Chitrangada said:—"O ye kings, Sakra, the king of the three worlds, for your well-being and for governing the subjects has issued this mandate (44). O kings, you should not live creating enmity with Krishna. Pleasing him do you all live in your respective kingdoms (45). Krishna removes the calamity of his votaries, and is like the fire of dissolution unto his enemies. Therefore creating friendship with him be you all happy and freed of anxiety (46). A king is the lord of men; the celestials are the lords of kings; Indra is the lord of celestials and Janārddana is the lord of Indra (47). The powerful Lord Vishnu, the God of gods, is born as a man in the land of men under the name of Krishna (48). He alone, in the worlds, is not to be slain by the gods, Dānavas, men and even by Mahadeva, the holder of trident along with Kumāra[273] (49). What to speak of others, I myself along with the celestials wish to perform the Abhisheka ceremony of the high-souled Keshava, the king of gods (50). Besides, the gods have no hand in the Abhisheka ceremony of an Emperor; the kings are entitled to it. I cannot perform the royal unction of Keshava, adored of all the worlds (51): O ye kings, do you repair to the city of Vidarbha, and holding a consultation with Kratha and Kaishika perform the ceremony as laid down in Scriptures (52). O kings, thinking that the time for making peace and friendship has arrived, Vāsava has sent me to you. I am the celestial emissary (53). To-day the kings Kratha and Kaishika have invited Krishna to the city of Vidarbha for performing the ceremony of his royal unction. United with them, do ye, O kings, perform the Abhisheka ceremony of Krishna. And then taking gifts do you, with delighted hearts, return to the Swayamvara (54–55). Let the four leading kings Jarāsandha, Sunitha, the mighty car-warrior, Rukshivān and Shālwa, the king of Soubha, wait here so that the sporting-ground may not remain vacant (56)".
Vaishampayana said:—Listening to the command of the king of gods announced by Chitrāngada all the kings desired to go there. And the intelligent king Jarasandha too accorded his permission. And they set out encircled by their own armies and headed by Bhishmaka (57–58). Surrounded by his own followers, and with his heart burning in anxiety, the mighty-armed king Bhishmaka, along with other kings, went to where the large-armed Krishna was living in the house of Kaishika. They saw from distance the brilliance of the picturesque assembly-hall of the celestials that had been brought there for Krishna's Abhisheka, and which was decorated with flags, pennons and garlands, set with celestial gems; adorned with celestial garlands, streamers and ornaments, perfumed with celestial fragrance and encircled by celestial conveyances. There, the Apsarās, Vidyādharas, Gandharvas, Munis and Kinnaras, stationed in the welkin, were singing the accomplishments of Krishna, the lord of celestials. And the great saints and Siddhas were eulogising him. And celestial trumpets were beaten of themselves in the sky (59–65). And the immortals, stationed in the sky, showered profusely scented powders made of roots, barks, flowers and fruits of Mandāra, Pārijāta, Santānaka, Kalpa and Harichandana trees (66). Seated on his own vehicle, the Lord of Sachi himself came there with the gods and showed himself in the sky (67). Stationed in their respective quarters, the Eight Regents began to sing, dance and eulogise (Krishna's) glories on all sides (68). Hearing that tumultuous sound and having their eyes expanded in surprise, the kings entered into the assembly-hall (69). The large-armed and powerful king Kaishika came out and received them duly (70). When the arrival of the kings was announced to the beautiful Hari, the foremost of the celestials, he issued out with the performance of all benedictory rites (71). Thereupon from the sky, celestial jars, with pieces of cloth tied round their necks and covered with mango leaves, began to pour down, like clouds, water mixed with gold, gems, flowers and scented powders on the occasion of the ceremony of his royal unction (72–73). Having performed duly according to rites, the Abhisheka ceremony of Janārddana, before the very presence of the kings, the king of gods adorned him with celestial ornaments (74). Having welcomed duly all the kings with celestial garments of various colors, garlands and unguents, Mādhava too sat in the auspicious assembly-hall of the celestials for the purpose of bathing. The kings of the Yadu and Vidarbha races began to adore him (75-76). The powerful son of Vinatā, capable of assuming forms at will, sat on a seat on the right hand side of Keshava (77). As desired by Vasudeva himself the high-souled and heroic kings, Kratha and Kaishika, sat on their respective seats on his left hand side (78). The highly powerful and heroic car-warriors headed by Sātyaki of the Vrishni and Andhaka races sat on his left hand side (79). As the gods beautify the Lord of Sachi-so those leading kings beautified the beautiful Krishna seated at ease on a celestial seat covered with a celestial coverlet and effulgent like the sun (80). Afterwards having been introduced to him by the ministers, various other kings were duly received by Keshava and they too sat at ease on their respective thrones. Thereupon having shown him proper respect, the highly wise king Kaishika, the foremost of speakers and well-read in all Shāstras, said:—
"O lord, considering thee a human being, these ignorant kings have committed offence by thee. Do thou therefore forgive them, O God."
