Section XL
(Shishupāla-badha Parva.)
Vaisampāyana spoke. ‘“Beholding that vast assembly of kings agitated by wrath, even like the terrific sea agitated by the winds that blow at the time of the universal dissolution, ¥Yudhishthira adJiressing the agel Bhishma, that chief of intelligent men and the grand-sire of the Kurus, —even like that slayer of foes, Puruhita (Indra) of abundant energy, ad- dressing Vrihaspati,—said, ‘This vast ocean of kings, hath been agitated by wrath! ‘Tell me, O grand-sire, what I should do in view of this! And, O grand-sire, tell me now what I should do that my sacrifice may not be obstructed and my subjects may not be injured !’
“When king Yudhishthira the just, conversant with morality, said this, Bhishma, the grand-sire of the Kurus, spoke these words in reply. ‘Fear not, O tiger of the Kurus! Can the dog slay the lion? I have before this settled a way that is both beneficial and comformable to policy. As dogs in a pack approaching the lion that is asleep bark together, so are all these lords of earth! Indeed, O child, like dogs before the lion, these (monarchs) are barking in rage before the sleeping lion of the Vrishni race! Achyuta now is like a lion that is asleep. Until he waketh up, this chief of the Chedis—this lion among men—imaketh these monarchs look like lions! O child, O thou foremost of all monarchs, this Shishupala pos- sessed of little intelligence is desirous of taking along (with him) all these kings, through the agency of him who is the soul of the universe, to the regions of Yama! Assuredly, O Bharata, Vishnu hath been desirous of taking back unto him- self the energy that liveth in this Shishupala! O chief of all intelligent men, O son of Kunti, the intelligence of this wicked-minded king of the Chedis as also-of all these mon- archs, hath become perverse. Indeed, the intelligence of all those whom this tiger among men desireth to take unto himself, becometh perverse even like that of this king of the Chedis, O Yudhishthira, Madhava is the progenitor as
