Text: 35
“devarñy-arhatsu vai satsu
tatra brahmätmajädiñu
räjan yad agra-püjäyäà
mataù pätratayäcyutaù”
Srimad Bhagavatam 7.14.35
SYNONYMS
deva-åñi—among the demigods and great saintly persons, including Närada Muni; arhatsu—the most venerable and worshipable personalities; vai—indeed; satsu—the great devotees; tatra—there (at the Räjasüya-yajïa); brahma-ätma-jädiñu—and the sons of Lord Brahmä (such as Sanaka, Sanandana, Sanat and Sanätana); räjan—O King; yat—from whom; agra-püjäyäm—the first to be worshiped; mataù—decision; pätratayä—selected as the best person to preside over the Räjasüya-yajïa; acyutaù—Kåñëa.
TRANSLATION
O King Yudhishtra, the demigods, many great sages and saints including even the four sons of Lord Brahmä, and I myself were present at your Räjasüya sacrificial ceremony, but when there was a question of who should be the first person worshiped, everyone decided upon Lord Krsna, the Supreme Person.
PURPORT BY HDG BHAKTIVEDANT SWAMI MAHARAJ SRILA PRABHUPAD
This is a reference to the Räjasüya sacrifice performed by Mahäräja Yudhishtra. In that meeting there was a great turmoil over selecting the best person to be worshiped first. Everyone decided to worship Sri Krsna. The only protest came from Shishupal, and because of his vehement opposition he was killed by the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Start of lecture by His Holiness Radhanath Swami Maharaja.
POLITICS
The King of the earth in the time of the Vedic culture was to be the protector or father of all praja or all those who are dependent upon him. It is not that the king would discriminate. In today’s time the politicians very much discriminate and favor those who help them to raise funds or to give them votes. But therefore no one trust politicians today. All over the world it is well proven that politicians are easily paid of depending on country either above the table or under the table and through this payment they become wealthy and they have financial support to defeat their opponents in the following elections. Therefore there is always the canvassing. In a democracy there always is this process of trying to canvassing money and canvassing vote, is called political campaign. And generally the person who has the most money will reach out the most people and get the most votes and will come out victorious in the elections. Generally one of the first analysis of the media is how much money is particular nominee or party has to spend on their campaign in propaganda. Because to the degree you have money and you advertise to that degree generally you get votes. Of course money and political advertisement, generally has nothing to do was getting across the message that you are trying to relate to the people. Simply people see your names in big letters and they remember you and give some importance to you and because people are basically sudras very-very ignorant and their ability to discriminate. They will simply vote for the person that they heard about the most. Not a question of the issues. Just like in west, they have debates and its not a question of who speaks the best in the debate. It’s a question of who looks the most like a dramatic actor. Because people do not even understand what their talking about? Even very intelligent people can hardly understand what are they talking about. They are constantly slinging mud to one another and challenging one another that why you do this? No I did not do that. You did this. No I did not do that. You did this and this is why? Really no body knows who is speaking the truth and who is speaking lies. They are claiming things that they haven’t done and denying the ones which they actually did. Who knows whether it is true or false? No body knows 99% of the audience that the particular topics they speak about have nothing to do with reality, because they do not know what are they saying is true of false? So it is not a question of what they say what they believe. But the question of how they present themselves. The last president of United States, everyone knows that was not that he has such good things to say, that was not that he was such philanthropic person, because he was an Ex movie actor. He was a very famous movie actor and he knew how to just speak and portray himself in such a way that he looked like a very congenial trust worthy father and he knew how to be very much trusted not by the integrity of his life but by being a good actor. In fact I remember when he was elected as president, several others of his colleagues in the film industry they were making comments. They said, he was a terrible actor and therefore he could be a worse president. Because his only qualification he has is acting. And practically every one of his colleagues is completely disappointed that he won the election. Because they knew that he was just a good actor. He could just go right into people’s heart, whatever he said. They did not know what he said. No body care what he said. But the way he said it was just very nice. Just like you go to the movies, a good actor can make you cry, he could make you laugh, he could make you feel happy, he could make you feel sad, he could make you feel protected, he could put you in fear. Of course acting is the profession of sudra, according to the Vedic standards. Someone who simply pays to behave in certain ways.
