The great Rajasuya sacrifice was organized. Sage Vyasa, Bhishma, Vidura, Kripacharya, Drona, Duryodhana, Karna, Shishupala, the king of Chedi, were all invited. In the presence of sage Vyasa sage Dhaumya, priest of the Pandavas, was solemnising the Yajna.
The Pandavas decided to accord the highest honour to Krishna. Accordingly, Krishna was requested to be seated for this purpose. This made Shishupala furious. He had always hated Krishna, his maternal cousin, and was angry to see him honoured. He insulted Krishna calling him by names. Several kings including Arjuna and Bhima got ready to kill Shishupal. But Krishna stopped all of them. There was a reason behind it. At the time of the birth of Shishupal, the priests had revealed that a demon was born. He would be killed at the hands of his cousins. At that time Krishna promised Shishupal’s mother that he would forgive Shishupal’s hundred crimes. When Shishupal abused Krishna a hundred times, Krishna warned him saying, “Stop, Shishupal! If you abuse me further, I will kill you.” But Shishupal did not relent. Thus Krishna cut off the head of Shishupal with his Chakra instantly.
Deathly silence prevailed over the place. King Yudhishthira addressed all present there and made them cheerful. Thereafter the entire ceremony was solemnised with great pomp and show. Duryodhana stayed on with his uncle Shakuni after the ceremony was over. He went all over the palace and was admiring all its features and envying the prosperity of the Pandavas. The entire palace, built by Mayasura, was full of illusions.
On one occasion, he mistook a pool of water for a hard floor. And he fell into the pool of water thinking it was a polished floor! All the attendants and the maids burst out laughing. Out of humour Draupadi called him the ‘blind son of a blind father’. This infuriated Duryodhana who thought to avenge for this insult at an opportune time. After the successful completion of the Yajna, Yudhishthira saw all the sages, saints and the learned Brahmins off by giving them gifts and clothes profusely. All the kings too returned to their respective kingdoms. All the near and dear ones from Hastinapur were also eager to depart. The Pandavas covered a little distance to see them off.
