद्धबालेष्वथवा पार्थिवेषु महात्मसु। को नाईं मन्यते कृष्णं को वाप्येनं न पूजयेत्॥
Who is there among the young or the old or among these illustrious kings who does not consider Krishna worthy of worship, or who does not worship Krishna?
अथैनां दुष्कृतां पूजां शिशुपालो व्यवस्यति। दुष्कृतायां यथान्यायं तथायं कर्तुमर्हति॥
If Shishupala considers this worship undeserved, in this undeserved worship he should do that which is proper in this matter