SECTION LV
"Narada said, 'The heroic king Paurava also, O Srinjaya, we hear, fell a
prey to death. That king gave away a thousand times thousand horses that
were all white in hue. At the Horse-sacrifice performed by that royal
sage, countless number of learned Brahmanas versed in the principles of
Siksha[94] and Akshara come from diverse realms. These Brahmanas,
purified by the Vedas, by knowledge, and by vows, and liberal and of
agreeable countenances, having obtained from the king costly gifts, such
as, robes and houses and excellent beds and carpets and vehicles and
draft-cattle, were always delighted by actors and dancers and singers,
thoroughly competent and well-versed (in their respective art), engaged
in spot and ever-striving for their diversion. At each of his Sacrifices
in due time he gave away as sacrificial presents ten thousand elephants
of golden splendour, with the temporal juice trickling down their bodies,
and cars made of gold with standards and banners. He also gave away, as
sacrificial presents, a thousand times thousand maidens decked with
ornaments of gold, and cars and steeds and elephants for mounting, and
houses and fields, and hundreds of kine, by hundreds of thousand, and
thousands of cowherds decked with gold. They that are acquainted with the
history of the past, sing this song, viz., that in that sacrifice, king
Paurava gave away kine with calves, having golden horns and silver hoofs
and brass milkpots, and female slaves and male slaves and asses and
camels, and sheep, countless in number, and diverse kinds of gems and
diverse hill-like mounds of food. That sacrificing king of the Angas
successively performed, in the order of their merit, and according to
what was competent for his own class, many auspicious sacrifices capable
of yielding every object of desire. When such a king, O Srinjaya, died
who was superior to you as regards the four cardinal virtues and who,
superior to you was, therefore, much more superior to your son, thou
shouldst not, saying 'Oh, Swaitya, Oh, Swaitya,' grieve for your son who
performed no sacrifice and made no sacrificial present.'"
--------------------END OF PARVA 7 : UPA-PARVA 55 ---------------------
