grinder of foes, whose
strength of arm was ever praised by all the celestials with Indra among
them, was then living in the world in human form. Oh, the Self-Create
will himself take away (from the earth) this vast concourse of Kshatriyas
endued with so much strength. Such was the vision of Narada the
omniscient who knew Hari or Narayana to be that Supreme Lord whom
everybody worshipped with sacrifice. And Narada, gifted with great
intelligence and the foremost of all persons and conversant with
morality, thinking of all this, sat at that sacrifice of the wise king
Yudhisthira the just with feelings of awe.

"Then Bhishma, O king, addressing king Yudhisthira the just, said, "O
Bharata, let Arghya (an article of respect) be offered unto the kings as
each of them deserveth. Listen, O Yudhishthira, the preceptor, the
sacrificial priest, the relative, the Snataka, the friend, and the king,
it hath 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 deserveth to
be worshipped with Arghya. These kings have been staying with us for some
time. Therefore, O king, let Arghyas be procured to be offered unto each
of them. And let an Arghya be presented first of all unto him among those
present who is the foremost.

"Hearing these words of Bhishma, Yudhishthira said--'O Grandsire, O thou
of the Kuru race, whom thou deemest the foremost amongst these and unto
whom the Arghya should be presented by us, O tell me.'

"Vaisampayana continued,--Then, O Bharata, Bhishma the son of Santanu,
judged it by his intelligence that on earth Krishna was the foremost of
all. And he said--'As is the sun among all luminous objects, so is the
one (meaning Krishna) (who shines like the sun) among us all, in
consequence of his energy, strength and prowess. And this our sacrificial
mansion 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 endued with great prowess duly presented the first
Arghya of excellent ingredients unto Krishna of the Vrishni race. Krishna
also accepted it according to the forms of the ordinance. But Sisupala
could not bear to see that worship offered unto Vasudeva. And this mighty
king of Chedi, reproving in the midst of that assembly both Bhishma and.
Yudhishthira, censured Vasudeva thereafter."

SECTION XXXVI

"Sisupala said--'O thou of the Kuru race, thi