Mahabharata · Book 2 · Sabha Parva
Mahabharata, Book 2, Section XLIसभापर्व
Kisari Mohan Ganguli’s English prose (1883–96), beside the Sanskrit of adhyāya 2.41.
Sanskrit
ततो युधिष्ठिरो राजा शिशुपालमुपाद्रवत्।
उवाच चैनं मधुरं सान्त्वपूर्वमिदं वचः।।
नेदं युक्तं महीपाल यादृशं वै त्वमुक्तवान्।
अधर्मश्च परो राजन्पारुष्यं च निरर्थकम्।।
न हि धर्मं परं जातु नावबुध्येत पार्थिवः।
भीष्मः शान्तनवस्त्वेनं मावमंस्थास्त्वमन्यथा।।
पश्य चैतान्महीपालांस्त्वत्तो वृद्धतरान्बहून्।
मृष्यन्ते चार्हणां कृष्णे तद्वत्वं क्षन्तुमर्हसि।।
वेद तत्त्वेन कृष्णं हि भीष्णश्चेदिपते भृशम्।
न ह्येनं त्वं तथा यथैनं वेद कौरवः।।
भीष्म उवाच।
नास्मै देयो ह्यनुनयो नायमर्हति सान्त्वनम्।
लोकवृद्धतमे कृष्णे योऽर्हणां नाभिमन्यते।।
क्षत्रियः क्षत्रियं जित्वा रणे रणकृतां वरः।
यो मुञ्चति वशे कृत्वा गुरुर्भवति तस्य सः।।
अस्यां हि समितौ राज्ञामेकमप्यजितं युधि।
न पश्यामि महीपालं सात्वतीपुत्रतेजसा।।
न हि केवलमस्माकमयमर्च्यतमोऽच्युतः।
त्रयाणामपि लोकानामर्चनीयो महाभुजः।।
कृष्णेन हि जिता युद्धे बहवः क्षत्रियर्षभाः।
जगत्सर्वं च वार्ष्णेये निखिलेन प्रतिष्ठितम्।।
तस्मात्सत्स्वपि वृद्धेषु कृष्णमर्चाम नेतरान्।
एवं वक्तुं न चार्हस्त्वं मा तेऽभूद्बुद्धिरीदृशी।।
ज्ञानवृद्धा मया राजन्बहवः पर्युपासिताः।
`यस्य राजन्प्रभावज्ञाः पुरा सर्वे च रक्षिताः'।
तेषां कथयतां शौरेरहं गुणवतो गुणान्।।
समागतानामश्रौषं बहून्बहुमतान्सताम्।
कर्माण्यपि च यान्यस्य जन्मप्रभृति धीमतः।।
बहृशः कथ्यमानानि नरैर्भूयः श्रुतानि मे।
न केवलं वयं कामाच्चेदिगज जनार्दनम्।।
न सम्बन्धं पुरस्कृत्य कृतार्थं वा कथञ्चन।
अर्चामहेऽर्चितं सद्भिर्भुवि भूतसुखावहम्।।
यशः शौर्यं जयं चास्य विज्ञायार्चां प्रयुञ्ज्महे
न च कश्चिदिहास्माभिः सुवालोप्यपरीक्षितः।।
गुणैर्वृद्धानतिक्रम्य हरिरर्च्यतमो मतः।
ज्ञानवृद्धो द्विजातीनां क्षत्रियाणां बलाधिकः।।
वैश्यानां धान्यधनवाञ्शूद्राणामेव जन्मतः।
पूज्यतायां च गोविन्दे हेतू द्वावपि संस्थितौ।।
वेदवेदाङ्गविज्ञानं बलं चाभ्यधिकं तथा।
नृणां लोके हि कोऽन्योस्ति विशिष्टः केशवादृते।।
दानं दाक्ष्यं श्रुतं शौर्यं ह्रीः कीर्तिर्बुद्धिरुत्तमा।
संनतिः श्रीर्धृतिस्तुष्टिः पुष्टिश्च नियताऽच्युते।।
तमिमं लोकसम्पन्नमाचार्यं पितरं गुरुम्।
अर्घ्यमर्चितमर्चामः सर्वे सङ्क्षन्तुमर्हथ।।
ऋत्विग्गुरुर्विवाह्यश्च स्नातको नृपतिः प्रियः।
सर्वमेतद्धृषीकेशस्तस्मादभ्यर्चितोऽच्युतः।।
कृष्ण एव हि लोकानामुत्पत्तिरपि चाप्ययः।
कृष्णस्य हि कृते विश्वमिदं भूतं चराचरम्।।
एष प्रकृतिरव्यक्ता कर्ता चैव सनातनः।
परश्च सर्वभूतेभ्यस्तस्मात्पूज्यतमोऽच्युतः।।
द्धिर्मनो महद्वायुस्तेजोऽभः खं मही च या।
चतुर्विधं च यद्भूतं सर्वं कृष्णे प्रतिष्ठितम्।।
आदित्यश्चन्द्रमाश्चैव नक्षत्राणि ग्रहाश्च ये।
दिशश्च विदिशश्चैव सर्वं कृष्णे प्रतिष्ठितम्।।
` एष रुद्रश्च सर्वात्मा ब्रह्मा चैव सनातनः।
अक्षरं क्षररूपेण मानुषत्वमुपागतः'।।
अग्निहोत्रमुखा वेदा गायत्री च्छन्दसां मुखम्।
राजा मुखं मनुष्याणां नदीनां सागरो मुखम्।।
नक्षत्राणां मुखं चन्द्र आदित्यस्तेजसां मुखम्।
पर्वतानां मुखं मेरुर्गरुडः पततां मुखम्।।
ऊर्ध्वं तिर्यगधश्चैव यावती जगतो गतिः।
सदेवकेषु लोकेषु भगवान्केशवो मुखम्।।
अयं तु पुरुषो बालः शिशुपालो न बुध्यते।
सर्वत्र सर्वदा कृष्णं तस्मादेवं प्रभाषते।।
यो हि धर्मं विचिनुयादुत्कृष्टं मतिमान्नरः।
स वै पश्येद्यथा धर्मं न तथा चेदिराडयम्।।
सवृद्धबालेष्वथवा पार्थिवेषु महात्मसु।
को नार्हं मन्यते कृष्णं को वाप्येनं न पूजयेत्।।
