Vaishampayana said: -
1-3. Seeing that assembly of kings agitated by anger, as the fearful ocean is agitated by the winds at the time of the universal dissolution, Yudhisthira thus spoke to that foremost of all intelligent men, the grandsire of the Kurus, the aged Bhisma, as that slayer of foes, Purohita (Indra) of extraordinary prowess, speaks to Brihaspati. “This vast ocean of kings have been agitated by wrath. O grandsire, tell me what should be done now.
4. O grandsire, tell me what I should do now that my sacrifice may not be obstructed and my subjects may not be injured”.
5. When Dharmaraja Yudhisthira, learned in morality, said this, the grandsire of the Kurus Bhisma thus spoke to him.
6. “O best of the Kurus, do not be alarmed, can the dog kill the lion? I have already settled some means that is both beneficial and conformable to policy.
7. As a pack of dogs bark all together at a sleeping lion, so do all these rulers of the earth.
8. O child, like the dogs at the lion, these (kings) are angrily barking before the sleeping lion of the Vrishni race (Krishna).
9. Achyuta (Krishna) is now like a lion that is asleep. So long he does not wake up this king of the Chedis, this foremost of men, makes these monarchs look like the lions.
9. O best of kings, O child, this Sishupala possesses but little intelligence. He is desirous of taking along (with him) all these monarchs to the abode of Yama through the agency of him who is the soul of this universe.
10. O descendant of Bharata, Krishna has been surely desirous of taking back to himself the effulgence and prowess that now lives in Sishupala.
11. O son of Kunti, O foremost of all intelligent men, the intelligence of this wicked king of the Chedis, as well as that of all these kings, have become perverse.
12. The intelligence of all men whom this best of men (Krishna) desires to take to himself become as perverse as that of this Chedi king.
13. O Yudhisthira, Madhava is the creator and destroyer of all the four kinds of beings existing in the three worlds.
14. O descendant of Bharata, having heard his words, the king of the Chedis spoke thus to Bhisma in stem and harsh words.
Thus ends the fortieth chapter, the consolation to Yudhisthira, in sishupala Badha of the Sabha Parva.