“Vaisampayana continued,—­“Hearing these words of Bhishma, the king of Chedi could bear no more, He then replied in rage unto Bhishma in these words.—­

’Let our foes, O Bhishma, be endued with that prowess which this Kesava hath, whom thou like a professional chanter of hymns praisest, rising repeatedly from thy seat.  If thy mind, O Bhishma, delighteth so in praising others, then praise thou these kings, leaving off Krishna.  Praise thou this excellent of kings, Darada, the ruler of Valhika, who rent this earth as soon as he was born.  Praise thou, O Bhishma, this Karna, the ruler of the territories of Anga and Vanga, who is equal in strength unto him of a thousand eyes, who draweth a large bow, who endued with mighty arms owneth celestial ear-rings of heavenly make with which he was born and this coat of mail possessing the splendour of the rising sun, who vanquished in a wrestling encounter the invincible Jarasandha equal unto Vasava himself, and who tore and mangled that monarch.  O Bhishma, praise Drona and Aswatthaman, who both father and son, are mighty warriors, worthy of praise, and the best of Brahmanas, and either of whom, O Bhishma, if enraged could annihilate this earth with its mobile and immobile creatures, as I believe.  I do not behold, O Bhishma, the king that is equal in battle unto Drona or Aswatthaman.  Why wishest thou not to praise them?  Passing over Duryyodhana, that mighty-armed king of kings, who is unequalled in whole earth girt with her seas and king Jayadratha accomplished in weapons and endued with great prowess, and Druma the preceptor of the Kimpurushas and celebrated over the world for prowess, and Saradwata’s son, old Kripa, the preceptor of the Bharata princes and endued with great energy, why dost thou praise Kesava?  Passing over that foremost of bowmen—­that excellent of kings, Rukmin of great energy, why praisest thou Kesava?  Passing over Bhishmaka of abundant energy, and king Dantavakra, and Bhagadatta known for his innumerable sacrificial stakes, and Jayatsena the king of the Magadha, and Virata and Drupada, and Sakuni and Vrihadvala, and Vinda and Anuvinda of Avant Pandya, Sweta Uttama Sankhya of great prosperity, the proud Vrishasena, the powerful Ekalavya, and the great charioteer Kalinga of abundant energy, why dost thou praise Kesava?  And, O Bhishma, if thy mind is always inclined to sing the praises of others, why dost thou not praise Salya and other rulers of the earth?  O king, what can be done by me when (it seemeth) thou hast not heard anything before from virtuous old men giving lessons in morality?  Hast thou never heard, O Bhishma, that reproach and glorification, both of self and others, are not practices of those that are respectable?  There is no one that approveth thy conduct, O Bhishma, in unceasingly praising with devotion, from ignorance alone, Kesava so unworthy of praise.  How dost thou, from thy wish alone, establish the whole universe in the servitor and cowherd of Bhoja (Kansa)?  Perhaps, O Bharata, this thy