SECTION XXXIII
Vaisampayana said,--"the ever-victorious Nakula, the son of Pandu, having
reached Hastinapura, formally invited Bhishma and Dhritarashtra. The
elder of the Kuru race with the preceptor at their head, invited with due
ceremonies, came with joyous hearts to that sacrifice, with Brahmanas
walking before them. And, O hull of the Bharata race, having heard of
king Yudhishthira's sacrifice, hundreds of other Kshatriyas acquainted
with the nature of the sacrifice, with joyous hearts came there from
various countries, desiring to behold king Yudhishthira the son of Pandu
and his sacrificial mansion, and brought with them many costly jewels of
various kinds. And Dhritarashtra and Bhishma and Vidura of high
intelligence; and all Kaurava brothers with Duryyodhana at their head;
and Suvala the king of Gandhara and Sakuni endued with great strength;
and Achala, and Vrishaka, and Karna that foremost of all charioteers; and
Salya endued with great might and the strong Valhika; and Somadatta, and
Bhuri of the Kuru race, and Bhurisravas and Sala; and Aswatthama, Kripa,
Drona, and Jayadratha, the ruler of Sindhu; and Yajnasena with his sons,
and Salya that lord of earth and that great car warrior king Bhagadatta
of Pragjyotisha accompanied by all Mlechcha tribes inhabiting the marshy
regions on the sea-shore; and many mountain kings, and king Vrihadvala;
and Vasudeva the king of the Paundrayas, and the kings of Vanga and
Kalinga; and Akastha and Kuntala and the kings of the Malavas and the
Andhrakas; and the Dravidas and the Singhalas and the king of Kashmira,
and king Kuntibhoja of great energy and king Gauravahana, and all the
other heroic kings of Valhika; and Virata with his two sons, and Mavella
endued with great might; and various kings and princes ruling in various
countries; and, O Bharata king Sisupala endued with great energy and
invincible in battle accompanied by his son--all of them came to the
sacrifice of the son of Pandu. And Rama and Aniruddha and Kanaka and
Sarana; and Gada, Pradyumna, Shamva, and Charudeshna of great energy; and
Ulmuka and Nishatha and the brave Angavaha; and innumerable other
Vrishnis--all mighty car-warriors--came there.
"These and many other kings from the middle country came, O monarch, to
that great Rajasuya sacrifice of the son of Pandu. And, O king, at the
command of king Yudhishthira the just, mansions were assigned to all
those monarchs, that were full of various kinds of edibles and adorned
with tanks and tall trees. And the son of Dharma worshipped all those
illustrious monarchs as they deserved. Worshipped by the king they
retired to mansions that were assigned to them. Those mansions were
(white and high) like the cliffs of Kailasa, and delightful to behold,
and furnished with every kind of furniture. They were enclosed on all
sides with well-built and high white-washed walls; their windows were
covered with net-works of gold and their interiors were furnished with
rows of pearls, their flights of stairs were easy of ascent and the
floors were all laid over with costly carpets. They were all hung over
with garlands of flowers and perfumed with excellent aloes. White as snow
or the moon, they looked extremely handsome even from the distance of a
yojana. Their doors and entrances were set uniformly and were wide enough
to admit a crowd of persons. Adorned with various costly articles and
built with various metals, they looked like peaks of the Himavat. Having
rested a while in those mansions the monarchs beheld king Yudhishthira
the just surrounded by numerous Sadasyas (sacrificial priests) and ever
performing sacrifices distinguished by large gifts to Brahmanas. That
sacrificial mansion wherein were present the kings and Brahmanas and
great Rishis looked, O king, as handsome as heaven itself crowded with
the gods!"
Thus ends the thirty-fourth section in the Rajasuyika Parva of the Sabha
Parva.
--------------------END OF PARVA 2 : UPA-PARVA 33 ---------------------
