Deliverance of Śiśupāla

Next paragraph. Chapter Seventy-four. Subject: "Deliverance of Sisupala."

King Yudhisthira thus became very happy after hearing the description of Jarasandha episode, and began to say as follows. The king said: [within quotation] "My dear Krsna, the eternal form of bliss and knowledge, all the exalted directors of the affairs of this material world, namely Lord Brahma, Lord Siva, King Indra, all of them are always anxious to receive orders from You and carry them out, and whenever they are fortunate enough to receive such orders, they immediately take such orders and keep them on their head. Krsna, You are unlimited, and so far we are concerned, we are very poor in heart, and for our paltry position we sometimes think of ourselves as the royal order kings and rulers of this world. Under the circumstances, we are just fit for being punished by You. But the wonder is that instead of punishing us, You so kindly and mercifully accept our orders and carry it out properly.

"We are all therefore very much surprised how Your Lordship can play the part of an ordinary human being, but we can understand it at the same time that these are all Your play in the role of a dramatic artist. Your position is always, however, exalted, exactly like the sun, who remains always in the same temperature either during his rising time or at his setting time. The difference of temperature of rising and setting of the sun is felt by us only, but the sun as it is remains always in the same temperature, without any change. You are always transcendentally equipoised; thus You are neither happy or disturbed in any condition of material affairs.

"You are the Supreme Brahma, Personality of Godhead, without any distinction of relativities in the concept of Your personal and impersonal features. My dear Madhava, You are never defeated by anyone. The material concept of distinction, that 'This is I,' 'This is you,' 'This is mine,' 'This is your,' all these distinctions are conspicuous by their absence in You. Such distinctions are visible in the life of animals also. It is a fact also that those who are Your pure devotees, they are also freed from such false distinction. While they are absent in Your devotees, how they can be possible in Your person?"

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King Yudhisthira, after satisfying Krsna in that way, arranged for performing the Rajasūya yajna, and he invited all the qualified brahmanas and sages to take part in it and appointed them in different position of priest and in charge of the sacrificial arena. Thus he invited the most expert brahmanas and sages, whose names are as follows: Krsna-dvaipayana Vyasadeva, Bharadvaja, Sumantu, Gautama, Asita, Vasistha, Cyavana, Kanva, Maitreya, Kavasa, Trita, Visvamitra, Vamadeva, Sumati, Jaimini, Kratu, Paila, Parasara, Garga, Vaisampayana, Atharva, Kasyapa, Dhaumya, Parasurama, Sukracarya, Asuri, Vitihotra, Madhucchanda, Virasena and Akrtavrana.

Besides all these brahmanas and sages, he invited such respectful old men like Dronacarya, Bhisma pita (the grandfather Bhisma), Krpacarya, Dhrtarastra. He also invited all the sons of Dhrtarastra, headed by Duryodhana, and along with them Vidura, the great devotee, was also invited. In order to see the great sacrifice performed by King Yudhisthira, all different kings from different parts of the world, along with their ministers and secretaries, were also invited. And to observe the great ceremony, all the citizens comprising of learned brahmanas, chivalrous ksatriyas, well-to-do vaisyas and faithful sūdras, all of them in their respective position visited the ceremony.

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After this, the brahmana priests and the sages who were in charge of the sacrificial ceremony constructed the sacrificial arena as usual with a plow of gold, and thus they initiated King Yudhisthira to become the performer of great sacrifice, according to Vedic rituals. Long, long years ago when Varuna performed such a sacrifice, all the utensils for the purpose of the sacrifice were made of gold. Similarly, in the case of King Yudhisthira also, all the utensils required for the sacrifice were made of gold.

