FIRST ARGHYA GIVEN TO SRI KRISHNA

SRIMAD MAHABHARATA > SABHA PARVA > ARGHYAHARANA PARVA > CHAPTER 35 - FIRST ARGHYA GIVEN TO SRI KRISHNA

“Vaishampaayana said, ‘On the last day of the yagna, when the king (Yudhishthira) was to be sprinkled over (Abhisheka in Sanskrit) with the sacred water, the great Brahmanas ever deserving of respectful treatment, Maharishis, along with the invited kings, entered together the inner enclosure of the yagna compound. Those illustrious Rishis with Naaradaa as their foremost, seated at their ease with those Rajarishis within that enclosure, looked like Devas seated in the mansion of Brahma (Brahma Bhavan in Sanskrit) in the company of Devarishis. Filled with immeasurable energy those Rishis, having obtained leisure, started various topics of conversation. ‘This is so,’ ‘This is not so,’ ‘This is even so,’ ‘This cannot be otherwise,’ – thus did many of them engage in discussions with one another. Some among the debaters, by well-chosen arguments made the weaker position appear the stronger and the stronger the weaker. Some debaters filled with great intelligence fell upon the position urged by others like hawks running at meat thrown up into the air, while some among them versed in the interpretations of treatises of Dharma and others of rigid vows (Maha Vrata in Sanskrit), and well-familiar with every commentary and gloss engaged themselves in pleasant converse.

“O king (Janamejaya), that platform crowded with Devas, Dwijas and Maharishis looked extremely beautiful like the wide expanse of the sky studded with stars. O monarch (Janamejaya), there was then no Shoodra near that platform (Sannidhi in Sanskrit) of Yudhishthira’s sabha, nor anybody that was without vows.

“Naaradaa, seeing the fortunate Yudhishthira’s prosperity that was born of that yagna, became highly satisfied. Looking that vast assembly all the Kshatriyas, the Muni Naaradaa, O king of men (Janamejaya), became thoughtful. O bull among men (Janamejaya), the Rishi (Naaradaa) began to recollect the words he had heard in ancient times in the mansion of Brahma (Brahma Bhavan in Sanskrit) regarding the incarnation on earth of portions of every deity. knowing, O son of the Kuru race (Janamejaya), that that was an assembly (of incarnate) Devas, Naaradaa thought in his mind of Hari with eyes like lotus-petals. He knew that that creator Himself of every object one, that noble of all Devas – Lord Narayana – who had formerly commanded Devas, saying, ‘You be born on earth and slay one another and come back to this world’ – that slayer of all the enemies of Devas, that subjugator of all hostile towns, in order to fulfil His own promise, had been born in the Kshatriya varna. Naaradaa knew that the nole and holy (Lord) Narayana, also called Shambhu – the lord of the Universe, having commanded all Devas thus, had taken His birth in the race of Yadus and that foremost of all preserver of races, having sprung from the line of the Andhaka-Vrishnis on earth was graced with great good fortune and was shining like the moon herself among stars.

“Naaradaa knew that Hari the grinder of enemies, whose strength of arm was ever praised by all the Devas with (Lord) Indra among them, was then living in the world in human form. Oh, the Self-Create (Swayambhu in Sanskrit) will Himself take away (from the earth) this vast assembly of Kshatriyas filled with so much strength. Such was the vision of Naaradaa, the all-knowing who knew Hari or (Lord) Narayana to be that Supreme Lord whom everybody worshipped with yagna. Naaradaa, gifted with great intelligence and the foremost of all persons and knowledgeable with Dharma, thinking of all this, sat at that yagna of the wise Dharmaraja Yudhishthira with feelings of awe.

“Then Bhishma, O king (Janamejaya), addressing Dharmaraja Yudhishthira, said, ‘O Bharata (Yudhishthira), let Arghya (an article of respect) be offered to the kings as each of them deserves. O Yudhishthira, listen the Aacharya, the Ritwija, the relative, the Snaataka, the friend, the king, it has been said are the six that deserve Arghya. The wise have said that when any of these dwell with one for full one year he deserves to be worshipped with Arghya. These kings have been staying with us for some time. Therefore, O king (Yudhishthira), let Arghyas be procured to be offered to each of them. Let an Arghya be presented first of all to him among those present who is the foremost.’

“Hearing these words of Bhishma, Yudhishthira said ‘O Grandsire (Pitaamaha in Sanskrit), O you of the Kuru race (Bhishma), whom you think the foremost among these and to whom the Arghya should be presented by us, O tell me.’

“Vaishampaayana continued, ‘Then, O Bharata, Bhishma – the son of Shaantanu, judged it by his intelligence that on earth, (Sri) Krishna was the foremost of all. He (Bhishma) said ‘As is the Sun among all shining objects, so is the One (meaning Sri Krishna) (who shines like the Sun) among us all, in consequence of His energy, strength and prowess. This our sabha is illuminated and gladdened by Him as a Sunless region by the Sun, or a region of still air by a gust of breeze.’

“Thus, commanded by Bhishma, Sahadeva filled with great prowess duly presented the first Arghya of excellent ingredients to (Sri) Krishna of the Vrishni race. (Sri) Krishna also accepted it according to the forms of the ordinance (Vidhi in Sanskrit). But Shishupaala could not bear to see that worship offered to Vaasudeva. This mighty king of Chedi (Shishupaala), scolding in the middle of that assembly both Bhishma and Yudhishthira, criticised Vaasudeva thereafter.’”