Vaishampayana said: -
32. Thereupon king Yudhisthira ran after Sishupala and spoke thus to him in sweet and conciliating tone.
Yudhisthira said: -
2. O lord of the earth, what you have said does not suit you, O king, it is highly sinful and needlessly cruel.
3. O king, do not insult the son of Shantanu, Bhisma, by erroneously thinking that he does not know what is the great Dharma.
4. Look, these many kings, who are all older than you, approve the worship offered to Krishna. You should also approve it.
5. O king of Chedi, the descendant of Kuru, Bhisma, knows truly and well what Krishna is. You do not know him so well as he knows.
Bhisma said: -
6. He, who does not approve of the worship offered to Krishna, who is the oldest in the universe, deserves neither soft words nor conciliation.
7. That chief of warriors in the Kshatrya race, who, having overcome a Kshatrya in battle and brought him under his power, sets him free, becomes his preceptor.
8. 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).
9. This mighty-armed hero of unfading glory deserve to be worshipped not only by us alone, but by all the three worlds.
10. Many best of Kshatryas have been defeated by Krishna in battle. The infinite universe is established in this Vrishni hero.
11. 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.
12-14. O king, I have worshipped many men who are old in knowledge. I have heard from all those wise men when they came and talked to me what are the many accomplishments of Shauri (Krishna). I have heard many times narrated by the people all the acts which greatly intelligent Krishna performed since his birth. O king of Chedi, we do not worship Janardana only from caprice.
15. Or from keeping in view our relationship with him, or from expected benefits (to be received from him). He is worshipped by all the pious men on earth, and he is the source of all happiness.
16. We have offered him the first worship in consideration of his fame, his heroism and his success. There is none here, even if he is a child, whom we have not taken into our consideration (when offering the Arghya to Krishna).
17. Passing over many persons who are accomplished and learned, we have thought Hari as deserving of the first worship. Amongst Brahmanas he, who is old in knowledge, amongst Kshatryas he, who is great in strength.
18. Amongst Vaishyas, he, who is rich in possessions and wealth; and amongst the Shudras he, who is old in age, deserves to be worshipped. There are two reasons for offering the worship to Govinda (Krishna).
19. 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?
20. Liberality, cleverness, knowledge of the Sruti (Veda), bravery, modesty, achievements, excellent intelligence, humility, beauty, firmness, contentment and prosperity, all live forever in Achyuta (Krishna).
21. 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.
22. Hrisikesha (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.
23. 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.
24. He is unmanifest primal nature, he is the creator, he is eternal, and he is beyond all creatures. Therefore, Achyuta deserves the highest worship.
25. 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.
26. The sun, the moon, the stars, the planets, the chief directions and the intermediate directions are all established in Krishna.
27-28. As the Agnihotra is the foremost of all Vedic rites, as Gayatri is that of the metres, as the king is that of men as the ocean is that of all rivers, as the moon is the foremost of all constellations, as the sun is that of luminous bodies, as the Meru is that of all mountains, as Garuda is that of all birds.
29. So is the illustrious Keshava, (Krishna) the foremost in all the worlds including that of the celestials, so he is as long as the upward, downward and sideways course of the universe lasts.
30. This Sishupala is a mere child. He does not know who Krishna is, and therefore everywhere and always he speaks of Krishna thus.
31. This ruler of Chedi cannot see virtue in that light in which those intelligent men who desire to acquire high merits sees it.
32. 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?
33. If Sishupala considers this worship undeserved, in this undeserved worship he should do that which is proper in this matter.
Thus ends the thirty eighth chapter, the words of Bhisma, in the Arghyaharana of the Sabha Parva.