Rājasūya Yajña (Bhāgavata Purāṇa)

The Rājasūya is the king of yajñas, the great yajña by which a ruler is crowned over all other kings. In the Bhāgavata Mahā Purāṇa, King Yudhishṭhira performs it with the blessing of Bhagavān Kṛshṇa. His brothers conquer the four directions, and Kṛshṇa, Bhīma and Arjuna kill Jarāsandha. At the yajña, Sahadeva names Bhagavān Kṛshṇa as the one most worthy of the first honour. King Śishupāla of Cedi attacks him with insults, and Kṛshṇa ends him with the Sudarśana cakra. The yajña closes in splendour. Only Duryodhana is left burning with envy.

Yudhishṭhira’s resolve and Kṛshṇa’s approval

One day Yudhishṭhira sat in his assembly. Around him were ṛshis, brāhmaṇas, kshatriyas, vaiśyas, his brothers, ācāryas (teachers), elders and kinsmen. He spoke to Kṛshṇa: “O Govinda! I wish to honour your divine forms, the devas, with the Rājasūya, the king of yajñas. Fulfil this wish, O Prabhu Kṛshṇa!”

Kṛshṇa answered: “O Dharmarāja! You have made an excellent resolve. The Rājasūya brings joy to the ṛshis, the pitṛs (the ancestors), your kinsmen, all of us and every being. Conquer all kings, bring the whole earth under your rule, and then perform this great yajña.”

Yudhishṭhira sent his brothers to the four quarters. They conquered every land and brought back great wealth. But Jarāsandha was still left, and a special plan was made for him. The Bhāgavata tells the killing of Jarāsandha in its own account. After Jarāsandha’s death and the freeing of the kings he had kept in prison, the brothers returned to Indraprastha.

Source: Bhāgavata Mahā Purāṇa, 10th Skanda, Chapter 74.

The yajña: ṛtviks and guests

At a good moment Yudhishṭhira named the greatest ṛshis and brāhmaṇas as ṛtviks (the priests of the yajña): Vyāsa, Bharadvāja, Sumantu, Gautama, Asita, Vasishṭha, Cyavana, Kaṇva, Maitreya, Jaimini, Kratu, Paila, Parāśara, Gargeya, Vaiśampāyana, Atharvāṇa, Kaśyapa, Dhaumya, Paraśurāma, Śukrācārya and many others. He also invited Droṇa, Bhīshma, Kṛpa, Bāhlika, Dhṛtarāshṭra and his sons, and the wise Vidura. The ṛtviks ploughed the yajña-ground with golden ploughs. Indra, Varuṇa, Brahmā, Śiva, the great ṛshis, yakshas, rākshasas, Garuḍa and other beings all came to Yudhishṭhira’s Rājasūya.

The work at the yajña was shared out among great warriors. Bhīma ran the kitchen. Duryodhana kept the treasury. Sahadeva received the guests. Nakula looked after supplies. Arjuna served the elders. Kṛshṇa washed the feet of the guests. Draupadī watched over the food, and Karṇa gave out the gifts.

Source: Bhāgavata Mahā Purāṇa, 10th Skanda, Chapter 74.

The first honour and Śishupāla’s outburst

On the day of soma-pressing, Yudhishṭhira asked the sabhāsads (the members of the assembly): “Who among all here is most worthy of the agra-pūjā, the first honour?” The assembly could not agree. Then Sahadeva stood up and said: “Bhagavān Kṛshṇa alone is worthy. He is the essence of all that exists, the cause and ground of all yajñas, the Supreme Purusha in whom the Vedas find their meaning.”

All who were present cheered. Yudhishṭhira gladly gave the agra-pūjā. He washed Kṛshṇa’s feet and offered him silk garments and fine ornaments, with tears of devotion in his eyes. Flowers rained from the sky.

But Śishupāla, the king of Cedi, had hated Kṛshṇa from birth and could not hold himself back. He rose in anger and poured out a long, bitter attack. He called the choice absurd. He dismissed Kṛshṇa as a mere cowherd with no varṇa and no āśrama (stage of life). He called him a brigand who had run away from Mathurā. He also insulted the brāhmaṇas in the assembly for approving of him. The assembly covered their ears, and many walked out in protest. Those who stayed were furious. The Pāṇḍavas and their allies rose with drawn weapons.

Kṛshṇa held them all back. When Śishupāla had thrown a full hundred insults, Kṛshṇa rose, let fly the razor-edged Sudarśana cakra, and cut off Śishupāla’s head before the whole assembly.

A blazing light rose from Śishupāla’s body and, before the eyes of all, entered Kṛshṇa. Śishupāla had kept enmity towards Kṛshṇa for three lives: as Hiraṇyakaśipu, as Rāvaṇa and now as Śishupāla. Through that hatred he had kept Kṛshṇa in his thoughts all the time. So he reached moksha by merging into the Supreme. The jīva (embodied ātmā) reaches the goal that fills the mind without a break.

Source: Bhāgavata Mahā Purāṇa, 10th Skanda, Chapter 74.

The avabhṛtha bath and the end of the yajña

The yajña was completed in great splendour. Yudhishṭhira honoured all the ṛtviks and sabhāsads with generous dakshiṇās (gifts to the priests) and other gifts. Then he led the avabhṛtha (the closing bath) procession to the Gaṅgā. Elephants, horses, chariots, armies and the kings of sixteen countries marched in the great procession, and the earth shook under their feet. Devas, ṛshis, gandharvas, pitṛs and humans showered flowers. Men and women in new clothes and ornaments splashed each other with sweet oils and coloured water in joy.

Yudhishṭhira and Draupadī bathed in the Gaṅgā, together with all the vaishṇava kings. Even those who bathed there at that time were freed from great pāpa (sin). After the avabhṛtha, Yudhishṭhira honoured all the guests once more with gifts and sent them home. He then stayed in Indraprastha with Kṛshṇa for some time, at Kṛshṇa’s request.

Source: Bhāgavata Mahā Purāṇa, 10th Skanda, Chapters 74 and 75.

Duryodhana’s shame

Of all who were there, only Duryodhana could not rejoice. His eyes drank in the great wealth of Indraprastha, and the hall built by Māyadānava filled him with envy.

In that hall Maya’s māyā (art of illusion) was at work. The floor looked like water, and the water looked like solid floor. Duryodhana walked in and lifted his robe, thinking the floor was flooded, but it was dry stone. Then he stepped on what looked like ground and fell into the ornamental pool. Bhīma, the women and the other kings laughed. Dharmarāja tried to stop them, but Kṛshṇa allowed it. Duryodhana left in silent shame and dark anger.

The Bhāgavata notes that Kṛshṇa allowed this on purpose: the kāraṇa (cause) of the great war had to be planted.

Source: Bhāgavata Mahā Purāṇa, 10th Skanda, Chapter 75.

Sources

• Bhāgavata Mahā Purāṇa, 10th Skanda, Chapter 74 (Yudhishṭhira’s resolve, the ṛtviks, the first honour, Śishupāla, the avabhṛtha)
• Bhāgavata Mahā Purāṇa, 10th Skanda, Chapter 75 (the avabhṛtha and Duryodhana’s shame)