Of course in previous times the person who is the king was the most heroic, brave, and courageous, and protector of mankind. Kshetriya literally means, one who protects another from pain. So the Kshetriyas was the kings. And therefore generally the people who became kings, or the peoples who were warriors. Even in modern times, just like my country in America, originally the people that became the president would general in Army. The first president was George Washington. He was a great warrior. He was leading army fearlessly to protect the America cause, willing to risk his life. So they were singing this is the man we want to leaders. Most of the presidents were like that big generals. Very-very courageous persons who proved on the battle field that they were fearless and ready to risk their lives. Of course later on all source of stories, every moralities came out about all these people. But that was not so important.
We find in the battle of Kuruksetra, it is not that Maharaja Yudhisthira or Maharaja Duryodhana although they were basically the persons who are meant to be king, its not they were sitting in a balm shelter. Somewhere 5000 or 10000 away from the battle field giving direction on a telephone. They were the first one line that on the front lines of the battle field with their bows and arrows and ready to be the first one to give their life for the cause. That is kshetriya.
Then later on I know the country where I am from, what happened is kesthriyas were no longer should it be kings. Therefore the Vaisyas, the people who are just big business man who just made a lot of money in business and manipulation and exploitation. Then later on they had so much money and so much influence, they convince the people to vote for them and the Vaisyas started becoming king. And then the sudras the movies actors they started becoming kings. Because they could act better than others. They could put on a better show performance. So the integrity of the nation is based on the integrity of the leadership of the nation. Today in practically every democracy in the world the more you have money the more you become a powerful candidate. And the only way to get money is ultimately to do things illegal to accept bribes to have people in your cabinet expect bribes and we see that there are in practically every country in the world there are the scandals of people exploiting and doing illegal things to get money. Therefore under this condition with this mentality, how can a person really be a compassionate father of all of his praja(kingdom), for all of his dependants in the nation?
But in the Vedic civilization there was monarchy when there is no question of votes, there was question of qualification. The great brahamans, the great sages, and the great kshetriyas with the real high sense of honor they would select the king among those people who are born and raised in a family who are they are trying to be perfect first class kings. And the most first and foremost qualification was how much they were surrendered to religious principles. And here we find the instance of Maharaja Yudhisthira. He was a true king. He was a king in the highest sense. Because he put himself last and he put his citizens always first. “mahäjano yena gataù sa panthäù” he was following the footsteps of the previous great kings. You can only became great by following the footsteps of someone who is great. If you do not following in the footsteps of great persons, you will never be great. No one should think that I am my own and by my own standard, by my own power, by my own glory, I will become great. You become great by becoming the servant of the example of the great souls. So who are the great souls in the Vedic history that Maharaja Yudhisthir was following.
MAHARAJ SIBI: an ideal king.
There was a great personality, Maharaja Sibi. Maharaja Sibi showed how a king puts himself last and even in the least of the creatures in his kingdom first. It is described that one time a pigeon but living entity is more insignificant and less look up to in the kingdom than a pigeon. In every city there is millions and millions of pigeons and just flying around and getting in everyone’s way. And the most respect they get is one out of millions of people goes to the park and throws little pieces of bread to them and they all gather around and everyone else just look surround and say why you are throwing bread. You just bring all these pigeons to the ground and they get on away. Let them fly away. If a pigeon dies who cares. For pigeons leave in cares. But if a pigeon came into the home of Maharja Sivi in great anxiety. He said there is a hawk who is about to kill me and eat me and you are the king and it is your duty to give everyone of your citizen’s protection. Any person who is living in your land is your citizen. Therefore I deserve your protection as much as anyone else. And Maharaja Sibi Said, yes that is a fact. It is my duty to protect you. It is the duty of a king to protect even a pigeon to the same extent he is willing to protect his own son. The king does not discriminate what is mine. He considers in the service of god that he is the father and protector of everyone.