Being duly invited by the king Yudhisthira, Lord Brahma, Lord Siva and the different kings of the heavenly planets like Indra…

[break] In order to participate in the great sacrifice performed by King Yudhisthira, all the exalted demigods like Lord Brahma, Lord Siva, the king of heaven Indra, accompanied by their associates, as well as the predominating deities of higher planetary system like Gandharvaloka, Siddhaloka, Janaloka, Tapoloka, Nagaloka, Yaksaloka, Raksasaloka, Paksiloka, Caranaloka, all the big kings, along with their queens, all were present there, being invited by King Yudhisthira. All the respectable sages, kings and demigods who assembled there unanimously agreed that King Yudhisthira was quite competent to take the responsibility of performing Rajasūya sacrifice. Nobody was in disagreement on this fact. All of them knew thoroughly the position of the king Yudhisthira because he was a great devotee of Lord Krsna, or for him there was nothing extraordinary.

The learned brahmanas and priests caused the sacrifice performed by Maharaja Yudhisthira exactly in the same way as they were performed in bygone ages by the demigod Varuna. According to Vedic system, whenever there is arrangement for some sacrifice, the members participating in the sacrifice is offered the juice of soma plant. The juice of soma plant is a kind of life-giving beverage. So on the day of extracting the soma-jusa,[?] King Yudhisthira very much respectfully received the special priest who was engaged to check and detect any mistake in the formalities of sacrificial paraphernalia.

The idea is that the Vedic mantra should be enunciated perfectly by chanting in proper accent, and if the priests who are engaged in this business commit any mistake, the checker, or referee priest, immediately corrects the procedure, and thus the ritualistic performances are perfectly executed. Unless they are perfectly executed, the result of sacrifice cannot be achieved. In this age of Kali, there is no such learned brahmana or priest available; therefore, all such sacrifices are forbidden. The only one sacrifice recommended in the sastra is the chanting of Hare Krsna mantra.

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Another system is that in the assembly of such sacrificial ceremony, the most exalted personality is first offered worship. So after all arrangements being fixed up, the next consideration was who should be worshiped first in that ceremony. This particular ceremony is called agra-pūja. Agra means "first," and pūja means "worship." This agra-pūja is similar to election of the president. Now in that assembly, all the members are very exalted. Everyone proposed somebody to elect someone as the perfect candidate for accepting agra-pūja; others proposed someone else.

In this way, when the matter remained undecided, at that time Sahadeva began to speak in favor of Lord Krsna. He said, [within quotation] "Lord Krsna, the best amongst the members of the Yadu dynasty and the protector of His devotees, is the most exalted personality in this assembly. Therefore, I think He should be offered the first worship honor, without any objection. Undoubtedly, in this assembly demigods like Lord Brahma, Lord Siva, and the king of heavenly planets Indra and many other exalted demigods are present. Still, nobody can be equal or greater than Krsna in terms of time, space, riches, strength, reputation, wisdom, renunciation and in every respect. Anything which is considered an opulence is fully present in Krsna."

As an individual soul is the basic principle of his growth of material body, similarly, Krsna is the Supersoul of this cosmic manifestation. All kinds of Vedic ritualistic ceremonies, like performance of sacrifices, offering oblations in the fire, chanting the Vedic hymns, practicing the mystic yoga, all of them are meant for realizing Krsna. Either you follow the path of fruitive activities or the path of philosophical speculation, the ultimate destination is Krsna; or all such bona fide methods of self-realization are meant for understanding Krsna.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it is superfluous to speak about Krsna because every one of you exalted personalities know the Supreme Brahma, Lord Krsna, in whom there is no material differences between the body and the soul, between the energy and the energetic or between one part of the body with another. Everyone being part and parcel of Krsna, there is no qualitative difference between Krsna and all other living entities. Everything being emanation of Krsna's energies, like the material energy, the spiritual energy, are exactly like the heat and light of fire, and there is no difference in quality of heat and light with the fire.

