King Yudhisthira, inspired to perform a great Vedic sacrifice, seeks the blessings of Lord Krsna.
The sage Vaisampayana is telling the history of the five Pandava brothers to their great-grandson, King Janamejaya. As the narration continues, the great sage Narada has just visited the Pandavas in their royal assembly hall and described the glories of the sacrifice known as Rajasuya. [Abridged from the original translation.]
King Yudhisthira Receive Advice From Lord Krsna
Yudhisthira Sighed upon hearing Narada's words, and as he thought how he might achieve the Rajasuya, he could not be calm. Having heard the glories of exalted saintly kings who had offered sacrifice, and noting well how they had achieved higher planets through their pious deeds, Yudhisthira yearned to perform the Rajasuya.
Even while that monarch of amazing courage and strength faithfully performed his duties, he again fixed his mind in this thought: Is the performance of the Rajasuya for the good of all people and all the worlds? Yudhisthira was the best of those who know the just laws of God, and being merciful toward all creatures, he acted for the good of all without exception. And so the people trusted him, as a child trusts his father. Indeed, he had the quality of being ajata-satru, "one whose enemy was never born," for there was no envy or malice in him.
The monarch, who was an excellent speaker, brought his ministers and brothers together to ask them again and again about the Rajasuya. The assembled counselors replied to the vastly learned king, who yearned to offer a great sacrifice to the Supreme Lord.
The counselors said, "When a king is consecrated by this sacrifice, he attains the virtue of Varuna, lord of the waters. And although already a king, by this sacrifice he aspires to gain the merit of an emperor. Dear Kuru child, your well-wishing friends feel the time has come for the Rajasuya, for you have earned the status of an emperor.
"In that sacrifice, priests strict in their vows chant sacred hymns to gather fuel and build six holy fires. Having ladled the oblations into the fire, one who executes all the procedures of rite and is consecrated is said at the offering's end to have conquered all by his sacrifice.
"O mighty-armed one, you can do it! We are all at your command. Without pondering further, Maharaja, set your mind on performing the Rajasuya."
Thus all the well-wishing friends, individually as well as in a group, spoke their minds. Hearing their speech, the Pandava king, slayer of enemies, accepted it in his mind, for their words were virtuous, confident, and glorious, and they expressed what the king himself strongly desired. Having listened to his well-wishers' words, and knowing he could accomplish the Rajasuya, he set his mind again and again on its performance.
Once more the wise king took counsel with his brothers, great-souled priests, and counselors headed by Dhaumya and Dvaipayana.
Yudhisthira said, "I ask you in good faith, How can I fulfill my desire to perform the Rajasuya, that grand rite fit for emperors?"
Thus addressed by the king, the priests and sages spoke these words at the proper moment to the most virtuous Yudhisthira: "You know the divine law, and you are worthy of the great Rajasuya ceremony."
When the priests and seers had thus spoken to the king, his ministers and brothers welcomed their words. The king possessed great wisdom and was a self-realized soul. Once again that noble son of Prtha thought deeply on the matter, for he desired the good of all the world. [These were his thoughts:] "A wise man never fails when he carefully studies the time, place, and circumstances, and the income and expenditure, and when he then acts with full intelligence after considering the situation. After all, one does not undertake a sacrifice simply to lead oneself to ruin. With this understanding, one takes up one's task."
But to know for certain his duty, the king went in his mind to Lord Krsna, the maintainer of all beings, for he considered Lord Krsna to be above all the world. Yudhisthira knew for good reasons that although the limitless and mighty-armed Lord Krsna is unborn, by His own desire He apparently takes birth in this world. Yudhisthira knew that Lord Krsna's activities are those of the Supreme God, that nothing is unknown to Him, and that there is nothing He cannot do or overcome. Thus the king thought of Krsna.
Yudhisthira, son of Prtha, fixed his unflinching intelligence in Lord Krsna and at once dispatched a messenger to that spiritual teacher of all living beings, just as one might send word to one's guru.
Traveling on a swift chariot, the messenger soon reached the land of the Yadavas. After entering the city of Dvaraka, he approached Lord Krsna, who dwells there. Just as Yudhisthira hankered to see Krsna, so the infallible Lord hankered to see that son of Prtha. With Indrasena, Lord Krsna went at once to the city of Indraprastha.
