yadhavabhyudhaya-chapter15-sisupalavadham

[Guest guest]

Rajasuyayaga and the agrapuja of krishna

 

Krishna went to Indhraprastha accepting the invitation of

Yudhishtira for the rajasuya yaga. Desika says that the Lord who is

worshipped even by the devas disguised Himself as a yadhava and

hence all except those who knw Him treated him with disrespect and

added to this Krishna showed his soulabhya in undertaking the duty

of washing the feet of the Brahmins.

 

Then at the time of agrapuja, the ritual of first honour, Sahadeva

announce his intention to do agrapuja to Krishna thus:

 

Avadhath cha tham etham agragaNyam

vibuDhAnAm pitharam pathim gurm cha

harim archithum archyamudhyathAh smah

thath aSeshaih anmanyathAm suDheebhih

 

He is Lord Vishnu Himself,known through the Vedas, the first and

foremost of all devas and the father, Lord and acharya of all. Hence

we have come forward to worship Him fi that st. Let this be

permitted by the wise of this assembly.

 

Desika says that there was a shower of flowers, accompanied by the

buzzing of bees that came with them, on the head of Sahadeva

indicating that the devas will honour the one who worships Hari.

 

All have agreed except Sisupla who got angry and insulted the

pandavas and udhidhtira in particular for doing puja for a cowherd,

ignoring Bheeshma and others.

He also started abusing Krishna, saying that he was a juggler,

pretending as Vishnu wearing conch and the disc, and a coward who

ran from Kalayavana etc.

 

Bheeshma tried to pacify him with good words. He said that to

worship someone else when the one who bestows all benefits including

moksha is nearby, is like discarding kousthubha for red stones.

Propitiating Kishna will bring all purusharthas including moksha

and abusing him will result only in residence in hell. Bheeshma also

reminded Sisupala that when Krishna came to his house when he was

born his third eye and two extra arms vanished and hence he is

inviting his own destruction.

 

Sisupala was the son of sister of Vasudeva and when he was born a

celestial voice told his mother that when the person who will cause

hid death come b near him the extra two arms and eye will vanish.

This happened when Krishna came there and the mother of Sisupala

requested Krishna to bear with her son till he hurls 100 abuses at

Krishna. Hat is what Bheeshma refers to here and cautions Sisupala

not to abuse Krishna.

 

Bheeshma further said that there are so many in the assembly who

knew the meaning of the Vedas and they are being disgraced by the

words of Sisupala and censure him. Bheeshma admonishing Sisupala

said that if he did not listen to the words which were uttered for

his own benefit he could as well consider himself gone with final

ablution performed in respect of him.

 

Then Bheeshma addressed the assembly of kings and sages extolling

Krishna.

 

viDhihastha DhrthAth yadhanghri padhmAth

chyavamAnA pavan mAna veganeetha

vipunAthi jaganthi dhivyasinDhuh

kramathe hantha thadharchane vivAdDhah

 

To debate on worshipping Him, from whose feet, grasped by Brahma,

the divine Ganga flows and carried by the wind purifies all the

worlds, is really distressing and Sisupala is like an animal that is

going to be sacrificed in the battle that is to be but he can be

excused if he thinks that Krishna, whom devas worship should not be

worshipped by humans. But hehad been abusing Krishna and hence he is

going to be the fuel to he hell-fire, because he had already crossed

the limit of 100 insults which Krishna promised his mother to

tolerate.

 

Then Sisupal got furious and insulted Bheeshma also. All those

assembled were shocke and the yadhavas though flared up kept their

silence seeing the face of Krishna which showed no anger. Bhima rose

to attack Sisupala but Bheeshma restrained him saying that Sisupala

is to be killed by Krishna only and Bhima should not incur the blame

of attacking one of his guests.

 

Bheeshma told everyone to allow the agrapuja of Krishna and Narada

who was there praised him and sang the glory of Krishna, playing

his veena and dancing accordingly. Desika says that the song of

Narada was same as the udhgita of the rthviks in the yaga. (udhgita

is the singing of SAma hymns)

 

The four slokas that follow are the same as those in Gopalavimsathi.