"Similarly, Krsna can act anything He likes by any part of His body. We can execute a particular action with the help of a particular part of body. But in case of Krsna, He can act anything and everything by any part of His body. And because His transcendental body is full of knowledge and bliss in eternity, He doesn't undergo the material six kinds of changes, like birth, existence, growth, production, dwindling and vanishing. Without being forced by any external energy, He is the supreme cause of creation, maintenance and dissolution of everything that be. By the grace of Krsna only, everyone is engaged in the practice of religiosity, development of economic conditions, satisfaction of the senses and, ultimately, achieving liberation from material bondage.

"All these four principles of progressive life can be executed by the mercy of Krsna only. He should therefore be offered the first worshipment of this great sacrifice, without any disagreement. As by watering on the root the watering of the branches, twigs, leaves and flowers are automatically done, or as supplying food in the stomach the nutrition and metabolism all parts of the body are automatically performed, similarly, by offering the first worshipment to Krsna, everyone present in this meeting, including the great demigods, all will be satisfied. If anyone is charitably disposed, it will be very good for him if he gives in charity to Krsna only, who is the Supersoul of everyone, without any differentiation of individual personalities. Krsna being present as the Supersoul in every living being, if we can satisfy Him, automatically every living being becomes satisfied." [quotation close]

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Sahadeva was fortunate to know about the glories of Krsna. So after describing the glories of Krsna in nutshell, he stopped speaking. After this deliverance of speech by Sahadeva, all the members present in that great assembly of sacrifice applauded the speech of Sahadeva, confirming continuedly by saying, (within quotes) "Everything that you have said is completely perfect. Everything that you have said is completely perfect." So King Yudhisthira, after hearing the confirmation of all present, especially of the brahmanas and learned sages, he worshiped Lord Krsna according to the regulative principles of Vedic injunction.

First of all, the king Yudhisthira, along with his five brothers, family members, wives, children, relatives, ministers, all of them washed the lotus feet of Lord Krsna, and every one of them sprinkled the washed water on their head. After this, Lord Krsna was offered various kinds of silk garments of yellow color and presented before Him heaps of jewelry and ornaments for His use.

At that time, King Yudhisthira was feeling so much ecstasy in honoring Krsna, who is his only lovable object, that because of tears gliding down from the eyes he could not see very nicely Lord Krsna, although he wanted to do so. When Lord Krsna was thus being worshiped by King Yudhisthira, at that time all the members present in that assembly stood up with folded hands and began to chant, "Jaya! Jaya! Namaḥ! Namaḥ!" When all of them joined together to offer their respectful obeisances to Krsna, there was showers of flowers from the sky.

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In that meeting, King Sisupala was also present, and he was avowed opposition to Krsna on account of so many reasons, especially because of Krsna's taking away Rukmini during the marriage ceremony. Therefore, so much honor to Krsna and glorification of His qualities could not be tolerated by him. Instead of being engladdened to hear the glories of the Lord, he became very angry. When everyone was offering respect to Krsna by standing up, Sisupala was sitting in his seat. But when he became angry after Krsna's honor, he stood up immediately from his seat, and raising his hand he began to speak very strongly against Lord Krsna and was not at all afraid of Krsna. He was speaking in such a way that Lord Krsna could hear him very distinctly.

He began to speak as follows: [within quotation] "Ladies and gentlemen, I can appreciate now the statement of Vedas that after all, the time is the predominating factor. In spite of all contra-endeavor, the time element executes its own plan without deter. For example, one may try his best to live, but when the time for death comes, nobody can check it. I see here the influence of time so strong that in this assembly, although there are many stalwart personalities present, still they have been misled by the statement of a boy who has so much foolishly spoken about Krsna, and such statements accepted by the honored personalities present in this meeting. There are many learned sages and elderly persons here present, but still they have accepted the statement of a foolish boy. This means by the influence of time even the intelligence of such person can be misdirected.

