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Sisupala could not bear all this. He stood up in the midst of
the assembly and thus gave vent to his feelings.
"True is the saying that time is hard to overcome. Or how
could even old men be led away by the words of a boy? You leaders
of the assembly know best what are the relative merits of all. Do
not endorse the words of a boy that Krishna deserves to get the first
welcome-offering of respect Here are great Rishis, fixed on Brahma,
great in asceticism, wisdom and religious practices, adored even by the
Lokapalas, their impurities all completely removed by divine percep-
tion. Overstepping them all, how could this cowherd (Gopdla] boy,
the disgrace (pansana) of his family (Kfila), deserve to be worshipped,
as if the crow (Kdka) deserves to get the sacrificial oblation (puro-
ddsa)? (Sridhara explains this Sloka and the following ones as a
veiled adoration of Srikrishna. Gopdla is the protector of Vedas, of
the Earth and of others. The word go means the Vedas and the
Earth, besides "cow." Kula /^^aw = Kulapa-f-ansana. Kulafias
are sinners. He who destroys (Ansa) them is fatla pansana. Kdka
may be read as compounded with another word in the Sloka, in the
form of akdka. Kdka is ka + aka. Ka is happiness, aka is misery.
He who has neither happiness nor misery is akdka i. e., one who has
got all his desires. One who has got all his desires does not only
deserve to get the puroddsa offering of the Devas but all other offer-
ings. I do not think it necessary to reproduce the double interpreta-
tion by Sridhara of the other Slokas, which is continued in the
same strain.) He has gone away from his Varna, Asrama and Kula.
He is outside all injunctions and duties. He follows his own will.
He is void of attributes (Gunas\ How can he deserve to be wor-
shipped? King Yayati cursed his line and it is not honored by good
people. His clansmen are addicted to unnecessary drinking. How
can he deserve to be worshipped? They left the the lands where the
Rishis dwell, and made their fort on the Sea; moreover they oppress
their subjects like robbers."
Sisupala went on in this way and Krishna did not say a word.
The lion heeds not the jackal's cry. The members of the Assembly
closed their ears and went away, cursing Sisupala in anger. They
could not hear the calumny of Bhagavat. For he who hears the calum-
ny of Bhagavat and of those that are devoted to him and does not
leave the place goes downwards, deprived of all merits. The sons of
Pandu and their allies of Matsya, Kaikaya and Srinjaya, took up arms
to kill Sisupala. Sisupala also took his shield and sword and reprov-
ed the kings on the side of Krishna. Krishna then rose up and
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