अथैनां दुष्कृतां पूजां शिशुपालो व्यवस्यति।
दुष्कृतायां यथान्यायं तथाऽयं कर्तुमर्हति।।
।। इति श्रीमन्महाभारते सभापर्वणि
अर्घाहरणपर्वणि एकचत्वारिंशोऽध्यायः।। 41 ।।
English Ganguli
“Sisupala said,—“That mighty king Jarasandha who desired not to fight with Krishna, saying ‘He is a slave,’ was worthy of my greatest esteem. Who will regard as praiseworthy the act which was done by Kesava, as also by Bhima and Arjuna, in the matter of Jarasandha’s death? Entering by an improper gate, disguised as a Brahmana, thus Krishna observed the strength of king Jarasandha. And when that monarch offered at first unto this wretch water to wash his feet, it was then that he denied his Brahmanahood from seeming motives of virtue. And when Jarasandha, O thou of the Kuru race, asked Krishna and Bhima and Dhananjaya to eat, it was this Krishna that refused that monarch’s request. If this one is the lord of the universe, as this fool representeth him to be, why doth he not regard himself as a Brahmana? This, however, surpriseth me greatly that though thou leadest the Pandavas away from the path of the wise, they yet regard thee as honest. Or, perhaps, this is scarcely a matter of surprise in respect of those that have thee, O Bharata, womanish in disposition and bent down with age, for their counsellor in everything.”
“Vaisampayana continued,—Hearing these words of Sisupala, harsh both in import and sound, that foremost of mighty men, Bhimasena endued with energy became angry. And his eyes, naturally large and expanding and like unto lotus leaves became still more extended and red as copper under the influence of that rage. And the assembled monarchs beheld on his forehead three lines of wrinkles like the Ganga of treble currents on the treble-peaked mountain. When Bhimasena began to grind his teeth in rage, the monarchs beheld his face resembling that of Death himself, at the end of the Yuga, prepared to swallow every creature. And as the hero endued with great energy of mind was about to leap up impetuously, the mighty-armed Bhishma caught him like Mahadeva seizing Mahasena (the celestial generalissimo). And, O Bharata, Bhima’s wrath was soon appeased by Bhishma, the grand-sire of the Kurus, with various kinds of counsel. And Bhima, that chastiser of foes, could not disobey Bhishma’s words, like the ocean that never transgresseth (even when swollen with the waters of the rainy season) its continents. But, O king, even though Bhima was angry, the brave Sisupala depending on his own manhood, did not tremble in fear. And though Bhima was leaping up impetuously every moment, Sisupala bestowed not a single thought on him, like a lion that recks not a little animal in rage. The powerful king of Chedi, beholding Bhima of terrible prowess in such rage, laughingly said,—‘Release him, O Bhishma! Let all the monarchs behold him scorched by my prowess like an insect in fire.’ Hearing these words of the ruler of the Chedis, Bhishma, that foremost of the Kurus and chief of all intelligent men, spoke unto Bhima these words.”