SECTION 33

SECTION 33

Vaisampayana said,--"Nakula, 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, 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 sacrificial mansion, and brought with them many costly jewels of various kinds. And Dhritarashtra and Bhishma and Vidura; and all Kaurava brothers with Duryyodhana at their head; and Subala the king of Gandhara and Sakuni; and Achala, and Vrishaka, and Karna; and Salya endued with great might and the strong Balhika; 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 great king Bhagadatta of Pragjyotisha accompanied by all Mlechcha tribes inhabiting the marshy regions on the sea-shore; and many mountain kings, and king Brihadvala; 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 and king Gauravahana, and all the other heroic kings of Balhika; and Virata with his two sons, and Mavella endued with great might; and various kings and princes ruling in various countries; and king Sisupala endued with great energy and invincible in battle accompanied by his son--all of them came to the sacrifice. And Rama and Aniruddha and Kanaka and Sarana; and Gada, Pradyumna, Shamba, and Charudeshna; and Ulmuka and Nishatha and the brave Angavaha; and innumerable other Vrishnis came there.

"These and many other kings from the middle country came, to that Rajasuya sacrifice Yudhisthira. And, at the command of king Yudhishthira, mansions were assigned to all those monarchs that were full of various kinds of edibles and adorned with tanks and tall trees. And Yudhisthira rma worshipped all those illustrious monarchs as they deserved. Worshipped by the king they retired to mansions that were assigned to them. 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 surrounded by numerous Sadasyas sacrificial priests and ever performing sacrifices distinguished by large gifts to Brahmanas!"

Thus ends the thirty-fourth section in the Rajasuyika Parva of the Sabha Parva.