" said,--The mighty ceased, having said this. then answered () in words of grave import, saying,--'If amongst ye you there be any king that cannot bear to see of dark hue, the slayer of Kesi, the possessor of immeasurable energy, worshipped by me, this my foot is placed on the heads of all mighty ones (like him). When I say this, let that one give me an adequate reply. And let those kings that possess intelligence approve the worship of who is the preceptor, the father, the guru, and deserveth deserves the Arghya and the worship (already offered unto to him).'
"When thus showed his foot, no one among those intelligent and wise and proud and mighty monarchs said anything. And a shower of flowers fell on 's head, and an incorporeal voice said--'Excellent, excellent.' Then clad in black deer-skin, speaking of both the future and the past, that dispeller of all doubts, fully acquainted with all the worlds, said in the midst of innumerable creatures, these words of the clearest import,--'Those men that will not worship the lotus-eyed should be regarded as dead though moving, and should never be talked to on any occasion.'"
" continued,--Then that god among men, cognisant of the distinction between a Brahmana and a Kshatriya, having worshipped those that deserved worship, completed that ceremony. But upon having received the first worship, Sunitha () that mower of foes--with eyes red as copper from anger, addressed those rulers of men and said,--'When I am here to head ye you all, what are ye you thinking of now? Arrayed let us stand in battle against the assembled Vrishnis and the Pandavas?' And the bull of the Chedis, having thus stirred the kings up, began to consult with them how to obstruct the completion of the sacrifice. All the invited monarchs who had come to the sacrifice, with Sunitha as their chief, looked angry and their faces became pale. They all said, 'We must so act that the final sacrificial rite performed by and the worship of may not be regarded as having been acquiesced in by us. And impelled by a belief in their power and great assurance, the kings, deprived of reason through anger, began to say this. And being moved by self-confidence and smarting under the insult offered unto to them, the monarchs repeatedly exclaimed thus. Though their friends sought to appease them, their faces glowed with anger like those of roaring lions driven away from their preys. then understood that the vast sea of monarchs with its countless waves of troops was preparing for a terrific rush."
(-badha Parva)
" said,--Beholding that vast assembly of kings agitated with wrath, even like the terrific sea agitated by the winds that blow at the time of the universal dissolution, addressing the aged , that chief of intelligent men and the of the Kurus, even like Puruhita () that slayer of foes, of abundant energy addressing , said,--'This vast ocean of kings, hath has been agitated by wrath. Tell me, O , what I should do in view of this. O , now what I should do that my sacrifice may not be obstructed and my subjects may not be injured.'
"When king the just, conversant with morality, said this, the of the Kurus, spoke these words in reply,--'Fear not, O tiger of the Kurus. Can the dog slay the lion? I have before this found out a way that is both beneficial and comfortable to practise. As dogs in a pack approaching the lion that is asleep bark together, so are all these lords of earth. Indeed, O child, like dogs before the lion, these (monarchs) are barking in rage before the sleeping lion of the Vrishni race. now is like a lion that is asleep. Until he waketh wakes up, this chief of the Chedis--this lion among men--maketh makes these monarchs look like lions. O child, O thou you foremost of all monarchs, this possessed of little intelligence is desirous of taking along with him all these kings, through the agency of him who is the soul of the universe, to the regions of . Assuredly, O Bharata hath has been desirous of taking back unto to himself the energy that existeth exists in this . O Chief of all intelligent men, O son of , the intelligence of this wicked-minded king of the Chedis, as also of all these monarchs, hath has become perverse. Indeed, the intelligence of all those whom this tiger among men desireth desires to take unto to himself, becometh becomes perverse even like that of this king of the Chedis. O , is the progenitor as also the destroyer of all created beings of the four species, (oviparous, etc.,) existing in the three worlds.'"
" continued--Then the ruler of Chedis, having heard these words of , addressed the latter, O Bharata, in words that were stern and rough."