The hawk came in. Maharaja Sivi said you will have to first kill me if you want to eat this pigeon. Because I am giving my life to protect it. And the hawk said oh, yes but what about me? I am also your citizen as much as the pigeon. And my food is eating pigeon and if you do not give me this pigeon, I will starve. So what you going to supply to me? My food is meat. Human being is may not to king does not allow them to eat meat. But in meat eating animal it is their right to eat meat. It is their god giving nature. So maharaja Sibi said alright, he said in order to protect this pigeon, if you want meat the weight of this pigeon, I’ll cut flesh of my own body and you can eat. The hawk said, all right. I agree to this proposal. Now weigh the pigeon and you put on scale and then you put your flesh. So he put the pigeon in one end of the scale and maharja Sivi was there with his sword, he cut of his own flesh from his own body. Blood started coming out and he put it on the scale and the pigeon out weighted his flesh. And he cutoff more and put it on the scale. But the Pigeon still weight more. And then he cutoff more and more and more and finally he realize that this pigeon weight so much even he was such a small size. Then Maharaja Sivi just jumped up on to the scale and he sat on the scale. When he sat the balance of the weight of scale was exactly equal. So he told the hawk, you eat me, you kill me. I’ll be your food. Because it is the duty of the king that he must be willing to give his life to protect even the most insignificant among the creatures depending on him. The honor of the king is very high, that to live without his honor to live without understanding that he was following the principles of the previous great souls. He is worse than death. There is no meaning to your life. People now, they are willing to do anything to prolong their life.
KAMSA: not that ideal king.
People like Kamsa, he was willing to engage in the most heinous sinful atrocities just to spare his life. When the voice came in the sky and said that the eighth child of your sister is going to kill you. Kamsa was immediately about to kill on an innocent woman, just to protect his own life. And after Vasudeva through so much argument, logic, and convinced him that there is no danger from Devaki, as the children spare her life. After that everyone of these innocent little babies who were born in his kingdom as his praja six in row, he dashed him against the rock with all of his great strength which was equal to 10000 elephants and smashed them. On the eighth child Lord Krishna would he found out that he would escape the hands of death. He sent message that all children born anywhere within the – of that time would be ruthlessly smash occurred. Why he was doing like this? Because his life was so dear to him. That he was willing to engage in the most horrible acts of terrorism just to protect his fleshing blood, which was descent and die in due course of time in anyway.
But maharja Sivi was just the opposite. He was voluntarily willing to give his body immediately just to protect a bird. Because he knew that to live without the sense of honor and integrity before god and his citizens, would be more painful than death. At that time the pigeon and the hawk were transformed into their body into effulgent demigods. Then they said we have just tested you, just to show the world the glory of your sacrifice to your citizens. Just to show what a great servant of god you are. There are many stories in this regard, showing the great sacrifice of kings. It is described in Srimad Bhagavatam also about maharaja Ugresana.
Maharaj Ugrasena
One time a brahmana came to him and said my son died as a small child before me. It is the duty of a king to make sure everything takes place according to its natural order. If a king is properly leading the citizens and properly performing sacrifice, then everything will take place in its natural form in this world. Now the natural sequence of advance is that the father should die before the sun. But my son died before me. And I am feeling greater loneliness in separation. I have to blame you. Then Ugresena had to take the complete blame. He said there is something wrong with the way I am running my kingdom. Otherwise this could not have happened. And then Arjuna bing the servant of the great king, he made a vow. He said I vow I’ll enter into the fire, I’ll kill my self, unless I can go to the abode of Yama and find your son and bring him back. Because he saw the lamentation of the King. So Arjuna he was traveling all over the universe looking for the spirit soul of the child along with Lord Krishna to bring him back. This is how much to the extent that the king considered himself that the most humble servant of his citizens. There is not question of exploitation or such sense. Therefore they are called Rajarisis or Rajarshi, which means they are not only kings but they are saints. They are sadhus. They are risis. If you are not a great risi, you are not entitled to be a king. And the brahmanas of the time they would protect the citizens by making sure that the king was living according to the highest order of religious principles. And if he was not, it was the brahmana’s duty to instruct the king or to remove the king. There was an example of this in the fourth canto of Srimad Bhagavatam.
