SECTION XLI
"Vaisampayana said, 'The royal son of Kunti, freed from grief and the
fever of his heart, took his seat, with face eastwards, on excellent seat
made of gold. On another seat, beautiful and blazing and made of gold,
sat with face directed towards him, those two chastisers of foes, viz.,
Satyaki and Vasudeva. Placing the king in their midst, on his two sides
sat Bhima and Arjuna upon two beautiful seats adorned with gems. Upon a
white throne of ivory, decked with gold, sat Pritha with Sahadeva and
Nakula. Sudharman,[123] and Vidura, and Dhaumya, and the Kuru king
Dhritarashtra, each sat separately on separate seats that blazed with the
effulgence of fire. Yuyutsu and Sanjaya and Gandhari of great fame, all
sat down where king Dhritarashtra had taken his seat. The
righteous-souled king, seated there, touched the beautiful white flowers,
Swastikas, vessels full of diverse articles, earth, gold, silver, and
gems, (that were placed before him). Then all the subjects, headed by the
priest, came to see king Yudhishthira, bringing with them diverse kinds
of auspicious articles. Then earth, and gold, and many kinds of gems, and
all the things in profusion that were necessary for the performance of
the coronation rite, were brought there. There were golden jars full to
the brim (with water), and those made of copper and silver and earth, and
flowers, and fried paddy, and Kusa grass, and cow's milk, and
(sacrificial) fuel consisting of the wood of Sami, Pippala, and Palasa,
and honey and clarified butter and (sacrificial) ladles made of Udumvara,
and conches adorned with gold.[124] Then the priest Dhaumya, at the
request of Krishna, constructed, according to rule, an altar gradually
inclining towards the cast and the north. Causing the high-souled
Yudhishthira then, with Krishna the daughter of Drupada, to be seated
upon a handsome seat, called Sarvatobhadra, with firm feet and covered
with tiger-skin and blazing with effulgence, began to pour libations of
clarified butter (upon the sacrificial fire) with proper mantras. Then he
of Dasaratha's race, rising from his seat, took up the sanctified conch,
poured the water it contained upon the head of that lord of earth, viz.,
Yudhishthira, the son of Kunti. The royal sage Dhritarashtra and all the
subjects also did the same at the request of Krishna. The son of Pandu
then, with his brothers, thus bathed with the sanctified water of the
conch, looked exceedingly beautiful. Then Panavas and Anakas and drums
were beaten. King Yudhishthira the just duly accepted the gifts made unto
him by the subjects. Always giving away presents in profusion in all his
sacrifices, the king honoured his subjects in return. He gave a thousand
nishkas unto the Brahmanas that uttered (especial) benedictions on him.
All of them had studied the Vedas and were endued with wisdom and good
behaviour. Gratified (with gifts), the Brahmanas, O king, wished him
prosperity and victory, and with voice melodious like that of swans,
uttered his praises, saying, 'O Yudhishthira of mighty arms, by good
luck, O son of Pandu, victory has been thine. By good luck, O thou of
great splendour, thou hast recovered thy position through prowess. By
good luck, the wielder of Gandiva, and Bhimasena, and thyself, O king,
and the two sons of Madri, are all well, having slain your foes and
escaped with life from the battle, so destructive of heroes. Do thou, O
Bharata, attend without delay to those acts that should next be done.'
Thus adored by those pious men, king Yudhishthira the just, with his
friends, became installed on the throne of a large kingdom, O Bharata!'"
