Critical Edition
वैशंपायन उवाच ततो युधिष्ठिरो राजा शिशुपालमुपाद्रवत् उवाच चैनं मधुरं सान्त्वपूर्वमिदं वचः
M. N. Dutt: 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 राजन्पारुष्यं च निरर्थकम्
M. N. Dutt: 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 पार्थिव भीष्मः शांतनवस्त्वेनं मावमंस्था अतोऽन्यथा
M. N. Dutt: O king, do not insult the son of Shantanu, Bhishma, by erroneously thinking that he does not know what is the great Dharma.
पश्य चेमान्महीपालांस्त्वत्तो वृद्धतमान्बहून् मृष्यन्ते चार्हणां कृष्णे तद्वत्त्वं क्षन्तुमर्हसि
M. N. Dutt: 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
M. N. Dutt: 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 नास्मा अनुनयो देयो नायमर्हति सान्त्वनम् लोकवृद्धतमे कृष्णे योऽर्हणां नानुमन्यते
M. N. Dutt: 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
M. N. Dutt: 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 च समितौ राज्ञामेकमप्यजितं युधि न पश्यामि महीपालं सात्वतीपुत्रतेजसा
M. N. Dutt: 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 जनार्दनः
M. N. Dutt: 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 जगत्सर्वं च वार्ष्णेये निखिलेन प्रतिष्ठितम्
M. N. Dutt: Many best of Kshatriyas have been defeated by Krishna in battle. The infinite universe is established in this Vrishni hero.
तस्मात्सत्स्वपि वृद्धेषु कृष्णमर्चाम नेतरान् एवं वक्तुं न चार्हस्त्वं मा भूत्ते बुद्धिरीदृशी
M. N. Dutt: 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 राजन्बहवः पर्युपासिताः तेषां कथयतां शौरेरहं गुणवतो गुणान् समागतानामश्रौषं बहून्बहुमतान्सताम्
AI Translation: O king, I have attended upon many learned men. From them who were recounting the virtues of the virtuous Shouri, I heard many good men who had assembled, speak of many virtues.
Supplementary Passages:
2.35.12 After 12ab, G1 ins.: *356 यस्य राजन्प्रभावज्ञाः पुरा सर्वे च रक्षिताः
कर्माण्यपि च यान्यस्य जन्मप्रभृति धीमतः बहुशः कथ्यमानानि नरैर्भूयः श्रुतानि मे
AI Translation: And the deeds of that wise one, beginning with his birth, which have been told many times by men, I have heard again.
न केवलं वयं कामाच्चेदिराज जनार्दनम् न संबन्धं पुरस्कृत्य कृतार्थं वा कथंचन
AI Translation: Not only do we not have any connection with Janardana, O king of Chedi, nor do we have any purpose to accomplish.
अर्चामहेऽर्चितं सद्भिर्भुवि भौमसुखावहम् यशः शौर्यं जयं चास्य विज्ञायार्चां प्रयुज्महे
AI Translation: We worship the worshipped one, the bestower of happiness on the earth, by the good. Knowing his fame, valour and victory, we perform worship.
न हि कश्चिदिहास्माभिः सुबालोऽप्यपरीक्षितः गुणैर्वृद्धानतिक्रम्य हरिरर्च्यतमो मतः
AI Translation: For we have not here even a child who is not examined. The one who is to be worshipped most is Hari, who is not surpassed by the aged in qualities.
ज्ञानवृद्धो द्विजातीनां क्षत्रियाणां बलाधिकः पूज्ये ताविह गोविन्दे हेतू द्वावपि संस्थितौ
AI Translation: The increase of knowledge is for the twice-born, the increase of strength is for the Kshatriyas. These two causes are present in Govinda, who is to be worshipped.
Supplementary Passages:
2.35.17 After 17ab, K4 V1 B D ins.: *357 वैश्यानां धान्यधनवाञ्शूद्राणामेव जन्मतः
वेदवेदाङ्गविज्ञानं बलं चाप्यमितं तथा नृणां हि लोके कस्यास्ति विशिष्टं केशवादृते
M. N. Dutt: 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 संनतिः श्रीर्धृतिस्तुष्टिः पुष्टिश्च नियताच्युते
M. N. Dutt: 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 सर्वसंपन्नमाचार्यं पितरं गुरुम् अर्च्यमर्चितमर्चार्हं सर्वे संमन्तुमर्हथ
M. N. Dutt: 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.
ऋत्विग्गुरुर्विवाह्यश्च स्नातको नृपतिः प्रियः सर्वमेतद्धृषीकेशे तस्मादभ्यर्चितोऽच्युतः
M. N. Dutt: 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 भूतमिदं विश्वं समर्पितम्
M. N. Dutt: 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 सर्वभूतेभ्यस्तस्माद्वृद्धतमोऽच्युतः
M. N. Dutt: 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 महान्वायुस्तेजोऽम्भः खं मही च या चतुर्विधं च यद्भूतं सर्वं कृष्णे प्रतिष्ठितम्
M. N. Dutt: 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 दिशश्चोपदिशश्चैव सर्वं कृष्णे प्रतिष्ठितम्
M. N. Dutt: The sun, the moon, the stars, the planets, the chief directions and the intermediate directions are all established in Krishna.
Supplementary Passages:
2.35.25 K2.4 B1 (marg.) Dn D1.2.4.5 ins. after 25: Ś1 K1.3 D3.6 (which all om. 25) ins. after 24: B3 T1 ins. after 23: B4, after 21: *358 अग्निहोत्रमुखा वेदा गायत्री छन्दसां 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 On the other hand, T1 G1.3.4 (om. line 1).5.6 ins. after 25: *359 एष रुद्रश्च सर्वात्मा ब्रह्मा चैष सनातनः अक्षरः क्षररूपेण मानुषत्वमुपागतः
अयं तु पुरुषो बालः शिशुपालो न बुध्यते सर्वत्र सर्वदा कृष्णं तस्मादेवं प्रभाषते
M. N. Dutt: 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 मतिमान्नरः स वै पश्येद्यथाधर्मं न तथा चेदिराडयम्
M. N. Dutt: This ruler of Chedi cannot see virtue in that light in which those intelligent men who desire to acquire high merits sees it.
सवृद्धबालेष्वथ वा पार्थिवेषु महात्मसु को नार्हं मन्यते कृष्णं को वाप्येनं न पूजयेत्
M. N. Dutt: 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?
अथेमां दुष्कृतां पूजां शिशुपालो व्यवस्यति दुष्कृतायां यथान्यायं तथायं कर्तुमर्हति
M. N. Dutt: If Shishupala considers this worship undeserved, in this undeserved worship he should do that which is proper in this matter