SECTION LVI
"Narada said, Usinara's son, Sivi also, O Srinjaya, we hear, fell a prey
to death. That king had, as it were, put a leathern girdle around the
earth, making the earth with her mountains and islands and seas and
forests resound with the clatter of his car. The vanquisher of foes,
viz., king Sivi. always slew the foremost of foes. He performed many
sacrifices with presents in profusion unto the Brahmanas. That monarch of
great prowess and great intelligence had acquired enormous wealth. In
battle: he won the applause of all Kshatriyas.[95] Having brought the
whole earth under subjection, he performed many Horse-sacrifices, without
any obstruction, which were productive of great merit giving away (as
sacrificial present) a thousand crores of golden nishkas, and many
elephants and steeds and other kinds of animals, much grain, and many
deer and sheep. And king Sivi gave away the sacred earth consisting of
diverse kinds of soil unto the Brahmanas. Indeed, Usinara's son, Sivi,
gave away as many kine as the number of rain-drops showered on the earth,
or the number of stars in the firmament, or the number of sand-grains or,
the bed of Ganga, or the number of rocks that constitute the mountain
called Meru, or the number of gems or of (aquatic) animals in the ocean.
The Creator himself hath not met with and will not meet within the past,
the present, or the future, another king capable of bearing the burdens
that king Sivi bore. Many were the sacrifices, with every kind of rites,
that king Sivi performed. In those sacrifices, the stakes, the carpets,
the houses, the walls, and the arches, were all made of gold. Food and
drink, agreeable to the taste and perfectly clean were kept in profusion.
And the Brahmanas that repaired to them could be counted by myriads and
myriads. Abounding with viands of every description, nothing but
agreeable words such as give away and take were heard there. Milk and
curds were collected in large lakes. In his sacrificial compound, there
were rivers of drink and white hills of food. 'Bathe, and drink and eat
as the like,' these were the only words heard there. Gratified with his
righteous deeds, Rudra granted Sivi a boon, saying, As you givest away,
let your wealth, your devotion,--thy fame, your religious acts, the love
that all creatures bear thee, and the heaven (thou attain), be all
inexhaustible.' Having obtained all these desirable boons, even Sivi,
when the time came, left this world for heaven. When, O Srinjaya, he died
who was superior to thee, was much superior to your son, you 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 56 ---------------------