Maharaj Anga and Maharaj Benu
There was the king of the name Anga. Maharaja Anga was very great powerful king and he was very great devotee of the Lord. And he had a son whose name was Maharaja Benu. Now this Benu maharaja was very special in the sense that it is said that in family life generally the daughter takes on the qualities of the father’s mother. And generally the son takes on the qualities of mother’s father. So maharaja Anga married a woman and her father was death personified. So naturally his son took on the qualities of death personified and he was the cruelest hearted, wicked minded, envious, and selfish person form his very birth. And maharaja was such a pious and religious man. He was doing everything within his power to train his son to be a noble king and great soul. Maharaja Benu was very powerful. By his very birth he was very powerful. What is the use of all powerful wicked things? When he was a little boy, he is to play games with his friends and in the games he would take advantages of his high and powerful position and he would tortured his friends and kill them. And he was always doing the most ferocious atrocities. Maharaja Anga was constantly getting news of the horrible terrorism that his son was doing and he did not know how to control. So finally after so many years maharaja Anga gave up, he realize that nothing I could do for this boy. Actually a parent can do everything, he can to try to change his child to be Krishna Consciousness. But ultimately the child has his free choice. Ultimately the parent has to be detached. So Maharaja Anga accepted after years and years of suffering, the miseries of seeing what his child was doing. He felt that this is Krishna’s mercy. Krishna wants me to become detached from family life. If I had very nice son I would be so attached to my family. But since I have a useless horrible son my family is completely in a miserable condition. I do not want any part of it. So therefore Maharja Anga very secretly just left one day and went into the forest to take of the – for renunciation and dedicated his life exclusively to worship the lotus feet of Lord Hari. So they had to be king the only one who had the position and power was Benu. So Benu was made the king. As soon as he became king he sat on the throne and he said brahmana’s from now on there will be no sacrifice for Vishnu. There is only sacrifice, for me. I am your God. There is no chanting of the names of the Lord Hari, for now on you chant the name of Lord Benu. I am immediately the God in your life. The king is the representative of God, therefore I am God. He made all religious sacrifice, all religious rituals illegal. And he himself personally as well as his soldiers were very-very strictly protecting this law and enforcing it. In this way he was very-very powerful. The rogues and thieves were scared of him like anything. But the religious and pious people were very broken hearted, because they were given no facility to utilize their human life. But what is it for? To worship God. So therefore the brahmanas finally came together after years of seeing all the religious principles being destroyed by this ego sense of maniac of King Benu. They decided that we have the power to move him. So they chanted mantras “Omkara” and through the chanting of special mantras and performing of secret sacrifices the king died at the offence of brahmanas. Of course the King’s mother was attached to him, because the mother’s love for child is usually very blind. She preserved his body. And then after the king died the rogues and thieves they just began to plunder the entire kingdom. Because although Benu was very wicked godless man, he was very powerful. and the rouges and thieves were afraid of him. But when there is not a strong leader, then the criminal minded people they just come out and totally they take over the society. It is said that the whole kingdom was just covered with dust, why because the rouges and thieves were running on all directions just causing a whole cloud of dust, as they were just stealing and exploiting everyone. So the brahmana’s came together, we have to have powerful king. Without king or without leader there is no peace in the society. So they decided, then Maharaja Benu, he was the descendent of Dhurva Maharaja. He was the son of Anga. So the king should be a descendent of him to keep the blood line of Dhurva still in continuation.
Descend of Maharaj Pritu and Queen Arti
So what they did, they turned his body and the first thing they had to do is turnout all of his sinfulness. And through the process of turning from his legs came a very dark form of a man named bahuka. Who had reddish hair like copper black skin, red eyes, and he was the personification of all various sins. And he took a lonely position and said how may I serve you brahmans. They said go to the forest so that no one will be disturbed by you. Then after all sinfulness Benu taken out, they turned out his body again and like the sun rising from the horizon on the sea. There is most beautiful effulgent pair of personalities appeared. It was maharaja Pritu and his wife Arti, who are none other than the most exulted incarnations of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. When Maharja Pritu was coordinated as the king, even the demigods came down to have darshan of him, knowing that he was the supreme God incarnated. And he ruled the citizens and he ruled the world fearlessly according to the highest religious principles. He knew that the first and foremost duty of the king is to be the religious man. And to perform sacrifice for the religious prosperity of the whole kingdom. Therefore time and time again he was performing the Asvamedha yajna. Now it is said in the universe that the only person who had performed the Asvamedha yajna one hundred times was Indra. Now maharaja Pritu not for his own