Quickly traversing various lands on a swift chariot, Lord Krsna, maintainer of the people, came to Prtha's son, Yudhisthira, who waited at Indraprastha. There in the king's personal quarters, Yudhisthira and Bhima honored Lord Krsna as a loving brother honors his brother. The Lord was then pleased to see His father's sister, Kunti. Next, Lord Krsna happily enjoyed with His loving friend Arjuna while the twins, Nakula and Sahadeva, surrounded Him like disciples surrounding their guru.
When Lord Krsna had rested in that happy land, was feeling well, and had time, Yudhisthira met with Him and explained his project.
Yudhisthira said, "I desire to perform the Rajasuya, but one cannot attain it by desire alone. O Krsna, You know all that is required to achieve it. One in whom all the world is united, who is honored everywhere, who is the lord of all such is the king who enjoys the Rajasuya.
"I have met with my dear friends, and they have told me I should perform the Rajasuya. But it is by your word, Krsna, that the matter will be finally decided. Certainly there are those who out of loving friendship do not point out the shortcomings of a plan, and there are others who say what we want to hear to advance their own interest. In general we see that when people give advice about a project, they seek their own happiness and welfare. But You go beyond these motivations, for You are completely transcendental to material lust and anger. You should tell us exactly what is our greatest good in this world."
Jarasandha's Alliances
*For Yudhisthira to become emperor and thus qualified to perform the Rajasuya sacrifice, all the kings of the world must accept his sovereignty. So here Lord Krsna will tell Yudhisthira about the main obstacle to the sacrifice Jarasandha and his allies.
Lord Krsna said, "Maharaja, you have all the qualifications to perform the Rajasuya. I shall tell you something, O Bharata, even though you know all this. Today the royal order is made up of members of royal families left by Lord Parasurama [when he killed all the kings of the earth]. Therefore, today's royalty is a younger line of monarchs, who acknowledge the dynasty of Aila and Iksvaku to be the origin of their lineage and are bound in a continuous succession. O best of the Bharatas, know that the kings of the Aila dynasty and the descendants of Iksvaku form 101 royal lineages of extraordinary qualities. This line now extends to the four corners of the earth and is esteemed for its success and opulence.
"But in that succession has arisen a most powerful king, known as Jarasandha, in whom the hundred and first royal line is invested. After ruling and enjoying the middle portion of the earth, he has set his mind on strife with other kings.
From birth, Jarasandha has achieved wide sovereignty. Sisupala, a mighty king born to lead armies, has completely taken shelter of Jarasandha, O wise monarch. And the lord of the Karusas, the powerful Vakra, who fights with magic, waits upon Jarasandha like a faithful disciple. Jarasandha has great courage, and two other exalted warriors of great courage, Hamsa and Dibhaka, have both taken shelter of him, as have Dantavakra, Kurusa, Kalabha, and Meghavahana.
"He who bears the divine jewel known as bhuta-mani on his head, he who punished the Yavana lords Mura and Naraka, that king of unlimited strength who rules the west like Varuna your father's old friend Bhagadatta is surrendered in word and deed to Jarasandha. But still he is devoted to you in his mind, bound to you in love like a father.
"That king who rules the southwestern end of the earth, who strengthens the Kunti clan, your heroic maternal uncle Purujit he alone, that burner of enemies, is fully surrendered to you in affection.
"Paundraka, the evil-minded ruler of the Cedis, whom I have not yet slain though he is celebrated among his people as the Supreme Person, has also gone to Jarasandha. He declares himself the Supreme Person appearing in this world, and in illusion he has adopted My symbols and emblems. He rules parts of Bengal and Bihar and the lands of the Kiratas and is widely known among the people as Vasudeva.
"Caturyu is a powerful Bhoja and a friend of Indra. By the power of his science he conquered the Pandyas, the Krathas, and the Kaisikas; and his brother, the hero Ahrti, is equal to Parasurama in battle. Caturyu, also known as King Bhismaka, is devoted to Jarasandha, and he is a killer of even powerful enemies. Because We are his relatives, We have always treated him with deference, but though We accept him, he does not accept Us, and though We treat him kindly, he persists in being unkind to Us. Failing to recognize the strength and aristocracy of his own line, O king, he has sought shelter of Jarasandha upon seeing Jarasandha's blazing fame.
"Some time ago the foolish and vain Kamsa so harassed his relatives that he was able to directly approach the two goddesslike daughters of Jarasandha and make them his wives. The names of those younger sisters of Sahadeva were Asti and Prapti. Foolish and vain, Kamsa then used his strength to overcome his relatives. He achieved preeminence, but his policy and strategy were extremely bad. When that evil one persecuted the elder kings of the Bhoja clan, they respectfully met with Me, determined to save their families, and they offered Sutanu, the daughter of Ahuka, to My uncle Akrura. Then I, backed by Balarama, fulfilled My duty to My relatives. Balarama and I proceeded to kill Kamsa and Sunama.