 

vrajyoshidhapaangaveDHaneeyam madhuraabhaagyam ananyabhogyameede

vasudevavadhoosthanandhayam thath kimapi brahma kishorabhaava

dhrsyam-(Gopalavimsati-6)

 

I worship that Brahman, who appears as a child of Vasudeva and

Devaki , who is pierced by the glances of the gopis ( like arrows)

and who is the fortune of the kingdom of Madhura and is the delight

of His ardent devotees.

 

nikateshu nisaamayaami nithyam nigamaantharairadhunaapi mrgyamaanam

yamalaarjuna dhrshtabaalakelim yamunaasaakshikayouvanam kumaaram

 

(Gopalavimsathi-8)

Let me observe everywhere near me, Him, who is inquired by the vedas

even now and eternal, whose childhood sport is witnessed by the

twin trees and whose boyhood is wirnessed by the river Yamuna.

 

Padhaveem adhaveeyaseem vimukthEh ataveesampadham ambuvAhayantheem

aruNADHara sAbilAshavamsAm karuNAm kAraNa mAnusheem bajAmi

 

(Gopalavimsathi-

9)

 

 

I worship HIm, who is the cause of the world and the personification

of mercy in human form, thus a shortcut to salvation, who is the

rainbearing cloud to Brindavan forest and holds the flute, which

looks eager to be near His red lips.

 

adharaahitha chaaruvamsanaaLaah makutaalambhimayoorapicchamaalaah

harineelasilaavibhangaleelaah prathibhaah mamaanthimaprayaaNe santhu

 

(Gopalavimsathi-12)

 

May the appearance of the flute applied to the lowerlips, of the

garland of peacock feathers at his crown, of the lustre resembling

that of sapphire blue always be in front of me when I start on my

last journey.

 

Narada concluded his eulogy with the words `Krathurathra samarpithah

krthArThah,' the yaga has become fruitful by this act.

 

The death of Sisupala

 

Then Sahadeva,who was respected by those who had the knowledge of

the Vedas, performed the worship of Krishna. Sisupala continued to

abuse everyone including Bheeshma. Desika describes his anger and

outburst in detil and says that it was like the drumbeat signifying

his own end. He was looking like the Sun in eclipse over powered

with thamas(ignorance and delusion) which was like Rahu. Then

Sisupala challenged the yadhavas for battle and went out. Krishna

gave sanction for the Pandavas to conduct the yaga and followed

Sisupala with his army and a battle ensued between the supporters of

Sisupala and the yadhavas.

 

Sisupala went towards Krishna like a moth towards a fire. Desika

says both devas and the friends of Sisupala were watching with

anguish, the former anxious for his death and the latter out of fear.

Desika describes Sisupala attacking Krishna thus:

 

madhalupthaDhiyA thadhA abhiyukthah

yadhusimhah sisupAlakunjareNa

vijahAra guhASayah tharasvee

nikhilAraNyaka nirvighAthavrtthih

 

The foolish elephant, SisupAla ataacked the Lion of Yadhus, who is

in his cave, strong and wanders among the animals of the forest

unchallenged. The Lord is in the cave of the heart, and has free

movement among the Upanishads called Aranyakas. There is pun on the

word `AraNyaka,' which means wild animals as well as Upanishads.

 

Desika describes the battle as `athirAghavarAvaNam,' excelling even

that between Rama and Ravana, to indicate its fierceness. Here we

see the kavithArkika kesari comparing the battle to

vAdfhaprathivAdha, debate between two opponents, who desirous of

winning each other, make use of all their arguments like weapons. It

created wonder and satisfaction among the kings who were witnessing

the fight as the humans and devas get satisfaction from a sacrifice.

The word `naradeva' is used to denote the kings which can also be

construed as nara+deva, men and devas.

 

Sisupala, the moon, lost his luster gradually by coming closer to

Krishna, the Sun but on the part of Krishna, krishnapaksha, there

was no decrease. The light of the moon coming nearer and nearerthe

Sun is reduced until it unites with the Sun causing Amavasya. The

implication is that Sisupala was going to merge with the Lord, that

being his last janma of the three.

 

Then Krishna cut offthe head of Sisupala wo ith Hids sudarsanachara,

and a light arose from the body of Sisupal and merged with Krishna.