SECTION LXIII
"Narada said, 'King Sasavindu, O Srinjaya, we hear, fell a prey to death.
Of great beauty and of prowess incapable of being baffled, he performed
diverse sacrifices. That high-souled monarch had one hundred thousand
wives. From each of those wives were born a thousand sons. All those
princes were endued with great prowess. They performed millions of
sacrifices. Accomplished in the Vedas, those kings performed many
foremost of sacrifices. All of them were cased (on occasions of battle)
in golden coats of mail. And all of them were excellent bowmen. All these
princes born of Sasavindu performed Horse-sacrifices. Their father, O
best of monarchs, in the Horse-sacrifices he had performed, gave away,
(as sacrificial presents), all those sons unto the Brahmanas. Behind each
of those princes were hundreds upon hundreds of cars and elephants and
fair maidens decked in ornaments of gold. With each maiden were a hundred
elephants; with each elephant, a hundred cars; with each car a hundred
steeds, adorned with garlands of gold. With each of those steeds were a
thousand kine; and with each cow were fifty goats. The highly blessed
Sasavindu gave away unto the Brahmanas, in the great Horse-sacrifice of
his such unlimited wealth. The king caused as many sacrificial stakes of
gold to be made for that great Horse-sacrifice of his as is the number,
double of sacrificial stakes of wood in other sacrifices of the kind.
There were mountains of food and drink of the height of about two miles
each. Upon the completion of' his Horse-sacrifice, thirteen such
mountains of food and drink remained (untouched). His kingdom abounded in
people that were contented and well-fed. And it was free from all inroads
of evil and the people were perfectly happy. Having ruled for many long
years, Sasavindu, at last, ascended to heaven. When he died, O Srinjaya,
who was superior to you in respect of 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 the latter
who performed no sacrifice and made no sacrificial present.'"
--------------------END OF PARVA 7 : UPA-PARVA 63 ---------------------