"I fully agree with the respectable persons present here that they are competent enough to select the personality who can be first worshiped. But still, I cannot agree with the statement of a boy like Sahadeva, who has spoken so high about Krsna, or that He is fit for accepting the first worship in this sacrifice. I can see that in this meeting there are many personalities who had undergone great austerities. They are highly learned and performed many penances, and by their knowledge and direction they can deliver many persons suffering from the pangs of material existence. There are great rsis whose knowledge has no bounds, as well as there are many persons self-realized brahmanas also, and therefore I think anyone could have been selected for the first worshipment because they are worshipable even by the great demigods, kings and emperors. I cannot understand how you could select this cowherd boy, Krsna, to be fit for accepting the first worshipment, leaving aside all these great personalities. I can think of Krsna as good as a crow, and how He can be fit for accepting the first worshipment in this great sacrifice?

"We could not ascertain as yet in which caste this Krsna belongs to and what is His actual occupational duty." (within brackets) [Actually, Krsna does not belong to any caste, neither He has to perform any occupational duty. As it is stated in the Vedas that the Supreme Lord has nothing to do as His prescribed duty. Whatever has to be done on His behalf, it is executed by His different energies.] (bracket close)

Sisupala continued to say, "Krsna does not belong to any high family. He is so much extravagant that nobody knows His principles of religious life. It appears that He is outside the jurisdiction of all religious principles. He always acts independently, without caring for the Vedic injunction and regulative principles. Therefore, He is devoid of all qualities." (within bracket) [Sisupala indirectly eulogized Krsna that He is not within the jurisdiction of Vedic injunction because He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. And He has no qualities means Krsna has no material qualities. And because He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He acts independently without caring for any convention of social and religious principles.] (bracket close)

Sisupala continued to say, "Under these circumstances, how He can be fit to accept the first worshipment in the sacrifice?" Sisupala continued to say, [within quotation] "Krsna is so foolish that He has left Mathura, which is inhabited by highly elevated persons following the Vedic culture, whereas he has taken shelter in the ocean, where there is not even the talks of Vedas. And instead of living openly, He has constructed a fort within the water and is living in an atmosphere where there is no discussion of Vedic knowledge. And whenever He comes out of the fort, He simply harasses the citizens as much as the dacoits, the thieves and the rogues do." (quotation closed)

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Actually, Sisupala became crazy because of Krsna's being elected as the supreme person in that meeting, to be worshiped first, and he was talking so irresponsibly that it appeared that he had lost all his auspicious chances of life. Sisupala at that time, being overcast with misfortune, continued to talk about Krsna with more and more insulting words, and Lord Krsna was patiently hearing them without any protest. Lord Krsna remained silent, without any provocation, as much as the lion does not care when a flock of jackals cry all together.

Krsna did not reply even a single of his accusation flurried by Sisupala. But all the members present in the meeting, except a few who were adherent to Sisupala, became very much agitated because it is not the duty of any respectable person to tolerate blasphemy of God or His devotees. Some of them, who thought it that they could not properly take action against Sisupala, left in protest from the assembly, covering their ears with hands so that they may not any more hear such false accusation. They left the meeting, condemning the action of Sisupala. It is Vedic injunction that whenever there is blasphemy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one must leave that place immediately. If he does not do so, he becomes bereft of his pious activities and degraded to the lower condition of life.

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Now all the kings present there, belonging to the Kuru dynasty, Matsya dynasty, Kekaya dynasty and Srnjaya dynasties, all of them became very much angry and immediately took up their respective swords and shields just to kill Sisupala immediately. Sisupala was so much foolish that he did not even slightly agitated or worried, although all the kings present there were ready to kill him. He did not care to think of the pros and cons of such foolishly talking, and when he saw that all the kings were ready to kill him, instead of stopping, he also stood to fight with them and took up his sword and shield.