glorification but for the purification of the kingdom to facilitate every citizens to go back to godhead, he was performing the sacrifices. Because the performances of the sacrifices would invoke the blessings of the supreme god as well as all the demigods and create a purifying affect through the entire atmosphere. In this way facilitate every member of the kingdom to make spiritual advancement. That is why the king’s would perform the sacrifices. Not for any selfish reasons. To perform the sacrifices was a huge and huge endeavor and the king would have to go through great trials, tribulations and austerities to perform the sacrifice, simply for the sake of the upliftment of his kingdom. So Maharaja Pritu performed the sacrifice 99 times which is unimaginable. Generally a king could perform the sacrifice once in his life. He goes down in history for ever as a great king who gave so much to his citizens. And at that Indra became very much worried that I have the record of hundred. And if Pritu maharaja ties my record and does more sacrifice than me, then my fame would be diminished. So at that time maharaja Indra stole the sacrificial horse by so many quacked means. And again and again and again he was stealing the sacrificial horse. In fact when maharaja Pritu chased after him, Indra disguised himself as a sannyäsé (One in the renounced order) just to engage in illicit activities of stealing what belongs to the king. And of course Indra was apprehended on maharaja Pritu. He realized that this disguised that he was using as a sannyäsé to protect himself was bogus and Indra deserved to be punished. It is said that this is the beginning of the corruption of the renounced order of life. When fools, rascals and rouges disguised themselves in sannyasies just to take advantages of respectability and honor that a sannyäsé deserves without having any of the qualifications. This is the beginning. And since maharaja Indra so many thousands and thousands of people have followed on his footsteps without qualifications taking the robes of the sadhu for their own selfish purpose. So at that time Vishnu himself came down along with brahma and others. And they convinced maharaja Pritu that you should not upset Indra unnecessarily. You have performed enough sacrifices. Just let Indra have the most. There is no need to perform any more and Pritu Maharaj said yes, yes. Whatever pleases you my lord. But I am not attached to fame or name or prestige. I am simply doing it for your pleasure. If it is your pleasure, I do not perform it, then I’ll not. This is the true meaning of surrender. That you are simply attached to pleasing your master. Sometimes we become so attached to our service and doing well that we are not really doing it at beginning we are doing it for our master. But after we became expert begin to get good name and fame for what we are doing is being great devotees then we become very much motivated to maintain the prestigious position.
Service Attitude
And we are not so much thinking in terms of what pleases the master but we think of what pleases ourselves in the service of our master. Therefore we become attached to our service, not for the pleasure of the master but for the pleasure of our own profit, adoration and distinction. Therefore detachment means if the master tells you do not do your service, you immediately say forget it. I am no need to do like this. For so many years I have been preparing myself to do the service. If you do not want it. Are you wanting to leave it? Yesterday we are describing Ekalavya. Ekalavya his whole life, he was dedicated to pleasing Dronacharya by becoming the greatest archer. Day and night he was practicing for his whole life. And then Drona said cut off your thumb, cutting of thumb means you can never shoot another arrow for the rest of your life. And Ekalavya he was honestly trying to be the great archer to please his guru not to simply because he liked to be an archer or he wanted to become famous. So without even hesitating he took his sharpen arrow and cut of his thumb and without the slightest bit of anger or animosity toward his guru. He placed that palm at the feet of his guru and here is your dakshina guru maharaja. I’ll never shoot another arrow again, if it is your desire. That is detachment and there are many incidents of such detachments amongst the great souls. Sometimes the spiritual master tells you, “I want to do like this”. He gives you instructions and then you prepare yourself for years and years in – and perfecting that particular service. Then the guru says, I do not want to do that anymore. That’s the question of when you are attached to it, how much you are doing it for yourself and how much you are doing it for him. If you are actually doing it for him, are you willing it to give it up in a second. Okay, I’ll do something, I do not know. And he will give you something to do that you know nothing about that you do the worst. Whether be no profit no adoration, no distinction. People are laughing you. Are you willing to accept it? Will that please you? “yad yad äcarati çreñöhas tat tad evetaro janaù” and the king is supposed to be example the great souls and an example for all people for follow. So just see the glory of Maharaja Pritu. He could become famous throughout history performing more Asvamdeha Yajna than Indra. He had all prepared. He was about to take place the sacrifice. But as soon as Vishnu said listen, Indra he is attached to his prior and prestige. Let him have it but forget this yajna. Pritu Maharaja said it is already forgotten. I was only doing it for your pleasure. I do not care about having setting any records for going down any history. I am only concern with to be your menial servant. So this is the glory of great kings. How much they lived only as a sacrifice to god and to each and every one of their citizens in the service of the god.
