SECTION VIII
"Narada said,--'O Yudhisthira, I shall now describe the assembly house of
Yama, the son of Vivaswat, which, O son of Pritha, was built by
Viswakarma. Listen now to me. Bright as burnished gold, that assembly
house, O monarch, covers an area of much more than a hundred yojanas.
Possessed of the splendour of the sun, it yieldeth everything that one
may desire. Neither very cool nor very hot, it delighteth the heart. In
that assembly house there is neither grief nor weakness of age, neither
hunger nor thirst. Nothing disagreeable findeth a place there, nor any
kind of evil feelings there. Every object of desire, celestial or human,
is to be found in that mansion. And all kinds of enjoyable articles, as
also of sweet, juicy, agreeable, and delicious edibles in profusion that
are licked, sucked, and drunk, are there, O chastiser of all enemies. The
floral wreaths in that mansion are of the most delicious fragrance, and
the trees that stand around it yield fruits that are desired of them.
There are both cold and hot waters and these are sweet and agreeable. In
that mansion many royal sages of great sanctity and Brahmana sages also
of great purity, cheerfully wait upon, O child, and worship Yama, the son
of Vivaswat. And Yayati, Nahusha, Puru, Mandhatri, Somaka, Nriga; the
royal sage Trasadasyu, Kritavirya, Sautasravas; Arishtanemi, Siddha,
Kritavega, Kriti, Nimi, Pratarddana, Sivi, Matsya, Prithulaksha,
Vrihadratha, Vartta, Marutta, Kusika, Sankasya, Sankriti, Dhruva,
Chaturaswa, Sadaswormi and king Kartavirya; Bharata and Suratha, Sunitha,
Nisatha, Nala, Divodasa, and Sumanas, Amvarisha, Bhagiratha; Vyaswa,
Vadhraswa, Prithuvega, Prithusravas, Prishadaswa, Vasumanas, Kshupa, and
Sumahavala, Vrishadgu, and Vrishasena, Purukutsa, Dhwajin and Rathin;
Arshtisena, Dwilipa, and the high-souled Ushinara; Ausinari, Pundarika,
Saryati, Sarava, and Suchi; Anga, Rishta, Vena, Dushmanta, Srinjaya and
Jaya; Bhangasuri, Sunitha, and Nishada, and Bahinara; Karandhama,
Valhika, Sudymna, and the mighty Madhu; Aila and the mighty king of earth
Maruta; Kapota, Trinaka, and Shadeva, and Arjuna also. Vysawa; Saswa and
Krishaswa, and king Sasavindu; Rama the son of Dasaratha, and Lakshmana,
and Pratarddana; Alarka, and Kakshasena, Gaya, and Gauraswa; Rama the son
of Jamadagnya, Nabhaga, and Sagara; Bhuridyumna and Mahaswa, Prithaswa,
and also Janaka; king Vainya, Varisena, Purujit, and Janamejaya;
Brahmadatta, and Trigarta, and king Uparichara also; Indradyumna,
Bhimajanu, Gauraprishta, Nala, Gaya; Padma and Machukunda, Bhuridyumna,
Prasenajit; Aristanemi, Sudymna, Prithulauswa, and Ashtaka also; a
hundred kings of the Matsya race and hundred of the Vipa and a hundred of
the Haya races; a hundred kings of the name of Dhritarashtra, eighty
kings of the name of Janamejaya; a hundred monarchs called Brahmadatta,
and a hundred kings of the name of Iri; more than two hundred Bhishmas,
and also a hundred Bhimas; a hundred Prativindhyas, a hundred Nagas, and
a hundred Palasas, and a hundred called Kasa and Kusa; that king of kings
Santanu, and your father Pandu, Usangava, Sata-ratha, Devaraja,
Jayadratha; the intelligent royal sage Vrishadarva with his ministers;
and a thousand other kings known by the name of Sasa-vindu, and who have
died, having performed many grand Ashvamedha-Yajnas with large presents to
the Brahmanas--these holy royal sages of grand achievements and great
knowledge of the Sastras, wait upon, O King, and worship the son of
Vivaswat in that assembly house. And Agastya and Matanga, and Kala, and
Mrityu (Death), performers of sacrifices, the Siddhas, and many Yogins;
the Prtris (belonging to the classes--called Agniswattas, Fenapa,
Ushampa, Swadhavat, and Verhishada), as also those others that have
forms; the wheel of time, and the illustrious conveyer himself of the
sacrificial butter; all sinners among human beings, as also those that
have died during the winter solstice; these officers of Yama who have
been appointed to count the allotted days of everybody and everything;
the Singsapa, Palasa, Kasa, and Kusa trees and plants, in their embodied
forms, these all, O king, wait upon and worship the god of justice in
that assembly house of his. These and many others are present at the
Sabha of the king of the Pitris (manes). So numerous are they that I am
incapable of describing them either by mentioning their names or deeds. O
son of Pritha, the delightful assembly house, moving everywhere at the
will of its owner, is of wide extent. It was built by Viswakarma after a
long course of ascetic penances. And, O Bharata, resplendent with his own
effulgence, it stands glorified in all its beauty. Sannyasis of severe
ascetic penance, of excellent vows, and of truthful speech, peaceful and
pure and sanctified by holy deeds, of shining bodies and attired in
spotless robes, decked with bracelets and floral garlands, with ear-rings
of burnished gold, and adorned with their own holy acts as with the marks
of their order (painted over their bodies), constantly visit that Sabha
(Assembly). Many illustrious Gandharvas, and many Apsaras fill every part
of that mansion with music; both instrumental and vocal and with sounds
of laughter and dance. And, O son of Pritha, excellent perfumes, and
sweet sounds and garlands of celestial flowers always contribute towards
making that mansion supremely blest. And hundreds of thousands of
virtuous persons, of celestial beauty and great wisdom, always wait upon
and worship the illustrious Yama, the lord of created beings in that
assembly house. Such, O monarch, is the Sabha, of the illustrious king of
the Pitris! I shall now describe unto the assembly house of Varuna also
called Pushkaramalini!"
--------------------END OF PARVA 2 : UPA-PARVA 8 ---------------------