Krishna said:—"O Kaishika, what of kings observant of Kshatriyas' duties, even if any one else proves inimical to me it does not find room in my heart even for a single day. O kings, how can I be offended with them who have to turn their faces against impiety and to fight virtuously? What is past is gone. Those who are dead have gone to the celestial region. Birth and death are natural with men. Do not grieve, O kings, for them who are dead. I wish that you may all forgive me and cast off your enmity (81-87)".
Vaishampāyana said:—Having consoled the kings with these words, the highly effulgent Madhusudana looked at Kaishika and desisted (88). In the meantime, showing proper respect to all, Bhishmaka, the foremost of speakers, and of those well read in Polity, said (89).
| [273] | The son of Mahādeva, Kārtikeya, the commander-in-chief of the gods, who led the life of a bachelor. |
CHAPTER CVIII. CONVERSATION BETWEEN KRISHNA AND BHISHMAKA.
Bhishmaka said:—"O Lord of gods, out of his childish nature, my son wishes to give away his sister in a Swayamvara, but I do not like it (1). He is entirely childish; I do not like to give away (my daughter in this way). I wish that my daughter may select the only person whom she sees (2). O Lord, I propitiate thee, for this my son’s bad conduct. Be thou propitiated and forgive (him)" (3).
Krishna said:—"While your son, as a boy, has worked up all these kings, I do not know how arrogant he will be when he will be advanced in years (4). He who, born in a great royal family in this earth, speaks a falsehood, even before one king, consumes with the fire of Yama's tortures: his own-self and all the regions effulgent like the rays of the sun acquired by his asceticism (5–6). O Lord, I know this to be the religious duty of the kings, and even Brahmā, in the days of yore, pointed it out as the foremost duty of men (7). Under these circumstances, O king, how can your son give utterance to a lie before the kings in this assembly (8). Let it go, I doubt also very much your statement that you do not know anything of the great assemblage of the kings invited by your son (9). O king, you have offered hospitality and welcome duly to the kings, assembled like the sun and moon; cars, elephants, horses and the infantry have made a wild dance in your city, and still you do not know anything of your son's work. How may this be (10-11)? I doubt very much, O king, how you were not able to know of the arrival of four-fold forces though it might not have been a source of anxiety (12). O king, perhaps thinking that my arrival was not conducive to your well-being, you did not offer hospitality to such an unworthy person (13). O you of large arms, why should you not give away your daughter (in Swayamvara) for the very sin of my arrival here. Leaving me aside, do you confer your daughter on a good husband (14). Manu and other leading Law-givers have ordained that he who puts obstacles in the way of a maiden, wastes himself in hell (15). O king, for this, I did not enter into the assembly-hall and accept hospitality (16). O king, when possessed greatly by bashfulness, I prayed for giving rest to my followers in the city of Vidarbha, Kaishika, ever fond of guests, offered us proper hospitality. I too, in the company of Garuda, am living here as in the city of gods" (17–18).
Vaishampāyana said:—When Krishna, effulgent like burning fire, showered these thunder-like words, king Bhishmaka, sprinkling him with sweet words, consoled him (19).