Mahabharat- Deliverance of Jarasanda and Shishupal
So maharaja Yudhisthira here it is described he is about to perform the Rajasuya sacrifice. The Rajasuya sacrifice is a very difficult sacrifice to perform. Before a king performs the Rajasuya sacrifice he has to conquer the entire planet earth. And after he conquered the entire planet earth, he has to send his messengers to every kingdom to every corner to every village to every town within the planet and he has to get persons who are ruling that areas to voluntarily agree, to be a surrendered servant of the emperor. If anyone is not willing by word and by practice to be the humble servant and the assistant of the emperor, then that person must be challenge to a war and defeat him. In this way it’s usually a long process. You have to have every man and woman and every citizen in the earth subordinate to you voluntarily. When that takes place then you can perform Rajasuya sacrifice. In this regard, Nakula, Sahadeva, Arjuna, and Bhima they traveled to the four directions all over the planets. And they found that every king on earth accept the supreme authority of Yudhisthira maharaja except one. You remember who that was? It was Jarasandha. He refused to accept the supremacy of Yudhisthira Maharaja.
So therefore Krishna, Arjuna, and Bhima were dispatched by Yudhisthira Maharaja to deal with Jarasandha. He had to be defeated. If he was not willing to accept. And then Maharaja Bhima, Arjuna, and Lord Sri Krishna they disguised themselves as brahmana. Because they knew that Jarasandha one of the way he had attained and preserves a great power as he would give charity to anyone who would come to him. Even the demons are very charitable. Because they knew that they would lose all their power and opulence, if they would not be charitable. So they disguised themselves as brahmanas to beg. When Jarasandha saw them, what kind of brahmana’s are these with big shoulders and wide arms and so strong looking and not only that they have impression of bows and arrows in their shoulder. So he could not understand that these people, who were actually warriors. But because they came to him in the role of brahmanas. He understood I have to treat them like brahmanas. What do you like? I’ll give you any charity, whatever your desire. Then they said, you will. Okay, I am bhima, I am Arjuna, this is Krishna. We want to fight with you. Because you do not accept Yudhisthira as the king. He said, I’ll not fight with Krishna. Because Krishna ran from the battle field last time I fought with him. His name is Nilanchala which means he is a coward. I won’t below my integrity to fight with a coward. And Arjuna you are younger than me and you are not a powerful as me, you are not worthy to fight with me. But Bhima is a suitable match. I’ll fight with you. Choose your weapons. So they decided to fight. And Jarasandha was very powerful and Bhima also was very powerful. They would fight from sunrise go sunset and neither could defeat the other. And this fight was going on for day after day after day, after day. They were just utilizing every ounce or every gram of their strength to try to defeat the other. And they were growling with one another and pounding one another and ripping with one another. But neither one could defeat the other. So the Pandavas were becoming very frustrated. What we going to do with this Jarasandha? He cannot be defeated. Of course Krishna knows everything. He knew the secret behind Jarasandha’s birth.
When Jarasandha was born, he came out. He was in two halves and …..? So they threw him in the forest. And a witch practicing black magic whose name was Jara saw this child. Through her magical powers, she put him together and the name Jarasandha means one who is put together by the witch Jara. So therefore there was a scene going across the middle of his body from his head to his lowest parts and that was vulnerability. So Krishna he explain to Bhima that you have to rip him in half. That’s the only way. You have to know where exactly the scene is. So when they were fighting they were growling each other and pounding in one other and Bhima just could not defeat this man and Krishna was looking and he took a piece of grass. And he said, Bhima just watch this. How he can be killed? And he took the grass and he just pulled and tore into half. Then Bhima realized, ahaaaaa, this is the way I could be kill. So Bhima took Jarasandha and put his feet one of his leg and took his mighty arms around the other leg and pulled that. ripping those two legs apart. And as he ripped, Jarasandha was ripped into two. And as laid there on one side there was one eye, half of nose and half of the mouth, one chest, on half of the gentiles, one leg and the other side there was the other half. And everyone was cheering jay Bhima. And after this took place they returned to Maharaja Yudhisthira and said now Maharaja Yudhisthira there was no one on the earth that is not accept your supreme authority. Now you can perform the Rajasuya Sacrifice. And then of course from that point he had to raise, what is the equivalent to billions and billions and billions of rupees to properly perform the sacrifice. It is explained that the Pandavas, they had to accumulate huge amounts of gold in order to perform the sacrifice. The great challenge. And everything was in order and they had the highest brahmans ready to perform the sacrifice. Before the sacrifice can begin there is a ceremony called Agra Puja. Agra Puja means you have to take