SECTION 51
Duryodhana said,--'Listen to me as I describe
that large mass of wealth consisting of various kinds of tribute presented unto
Yudhishthira by the kings. They that dwell by the side of the river Sailoda
flowing between the mountains of Meru and Mandara and enjoy the delicious shade
of topes of the Kichaka bamboo, the Khashas, Ekasanas, the Arhas, the Pradaras,
the Dirghavenus, the Paradas, the Kulindas, the Tanganas, and the other
Tanganas, brought as tribute heaps of gold measured in dronas and raised from
underneath the earth by ants and therefore called after these creatures. The
mountain tribes endued with great strength having brought as tribute numerous Chamaras
(long brushes) soft and black and others white as moon-beam and sweet honey
extracted from the flowers growing on the Himavat as also from the Mishali
champaka and garlands of flowers brought from the region of the northern Kurus,
and diverse kinds of plants from the north even from Kailasa, waited with their
heads bent down at the gate of king Yudhishthira, being refused permission to
enter. I also beheld there numberless chiefs of the Kiratas armed with cruel
weapons and ever engaged in cruel deeds, eating of fruits and roots and attired
in skins and living on the northern slopes of the Himavat and on the mountain
from behind which the sun rises and in the region of Karusha on the sea-coast and
on both sides of the Lohitya mountains. And, having brought with them as
tribute loads upon loads of sandal and aloe as also black aloe, and heaps upon
heaps of valuable skins and gold and perfumes, and ten thousand serving-girls
of their own race, and many beautiful animals and birds of remote countries,
and much gold of great splendour procured from mountains, the Kiratas waited at
the gate, being refused permission to enter. The Kairatas, the Daradas, the
Darvas, the Suras, the Vaiamakas, the Audumbaras, the Durvibhagas, the Kumaras,
the Paradas along with the Bahlikas, the Kashmiras, the Ghorakas, the
Hansakayanas, the Sivis, the Trigartas, the Yauddheyas, the ruler of Madras and
the Kaikeyas, the Ambashtas, the Kaukuras, the Tarkshyas, the Vastrapas along with
the Palhavas, the Vashatayas, the Mauleyas along with the Kshudrakas, and the
Malavas, the Paundrayas, the Kukkuras, the Sakas, the Angas, the Vangas, the
Punras, the Sanavatyas, and the Gayas--these good and well-born Kshatriyas
distributed into regular clans and trained to the use of arms, brought tribute
unto Yudhishthira by hundreds and thousands. And the Vangas, the Kalingas, the
Magadhas, the Tamraliptas, the Supundrakas, the Dauvalikas, the Sagarakas, the
Patrornas, the Saisavas, and innumerable Karnapravaranas, who presented
themselves at the gate, were told by the gate-keepers at the command of the
king, that if they could wait and bring good tribute they could obtain
admission. Then the kings of those nations each gave a thousand elephants
furnished with tusks like unto the shafts of ploughs and decked with girdles
made of gold, and covered with fine blankets and therefore, resembling the lotus
in hue. And they were all darkish as rocks and always musty, and procured from
the sides of the Kamyaka Lake, and covered with defensive armour. And they were
also exceedingly patient and of the best breed. And having made these presents,
those kings were permitted to enter. These
and many others, coming from various regions, and numberless other illustrious
kings, brought jewels and gems unto this sacrifice. And Chitraratha, also the
king of Gandharvas, the friend of Indra, gave four hundred horses gifted with
the speed of the wind. And the Gandharva Tumburu gladly gave a hundred horses
of the colour of mango leaf and decked in gold. And, the celebrated king of the
Mlechcha tribe, called the Sukaras, gave many hundreds of excellent elephants.
And Virata, the king of Matsya, gave as tribute two thousand elephants decked
in gold. And king Vasudana from the kingdom of Pansu presented unto Yudhishthira
six and twenty elephants and two thousand horses. O king, all decked in gold
and endued with speed and strength and in full vigour of youth, and diverse
other kinds of wealth. And Yajnasena presented unto Kauntheyas for the
sacrifice, fourteen thousand serving-girls and ten thousand serving-men with
their wives, many hundreds of excellent elephants, six and twenty cars with
elephants yoked unto them, and also his whole kingdom. And Vasudeva of the Vrishni
race, in order to enhance the dignity of Arjuna, gave fourteen thousands of excellent
elephants. Indeed, Krishna is the soul of Arjuna and Arjuna is the soul of
Krishna, and whatever Arjuna may say Krishna is certain toaccomplish. And
Krishna is capable of abandoning heaven itself for the sake of Arjuna and
Arjuna also is capable of sacrificing his life for the sake of Krishna. And the
Kings of Chola and Pandya, though they brought numberless jars of gold filled
with fragrant sandal juice from the hills of Malaya, and loads of sandal and
aloe wood from the Dardduras hills, and many gems of great brilliancy and fine
cloths inlaid with gold, did not obtain permission to enter. And the king of
the Singhalas gave those best of sea-born gems called the lapis lazuli, and
heaps of pearls also, and hundreds of coverlets for elephants. And numberless dark-coloured
men with the ends of their eyes red as copper, attired in clothes decked with
gems, waited at the gate with those presents. And numberless Brahmanas and Kshatriyas,
who had been vanquished, and Vaisyas and serving Sudras brought tribute unto Yudhishthira.
And even all the Mlechchas, came unto Yudhishthira. And all orders of men,
good, indifferent and low, belonging to numberless races, coming from diverse
lands made Yudhishthira's habitation the epitome of the world.
"And beholding the kings to present unto
the foes such excellent and valuable presents, I wished for death out of grief.
And, I will now tell thee of the servants of the Kauntheyas, people for whom
Yudhishthira supplieth food, both cooked and uncooked. There are a hundred
thousand billions of mounted elephants and cavalry and a hundred millions of
cars and countless foot soldiers. At one place raw provisions are being
measured out; at another they are being cooked; and at another place the foods
are being distributed. And the notes of festivity are being heard everywhere.
And amongst men of all orders I beheld not asingle one in the mansion of
Yudhishthira that had not food and drink and ornaments. And eighty-eight
thousands of Snataka Brahmanas leading domestic lives, all supported by
Yudhishthira, with thirty serving-girls given unto each, gratified by the king,
always pray with complacent hearts for the destruction of his foes. And ten
thousands of other ascetics with vital seed drawn up daily eat of golden plates
in Yudhishthira's palace. And, O king, Yajnaseni, without having eaten herself,
daily seeth whether everybody, including even the deformed and the dwarfs, hath
eaten or not. And, only two do not pay tribute unto the son of Kunti, the
Panchalas in consequence of their relationship by marriage, and the Andhakas
and Vrishnis in consequence of their friendship.
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