Drona Parva

Created by Jijith Nadumuri at 01 Apr 2010 03:35 and updated at 01 Apr 2010 03:35

MAHABHARATA, BOOK 07: DRONA PARVA

<<<< Previous Section Current Parva All Parvas Next Section >>>>

Section 63

LXV 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 thee in respect of the four cardinal virtues and who superior to thee was, therefore, much more superior to thy son, thou shouldst not, saying, Oh, Swaitya, Oh Swaitya, grieve for the latter who performed no sacrifice and made no sacrificial present

<<<< Previous Section Current Parva All Parvas Next Section >>>>

Share:- Facebook

Unless otherwise stated, the content of this page is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 License