the greatest man on all over earth and the king has to personally worship that personality. And this is always a great controversy, who is the greatest man on earth? Who will the king choose? So of course Maharaja Yudhisthira without hesitation he chooses Lord Sri Krishna. He knew that Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the cause of all causes. He incarnated only to show mercy and kindness upon all living beings. Therefore when he chose Lord Sri Krishna to be the recipient of the Agra Puja. At that time everyone was celebrating Maharaja Yudhisthira’s great intelligence in the ocean. All the kshetriyas present were saying yes-yes there is no doubt Krishna is the greatest of the great. Paramesvara. He is the supreme controller of all controllers. And there was a great joy and celebration, when the news came out that Krishna would be the recipient into the Agra Puja, except there was one envious person, who did not like it and that was Sisupala. And when Sisupala saw that Krishna is about to be worship by Maharaja Yudhisthira, he was infuriated. He just stood up in the assembly with his eyes red like hot coals in anger and hi tongue was wagging like with uncontrollable envy. And he began to say what kind of nonsense assembly of kshethriyas decide to choosing such a low class person as Krishna to be the recipient of such a celebrated form of worship. Why you are putting him in the special throne and altar? No body even knows what cast he is. He is supposed to be Vasudeva and Devaki’s son. But then he lived in Vrindavana like a cowherd boy. The keeper of cows as the son of Nanda and Yashoda. And not only that he stole Rukmini like thief, like a jackal steals sheep. He just went on and on and on and began to explain how Krishna was such a – fellow. And he actually believed this things, that’s the amazing part. Krishna reciprocates you according to how you approach him. If you approach Krishna to find faults, Krishna will reveal to you your unlimited faults. Sometimes people approach a sadhu and they finds so many faults. Somebody says how possibly anyone can find fault in a sadhu or a pure devotee of lord. Of course you could find faults in a pure devotee. If you want, if you seek you shall find. If you look for faults, you will find faults. If you look for virtue, you will find virtues. Up to Krishna Sishupala was looking for faults, therefore Krishna reveals to him nothing but faults. If you want to find fault in Krishna, Krishna will reveal to you infinity amount of faults for you to just the _. What to speak of surrendering to the temple president or the residency sunnyasi or the spiritual master. If you want to find faults Krishna will give you the faith and any understanding, any intelligence to see so many faults. Krishna reveals Himself personally as well as through his representatives, according to how you approach him. Maharaja Yudhisthira was approaching Krishna only to see his glory. Therefore Krishna reveals to him with His infinity glory. Sishupala was approaching Krishna only to see fault to justify his only independent behavior. Therefore Krishna reveald to him. Krishna did not show Sishupala one single virtue. He Sishupala had nothing but faults. Although he was faultless, although he was faults from within heart he was giving Sishupala the intelligence to only see faults. Because that’s what he wanted. So Sishupala just was insulting Krishna in so many horrible words and Bhima was ready to tear this rascal to pieces and Krishna saying, no-no. Let him be. Practically everyone in the assembly, they were just trembling with raise. They were just saying, Krishna let me kill this rascal, this demon. How could you tolerate hearing these insult’s. And Krishna is saying, no-no. Because Krishna gave him a benediction when he was a little child that up to 100 insults he would be protected. But not after hundred. So Sishupala was always very careful to come to the point of 99 and stop. But this time he was so infuriated with rage, to see Krishna in such a elevated position of worship. He did not even bother to count and he was blaspheming and blaspheming and blaspheming and Krishna was just very patiently and in a very detached manner just sitting there and listening. And when he saw that Sishupala went beyond his quota, he took His Sudarshan chakra and Sishupala’s head fell to the ground. And everyone in the assembly was very happy. They said, the demon has died. Then Maharaja set by his excellent and perfect example the proper process for all people to follow. That however great you are, you are the humble servant of Krishna. The greatest man is the person who accepts the humblest position as a servant of Krishna. And maharaja Yudhisthira showed that he is becoming a king. He is conquering all the lands. He is performing all these great sacrifices. He is giving his life for all simple in his menial devotion to Lord Sri Krishna.
“ataù pumbhir dvija-çreñöhä
varëäçrama-vibhägaçaù
svanuñöhitasya dharmasya
saàsiddhir hari-toñaëam”
Srimad Bhagavatam 1.2.13
Whatever you are in Varnashram you may be, whether you are a brahmana, kshetriya, Vaisya, or Sudra, brahmacäré, vänaprastha, grihasta, or sannyäsé. One should know that the only purpose or only goal of one’s life is to please Krishna. And Maharaja Yudhisthira showed in the super excellent manner, how the leader of society considers himself nothing but the menial humble servant of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Thank you very much. Hare Krishna.
