वैशम्पायन उवाच एवमुक्त्वा ततो भीष्मो विरराम् महाबलः। व्याजहारोत्तरं तत्र सहदेवोऽर्थवद् वचः॥
Vaishampayana said Having said this, the greatly strong Bhishma stopped. Then Sahadeva gave this reply(to Shishupala) of grave import.
केशवं केशिहन्तारमप्रमेयपराक्रमम्। पूज्यमानं मया यो वः कृष्णं न सहते नृपाः॥
"If there is any king(present here) who cannot bear the worship offered by me to Keshava, the slayer of Keshi, and the possessor of immeasurable energy.
सर्वेषां बलिनां मूर्ध्नि भयेदं निहितं पदम्। एवमुक्ते मया सम्यगुत्तरं प्रब्रवीतु सः॥
On the head of such heroes I place my foot. When I say this, let that one give me the proper reply.
स एव हि मया वध्यो भविष्यति न संशयः। मतिमन्थश्च ये केचिदाचार्यं पितरं गुरुम्॥ अर्घ्यमर्चितम_हमनुजानन्तु ते नृपाः। ततो न व्याजहारैषां कश्चिद् बुद्धिमतां सताम्॥ मानिनां बलिनां राज्ञां मध्ये वै दर्शिते पदे। ततोऽपतत् पुष्पवृष्टिः सहदेवस्य मूर्धनि॥
Let those kings who possess intelligence approve the worship of the preceptor, the father, and the Guru (Krishna) who (fully) deserves the Arghya and the worship.” When Sahadeva thus showed his foot, no one among those intelligent, wise, proud and powerful kings said anything. Thereupon, showers of flowers fell upon the head of Sahadeva.
अदृश्यरूपा वचाश्चाप्यब्रुवन् साधु साध्विति। आविध्यदजितं कृष्णं भविष्यद्भूतजल्पकः॥
An invisible voice said, “Excellent, Excellent!" Clad in a black deer skin, the speaker of both the past and the future,
सर्वसंशयनिर्मोक्ता नारदः सर्वलोकवित्। उवाचाखिलभूतानां मध्ये स्पष्टतरं वचः॥
The dispeller of all doubts, Narada learned in(the mysteries) of all the world, then said in the midst of innumerable creatures these words of the clearest import.
कृष्णं कमलपत्राक्षं नार्चयिष्यन्ति ये नराः। जीवन्मृतास्तु ते ज्ञेया न सम्भाष्याः कदाचन॥
Those men, who will not worship the lotus-eyed Krishna, should be considered as dead though living. He should never be talked to."
वैशम्पायन उवाच पूजयित्वा च पूजार्हान् ब्रह्मक्षत्रविशेषवित्। सहदेवो नृणां देवः समापद्यत कर्म तत्॥
Vaishampayana said Having worshipped those that deserved worship, then that god among men, Sahadeva, well-acquainted with the difference between a Brahmana and a Kshatriya competed the ceremony.
तस्मिन्नभ्यर्चिते कृष्णे सुनीथः शत्रुकर्षणः। अतिताप्रेक्षणः कोपादुवाच मनुजाधिपान्॥
When Krishna received the first worship, that slayer of foes, Sunitha (Shishupala), with eyes red as copper in anger, thus addressed the kings (present there).
स्थित: सेनापतिर्योऽहं मन्यध्वं किं तु साम्प्रतम्। युधि तिष्ठाम संना समेतान् वृष्णिपाण्डवान्॥
“When I am here to be the generalissimo, what are you thinking now? In battle array let us stand against the assembled Vrishnis and the Pandavas".
इति सर्वान् समुत्साह्य राज्ञस्तांश्चेदिपुङ्गवः। यज्ञोपघाताय ततः सोऽमन्त्रयत राजभिः॥
Having thus stirred up the kings, that best of the Chedis (Shishupala) began to consult with them how to obstruct the completion of the sacrifice.
तत्राहूता गताः सर्वे सुनीथप्रमुखा गणाः। समदृश्यन्त संक्रुद्धा विवर्णवदनास्तथा॥
The invited kings, who had come to the sacrifice, all with Sunitha (Shishupala) at their head, looked angry, and their face became pale.
युधिष्ठिराभिषेकं च वासुदेवस्य चाहणम्। न स्याद् यथा तथा कार्यमेवं सर्वे तदाब्रुवन्॥
They all said, “We must act in such a way as the final sacrificial rites to be performed by Yudhishthira and this worship of Krishna may not be supposed to have our acquiescence”.
निष्कर्षानिश्चयात् सर्वे राजानः क्रोधमूर्छिताः। अब्रुवंस्तत्र राजानो निर्वेदादात्मनिश्चयात्॥
Having been impelled by a belief in their great power and confidence, and having been also deprived of all sense by anger, all the kings began to talk in this way.
सुहृद्भिर्वार्यमाणानां तेषां हि वपुराबभौ। आमिषादपकृष्टानां सिंहानामिव गर्जताम्॥
Though they were appeased by their friends, their faces glowed with anger, and they roared like lions driven away from their prey.
तं बलौघमपर्यन्तं राजसागरमक्षयम्। कुर्वाणं समयं कृष्णो युद्धाय बुबुधे तदा॥
Krishna understood that the undeteriorating great sea of kings with its countless waves of soldiers was making preparation for a fight.