' said,--'Old and infamous wretch of thy your race, art thou you not ashamed of affrighting all these monarchs with these numerous false terrors! Thou you art the foremost of the Kurus, and living as thou you dost do in the third state (celibacy) it is but fit for thee you that thou you shouldst should give such counsel that is so wide of morality. Like a boat tied to another boat or the blind following the blind, are the Kurus who have thee you for their guide. Thou you hast have once more simply pained our hearts by reciting particularly the deeds of this one (), such as the slaying of Putana and others. Arrogant and ignorant as thou you art, and desirous of praising , why doth does not this tongue of thine yours split up into a hundred parts? How dost do thou you, superior as thou you art in knowledge, desire to praise that cow-boy in respect of whom even men of little intelligence may address invectives? If in his infancy slew a vulture, what is there remarkable in that, or in that other feat of his, O , viz., in his slaughter of Aswa and Vrishava, both of whom were unskilled in battle? If this one threw drown by a kick an inanimate piece of wood, viz., a car, what is there, O , wonderful in that? O , what is there remarkable in this one's having supported for a week the Govardhan mount which is like an anthill? 'While sporting on the top of a mountain this one ate a large quantity of food,'--hearing these words of thine yours many have wondered exceedingly. But, O thou you who art conversant with the rules of morality, is not this still more wrongful that that great person, viz., Kansa, whose food this one ate, hath has been slain by him? Thou you infamous one of the Kuru race, thou you art ignorant of the rules of morality. Hast have thou you not ever heard, from wise men speaking unto to thee you, what I would now tell thee you? The virtuous and the wise always instruct the honest that weapons must never be made to descend upon women and kine and Brahmanas and upon those whose food hath has been taken, as also upon those whose shelter hath has been enjoyed. It seemeth seems, O , that all these teachings hath has been thrown away by thee you. O infamous one of the Kuru race, desiring to praise , thou you describest him before me as great and superior in knowledge and in age, as if I knew nothing. If at thy your word, O , one that hath has slain women (meaning Putana) and kine be worshipped, then what is to become of this great lesson? How can one who is such, deserve praise, O ? 'This one is the foremost of all wise men,--'This one is the lord of the universe'--hearing these words of thine yours, believeth believes that these are all true. But surely, they are all false. The verses that a chanter sings, even if he sings them often, produce no impression on him. And every creature acts according to his disposition, even like the bird Bhulinga (that picks the particles of flesh from between the lion's teeth, though preaching against rashness). Assuredly thy your disposition is very mean. There is not the least doubt about it. And so also, it seemeth seems, that the sons of who regard as deserving of worship and who have thee you for their guide, are possessed of a sinful disposition. Possessing a knowledge of virtue, thou you hast have fallen off from the path of the wise. Therefore thou you art sinful. Who, O , knowing himself to be virtuous and superior in knowledge, will so act as thou you hast have done from motives of virtue? If thou you knowest know the ways of the morality, if thy your mind is guided by wisdom, blessed be thou you. Why then, O , was that virtuous girl , who had set her heart upon another, carried off by thee you, so proud of wisdom and virtue? Thy your brother conformably to the ways of the honest and the virtuous, knowing that girl's condition, did not marry her though brought by thee you. Boasting as thou you dost do of virtue, in thy your very sight, upon the widow of thy your brother were sons begotten by another according to the ways of the honest. Where is thy your virtue, O ? This thy your celebacy, which thou you leadest lead either from ignorance or from impotence, is fruitless. O thou you who art conversant with virtue, I do not behold thy your well-being. Thou you who expoundest morality in this way dost do not seem to have ever waited upon the old. Worship, gift, study,--sacrifices distinguished by large gifts to the Brahmanas,--these all equal not in merit even one-sixteenth part of that which is obtainable by the possession of a son. The merit, O , that is acquired by numberless vows and fasts assuredly becomes fruitless in the case of one that is childless. Thou you art childless and old and the expounder of false morality. Like the swan in the story, thou you shalt shall now die at the hands of thy your relatives. Other men possessed of knowledge have said this of old. I will presently recite it fully in thy your hearing.
"There lived of yore an old swan on the sea-coast. Ever speaking of morality, but otherwise in his conduct, he used to instruct the feathery tribe. Practise ye you virtue and forego sin,--these were the words that other truthful birds, O , constantly heard him utter And the other oviparous creatures ranging the sea, it hath has been heard by us, O use for virtue's sake to bring him food. And, O , all those other birds, keeping their eggs, with him, ranged and dived in the waters of the sea. And the sinful old swan, attentive to his own pursuits, used to eat up the eggs of all those birds that foolishly trusted in him. After a while when the eggs were decreasing in number, a bird of great wisdom had his suspicions roused and he even witnessed (the affair) one day. And having witnessed the sinful act of the old swan, that bird in great sorrow spoke unto to all the other birds. Then, O thou you best of the Kurus, all those birds witnessing with their own eyes the act of the old swan, approached that wretch of false conduct and slew him.
"Thy your behaviour, O , is even like that of the old swan. These lords of earth might slay thee you in anger like those creatures of the feathery tribe slaying the old swan. Persons conversant with the Puranas recite a proverb, O , as regards this occurrence, I shall, O Bharata, repeat it to thee you fully. It is even this: O thou you that supportest support thyself on thy your wings, though thy your heart is affected (by the passions), thou you preachest yet (of virtue); but this thy your sinful act of eating up the eggs transgresseth transgresses thy your speech!"