When Lord Krsna saw that all of them were going to be engaged in fighting in that auspicious moment of Rajasūya yajna, He stopped them to do so by personal pacification, and out of His causeless mercy He wanted to kill Sisupala Himself. When Sisupala, however, was abusing the kings who tried to attack him, Lord Krsna took up His disc, which was as sharp as the blade of a razor, and immediately separated the head of Sisupala from his body.

When Sisupala was thus killed, there was a great roaring and howling sound in the crowd of that assembly; and taking advantage of that upsurge, the few kings supporters of Sisupala very quickly left the assembly out of the fear of their life. But despite all these things, fortunate Sisupala's spirit soul immediately merged into the body of Lord Krsna in the presence of all members, exactly like a burning meteor falls down on the surface of the globe. This incidence of Sisupala's soul having merged into the transcendental body of Krsna reminds us of the story of Jaya and Vijaya, who were degraded to come down to the material world from Vaikuntha planet on account of their being cursed by the four Kumaras. For their return back again to the Vaikuntha world, it was arranged that both Jaya and Vijaya, for three birth consecutively, would act as the bitter enemies of the Lord, and thus they would again come back to the Vaikuntha world and serve the Lord as His associates.

Although Sisupala acted as enemy of Krsna, he was not for a single moment out of Krsna consciousness. He was always absorbed in thought of Krsna by thinking of Krsna, and thus first of all he got the salvation of sayujya-mukti, merging into the existence of the Supreme, and then again reinstated in their original position of personal service. This fact is corroborated in the Bhagavad-gita that at the time of death if one is absorbed in the thought of the Supreme Lord, he immediately enters in the kingdom of God after quitting this material body.

After the salvation of Sisupala, King Yudhisthira rewarded all the members present in the sacrificial assembly. He sufficiently remunerated the priests and the learned sages engaged in the execution of the sacrifice, and after performing all this routine work, he took his bath at the end of the sacrifice. This bath is also technical. It is called avabhrtha, avabhrtha bath.

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Lord Krsna thus successfully caused the performance of Rajasūya yajna arranged by King Yudhisthira, and being requested by His cousin-brothers and relatives, He remained in Hastinapura for a few months more. After this, although King Yudhisthira and his brothers were not willing to leave Lord Krsna from Hastinapura, He arranged to take permission from the king to go back to Dvaraka, and thus He returned home along with His queens and ministers.

The story of falling down of Jaya and Vijaya from the Vaikuntha planets to the material world is described in the Seventh Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam. This killing of Sisupala has direct link with that narration of Jaya and Vijaya, but the most important instruction that we get from this incidence that the Supreme Personality of Godhead, being absolute, He can give salvation everyone, whether one acts as enemy or as friend. Therefore, it is our misconception that…, that the Lord acts in relationship with someone as friend and with someone as enemy. His becoming an enemy or friend is always on the absolute platform, without any material distinction.

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When King Yudhisthira took his bath after the sacrifice and was standing in the midst of all the learned sages and brahmanas, he seemed exactly like the king of heaven, and thus lo ked very much beautiful. King Yudhisthira sufficiently rewarded all the demigods who participated in that yajna, and all of them very satisfactorily left the place, eulogizing the king's activities as well as glorifying Lord Krsna.

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When Sukadeva Gosvami was narrating this incidence of killing Sisupala by Krsna and describing the successful execution of Rajasūya yajna by Maharaja Yudhisthira, he pointed out also that in that successful termination of yajna there was only one person who was not happy at all. He was Duryodhana. Duryodhana by nature was very much envious because of his sinful life, and he appeared in the dynasty of the Kurus as a chronic disease personified for finishing the whole family.

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Sukadeva Gosvami assured Maharaja Pariksit that the pastimes of Lord Krsna in the matter of killing Sisupala, Jarasandha and releasing the imprisoned kings, all of them are transcendental vibration, and anyone who would hear such narration from authorized persons would be immediately freed from all sinful reactions of life.

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Thus ends the Seventy-fourth Chapter of Krsna in the matter of "Deliverance of Sisupala."