"But as soon as that danger was passed, Jarasandha rose up to avenge the death of his son-in-law, and so, king, We took counsel with the eighteen younger families of Our dynasty. We concluded that even if without resting we went on for three hundred years slaying them with mighty weapons that could kill one hundred soldiers each, we would not destroy their army. Moreover, in that army were two most excellent fighters named Hamsa and Dibhaka, who shone like gods and surpassed the strong with their strength. In My opinion these two heroes and mighty Jarasandha formed a threesome that was an equal match for the three worlds. Not only did We come to this conclusion, but all the other kings of the earth were of the very same mind.
"The great king celebrated as Hamsa met in battle the eighteen younger warrior clans. Someone untruthfully announced, 'Hamsa is killed!' When Dibhaka heard this he drowned himself in the waters of the Yamuna, thinking, 'Without Hamsa, I cannot bear to live in this world.' Fixed in this thought, Dibhaka came to his end. When Hamsa heard about Dibhaka, he threw himself into the same river Yamuna and drowned. When King Jarasandha heard that the two had come to their end in the waters, he left the land of the Surasenas and went back to his city.
"The king having turned back, O slayer of foes, we all dwelled happily again in the city of Mathura. But when Kamsa's lotus-eyed wife returned to her father, Jarasandha, king of Magadha, she was anguished over the death of her husband, and so, O leader of kings, again and again she entreated her father, 'You must kill my lord's killer!'
"Then, Maharaja, O tamer of foes, remembering well our previous discussion of Jarasandha's might, we were perplexed. And so we retreated, O king of men. We quickly threw together our great wealth, O king, and with our treasure, friends, and relatives we practically flew away in fear of him. After considering the matter, we took shelter in the West, in the pleasing city of Kusasthali, Dvaraka, which is graced by Mount Raivata.
"There we again established our residence, constructing our fort so well that even the gods could hardly invade that city. Even the women can fight and defend that city, what to speak of the Vrsni heroes. O slayer of foes, we now dwell there free of all fear. As the citizens gaze upon Raivata, the best of mountains, and the holy ford called Madhavitirtha, O tiger of the Kurus, they find there the greatest joy.
"Most virtuous Bharata, you are always endowed with all the qualities of an emperor, and you should make yourself the emperor of the royal order. But as long as Jarasandha and his vast army live, it will be impossible for you to attain the Rajasuya. That is My opinion, O king.
"Like a lion defeating great elephants, Jarasandha has conquered kings and imprisoned them in a cave high on a mountain at his capital, Girivraja. Since he defeated the kings after worshiping Lord Siva, King Jarasandha wants to offer all those monarchs in sacrifice. As Jarasandha went on defeating kings, he would bring them to his city, make a corral for them, and bind them in it. Even We, Maharaja, in fear of Jarasandha, completely renounced Our home in Mathura and went to Dvaraka. If you actually want to achieve this sacrifice, then try to kill Jarasandha and free those kings. Otherwise, O most intelligent one, O Kuru child, even to begin a full performance of the Rajasuya will prove impossible. That is My view, O king. But how do you see it, sinless one? The situation being what it is, you decide with good reasons and then explain them to Me."
Hridayananda Dasa Goswami, who holds a Ph.D. in Indology from Harvard University, is Professor of Vaisnava Theology at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California. He frequently speaks at universities and is translating the Mahabharata and other Sanskrit works.
The Main Characters
The Pandavas Though the name Pandava means "son of Pandu," the five Pandavas were sired by demigods the three eldest Pandavas (Yudhisthira, Bhima, and Arjuna) in the womb of King Pandu's wife Kunti, and the youngest (the twins, Nakula and Sahadeva) in the womb of Pandu's wife Madri. The Pandavas are sometimes called "Bharata" or "best of the Bharatas," because they come in the dynasty of King Bharata.
The Kurus The sons of both Pandu and Dhrtarastra (the uncle of the Pandavas who because of blindness could not become the king) descended from King Kuru, but the name Kurus usually refers to Dhrtarastra's sons, the eldest of whom is Duryodhana.
Bhisma A respected elder of the Kuru dynasty, he is the uncle of Dhrtarastra, Pandu, and Vidura.