Canto Ten - Chapter 74

Śrī Śuka said: Hearing of Jarāsandha's death and the power of Lord Kṛṣṇa, King Yudhiṣṭhira rejoiced and addressed Him.

Śrī Yudhiṣṭhira said: The spiritual masters of the three worlds and all great rulers obtain Your rare command and bear it upon their heads.

Yet You, lotus-eyed infinite Lord, accept the command of wretched men who imagine themselves rulers. This is an extraordinary imitation.

The glory of the one, secondless Absolute and Supreme Self neither increases nor diminishes through actions, just as the sun's does not.

Invincible Mādhava, neither You nor Your devotees possess the distorted, animal-like distinctions of 'mine and another's,' 'I and another,' or 'you and yours.'

Śrī Śuka said: Having spoken thus, at the proper sacrificial time Pṛthā's son, with Kṛṣṇa's approval, chose qualified brāhmaṇas versed in the Absolute as priests.

They included Dvaipāyana, Bharadvāja, Sumantu, Gotama, Asita, Vasiṣṭha, Cyavana, Kaṇva, Maitreya, Kavaṣa, and Trita,

Viśvāmitra, Vāmadeva, Sumati, Jaimini, Kratu, Paila, Parāśara, Garga, and Vaiśampāyana,

Atharvā, Kaśyapa, Dhaumya, Paraśurāma, Āsuri, Vītihotra, Madhucchandā, Vīrasena, and Akṛtavraṇa.

Others were also invited, including Droṇa, Bhīṣma, Kṛpa, Dhṛtarāṣṭra with his sons, and wise Vidura.

Brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, vaiśyas, and śūdras wishing to see the sacrifice came, along with all kings and their ministers, O King.

The brāhmaṇas plowed the sacrificial ground with golden plows and initiated the king there according to sacred ordinance.

The implements were made of gold, as at Varuṇa's ancient sacrifice. Indra and the other guardians of the worlds came with Viriñci and Bhava,

together with their hosts, Siddhas, Gandharvas, Vidyādharas, great serpents, sages, Yakṣas, Rākṣasas, birds, Kinnaras, and Cāraṇas.

All invited kings and queens attended the Rājasūya of Pāṇḍu's son. Knowing him to be Kṛṣṇa's devotee, they found it entirely fitting and were not surprised.

The godlike priests conducted the great king's Rājasūya according to rule, as the gods had once performed Varuṇa's sacrifice.

On the day of extracting the soma, the self-controlled ruler duly worshiped the greatly fortunate priests and presiding members of the assembly.

The assembly considered who most deserved the first and highest worship, but because opinions differed they could not decide. Then Sahadeva spoke.

Acyuta, the Supreme Lord and master of the Sātvatas, deserves the highest honor, for He is all the gods, places, times, wealth, and everything else.

This universe is composed of Him, as are all sacrifices. Fire, offerings, mantras, Sāṅkhya, and yoga all culminate in Him.

He alone is one without a second, and this universe is His nature. Self-sufficient and unborn, He creates, protects, and destroys through Himself.

By His glance all people act in varied ways and pursue the highest goods characterized by dharma and the other aims.

Therefore give the supreme first worship to great Kṛṣṇa. In doing so we honor all beings and ourselves.

One desiring infinite fruit should give to peaceful, complete Kṛṣṇa, the Self of every being, who sees no other.

Having spoken, Sahadeva, who knew Kṛṣṇa's greatness, became silent. Hearing him, all the excellent men praised the proposal, crying, 'Excellent! Excellent!'

Hearing the brāhmaṇa's words and understanding the assembly's heart, the delighted king, overwhelmed with affection, worshiped Hṛṣīkeśa.

With his wife, brothers, ministers, and family, he joyfully washed the Lord's feet and bore upon his head the water that purifies the worlds.

He honored Him with yellow silk garments and precious ornaments. His eyes filled with tears, he could not look directly at the Lord.

Seeing Him thus honored, everyone folded their hands, bowed, and cried, 'Obeisance! Victory!' while flowers rained down.

Hearing this, Damaghoṣa's son rose from his seat, enraged by the praise of Kṛṣṇa's qualities. Fearlessly raising his arm, the resentful man spoke harsh words against the Lord for the assembly to hear.

The revelation that irresistible time is sovereign proves true, for even the elders' judgment has been overturned by a boy's words.

You are foremost among those who know the worthy. Lords of the assembly, do not accept a child's speech merely because Kṛṣṇa has been approved for worship.

Great sages here possess austerity, learning, and vows, their sins destroyed by knowledge; they are fixed in the Absolute and honored by the guardians of the worlds.

Passing over these leaders of the assembly, how can this cowherd, disgrace of his family, deserve worship, any more than a crow deserves the sacrificial cake?

Outside caste, āśrama, and respectable family, excluded from all dharma, acting at whim and devoid of qualities, how does he deserve worship?

Yayāti cursed their dynasty, and the virtuous excluded it. Eternally addicted to useless drinking, how can it deserve worship?

Leaving lands served by brahmarṣis, these men, bereft of brahminical splendor, shelter in a sea fortress and harass the people like bandits.

The man whose fortune was ruined spoke such inauspicious words, but the Supreme Lord said nothing, like a lion ignoring a jackal's cry.

Unable to bear blasphemy of the Lord, members of the assembly covered their ears and left, angrily cursing the Cedi king.

One who hears condemnation of the Supreme Lord or His devotee and does not leave that place falls downward, deprived of merit.

Then the enraged sons of Pāṇḍu, together with the Matsyas, Kekayas, and Sṛñjayas, rose with weapons raised, intent on killing Śiśupāla.

Unperturbed, the Cedi seized sword and shield and denounced Kṛṣṇa's supporters in the royal assembly, O descendant of Bharata.

The Supreme Lord rose, restrained His supporters, and personally, in anger, severed the charging enemy's head with His razor-edged disc.

When Śiśupāla was killed a great uproar arose. His allied kings fled, desiring to preserve their lives.

Before every creature's eyes, a light arose from the Cedi's body and entered Vāsudeva like a meteor falling from the sky to earth.

For three births his mind had been intensely fixed upon the Lord through enmity. By that meditation he attained absorption in Him, for one's state of mind causes one's future existence.

The emperor gave abundant gifts to the priests and assembly members, duly honored everyone, and performed the concluding avabhṛtha bath.

After completing the king's sacrifice, Kṛṣṇa, master of the masters of yoga, remained several months at His friends' request.

Then the almighty son of Devakī took leave of the reluctant king and departed with His wives and ministers for His own city.

I have already described to you at great length how the two residents of Vaikuṇṭha repeatedly took birth because of the brāhmaṇas' curse.

Bathed in the Rājasūya's concluding bath, King Yudhiṣṭhira shone amid the assembly of brāhmaṇas and kṣatriyas like Indra among the gods.

All the gods, humans, and celestial travelers honored by the king praised Kṛṣṇa and the sacrifice and joyfully returned to their abodes.

Only sinful Duryodhana, the embodiment of Kali and disease of the Kuru dynasty, could not tolerate the abundant prosperity he saw belonging to Pāṇḍu's son.

One who recounts these deeds of Viṣṇu, including the killing of the Cedi, the kings' liberation, and the sacrifice, is freed from every sin.