distinguished?  Indeed, liberality, cleverness, knowledge of the Vedas, bravery, modesty, achievements, excellent intelligence, humility, beauty, firmness, contentment and prosperity—­all dwell for ever in Achyuta.  Therefore, ye kings; it behoveth ye to approve of the worship that hath been offered unto Krishna who is of great accomplishments, who as the preceptor, the father, the guru, is worthy of the Arghya and deserving of (everybody’s) worship.  Hrishikesa is the sacrificial priest, the guru, worthy of being solicited to accept one’s daughter in marriage, the Snataka, the king, the friend:  therefore hath Achyuta been worshipped by us.  Krishna is the origin of the universe and that in which the universe is to dissolve.  Indeed, this universe of mobile and immobile creatures hath sprung into existence from Krishna only.  He is the unmanifest primal cause (Avyakta Prakriti), the creator, the eternal, and beyond the ken of all creatures.  Therefore doth he of unfading glory deserve highest worship.  The intellect, the seat of sensibility, the five elements, air, heat, water, ether, earth, and the four species of beings (oviparous, viviparous, born of filthy damp and vegetal) are all established in Krishna.  The sun, the moon, the constellations, the planets, all the principal directions, the intermediate directions, are all established in Krishna.  As the Agnihotra is the foremost among all Vedic sacrifices, as the Gayatri is the foremost among metres, as the king is the foremost among men, as the ocean is the foremost among all rivers, as the moon is the foremost among all constellations, as the sun is the foremost among all luminous bodies, as the Meru is the foremost among all mountains, as Garuda is the foremost among all birds, so as long as the upward, downward, and sideway course of the universe lasteth, Kesava is the foremost in all the worlds including the regions of the celestials.  This Sisupala is a mere boy and hence he knoweth not Krishna, and ever and everywhere speaketh of Krishna thus.  This ruler of Chedi will never see virtue in that light in which one that is desirous of acquiring high merit will see it.  Who is there among the old and the young or among these illustrious lords of earth that doth not regard Krishna as deserving of worship or that doth not worship Krishna?  If Sisupala regardeth this worship as undeserved, it behoveth him to do what is proper in this matter.’”

SECTION XXXVIII

“Vaisampayana said,—­The mighty Bhishma ceased, having said this.  Sahadeva then answered (Sisupala) in words of grave import, saying,—­’If amongst ye there be any king that cannot bear to see Kesava 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 Krishna who is the preceptor, the father, the guru, and deserveth the Arghya and the worship (already offered unto him).’