Yudhishtira questions the Narada about the Harishchandra and why he was the only king present in Indra's court. What made Harishchandra so special, wonders the eldest Pandava.
The Narada answers that the performance of the Rajasuya Sacrifice made Harishchandra a special soul. He also adds that Pandu had request him, Narada to instruct his eldest son about the same. He warns about the danger of war in performing such a sacrifice and attributes the danger of war to spirits called Brahma Rakshasas. After this narration, the Narada leaves for Dwaraka.
The narration of the celestial courts takes on meaning in this chapter with the Harishchandra factor. Interestingly, while talking about the virtues of Harishchandra, nowhere does the Narada mention the one virtue for which Harishchandra became famous for, adherence to his word and to truth. Instead, the Narada attributes Harishchandra's presence at Indra's court to his performance of the Rajasuya. However, many other kings of old had also performed the Rajasuya. Why were they not present at Indra's court?
Furthermore, the Narada evokes the spirit of the dead Pandu to persuade Yudhishtira to perform the Rajasuya. Narada tells him that Pandu had requested him to instruct Yudhishtira to perform the Rajasuya sacrifice knowing that he would be visiting the mortal world. One must assume that the Narada met the spirit of Pandu in the court of Yama. That would probably have to be the only explanation. If we try to rationalize this and say that Pandu probably asked this of the Narada before he died, it would be wrong. Pandu had no foresight of his death. He was not afflicted with a terminal illness or a mortal wound. Hence, it would not be possible that he had instructed Narada thus.
The only inference that we can make out of this is that the Narada was using the Pandu story as a ruse to persuade Yudhishtira to perform the Rajasuya. He even justifies the conflicts that would be inevitable in order to perform a Rajasuya Sacrifice to Brahma Rakshasas, thereby taking any blame for bloodshed away from the king.
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