SECTION LXI
“Narada said, ‘Dilipa, the son of Havila, too, O Srinjaya, we hear, fell a prey to death. Brahmanas, vested in knowledge of Truth, devoted to the performance of sacrifices, blessed with children and children’s children and numbering myriads upon myriads, were present at his hundreds of sacrifices. King Dilipa, having performed various sacrifices, gave away this earth, filled with treasures, unto the Brahmanas. At the sacrifices of Dilipa, the roads were all made of gold. The very gods, with Indra at their head used to come to him regarding him as Dharma himself. The upper and lower rings of his sacrificial stake were made of gold.
Eating his Raga-khandavas, many persons, at his sacrifices, were seen to lie down on the roads. While battling over the waters, the two wheels of Dilipa’s car never sank in that liquid. This seemed exceedingly wonderful, and never occured to other kings, Even those that saw king Dilipa, that firm bowman, always truthful in speech and giving away profuse gifts at his sacrifices, succeeded in ascending to heaven. In the abode of Dilipa, called also Khattanga, these five sounds were always to be heard, viz., the sound of Vedic recitations, the twang of bows, and Drink, Enjoy, and Eat! When he died, O Srinjaya, who was superior to thee in respect of the four cardinal virtues and who superior to thee, was much superior to thy son, thou shouldst not, saying, ‘Oh, Swaitya, Oh, Swaitya,’ grieve for thy son who performed no sacrifice and made no sacrificial gifts.'”[102]
SECTION LXII
“Narada said, ‘Mandhatri’ the son of Yuvanaswa, O Srinjaya, we hear, fell a prey to death. That king vanquished the gods, the Asuras and men. Those celestials, viz., the twin Aswins, brought him out of his father’s womb by a surgical operations. Once on a time, king Yuvanaswa while chasing the deer in the forest, became very thirsty and his steeds also became exceedingly fatigued. Beholding a wreath of smoke, the king (directed by it) went to a sacrifice and drank the sacred sacrificial butter that lay scattered there. (The king, thereupon, conceived). Beholding that Yuvanaswa was quick with child, those best of physicians, viz., the twin Aswins among the celestials, extracted the child from the king’s womb. Seeing that child of celestial splendour lying on the lap on his father, the gods said unto one another, ‘What shall support this child?’ Then Vasava said, ‘Let the child suck my fingers,’ Thereupon from the fingers of Indra issued milk sweet as nectar. And since Indra from compassion, said, ‘He will draw his sustenance from me,’ and showed him that kindness, therefore, the gods named that child Mandhatri.[103] Then jets of milk and clarified butter dropped into the mouth of Yuvanaswa’s son from the hand of the high-souled Indra.
The boy continued to suck the hand of Indra and by that means to grow. In twelve days he became twelve cubits in stature and endued with great prowess. And he conquered the whole of this earth in the course of a single day. Of virtuous soul, possessed of great intelligence, heroic, devoted to truth and a master of his passions, Mandhatri vanquished, by his bow Janamejaya and Sudhanwan and Jaya and Suna[104] and Vrihadratha and Nriga. And the lands lying between the hill where the sun rises and the hill where he sets, are known to this day as the dominion of Mandhatri. Having performed a hundred Horse-sacrifices and a hundred Rajasuya sacrifices also, he gave away, O monarch, unto the Brahmanas, some Rohita fish made of gold, that were ten Yojanas in length and one Yojana in breadth. Mountains of savoury food and comestibles of diverse kinds, after the Brahmanas had been entertained, were eaten by others, (who came at his sacrifices) and contributed to their gratification. Vast quantities of food and eatables and drink, and mountains of rice, looked beautiful as they stood.
Many rivers, having lakes of clarified butter, with diverse kinds of soup for their mire, curds for their froth and liquid honey for their water, looking beautiful, and wafting honey and milk, encircled mountains of solid viands. Gods and Asuras and Men and Yakshas and Gandharvas and Snakes and Birds, and many Brahmanas, accomplished in the Vedas and their branches, and many Rishis came to his sacrifices.
Amongst those present there, none was illiterate. King Mandhatri, having bestowed the earth bounded by the seas and full of wealth upon the Brahmanas, at last disappeared like the sun. Filling all the points of the compass with his fame, he repaired to the regions of the righteous. When he died, O Srinjaya, who excelled thee in the four cardinal virtues and who, superior to thee, was much superior to thy son, thou shouldst not grieve, saying, ‘Oh, Swaitya, Oh, Swaitya’ for the latter who performed no sacrifice and made no sacrificial gift.'”
SECTION LXIII
“Narada said, ‘Yayati, the son of Nahusha, O Srinjaya, we hear, fell a prey to death. Having performed a hundred Rajasuyas, a hundred Horse-sacrifices, a thousand Pundarikas, a hundred Vajapeyas, a thousand Atiratras, innumerable Chaturmasyas, diverse Agnishtomas, and many other kinds of sacrifices, in all of which he made profuse gifts unto the Brahmanas, he gave away unto the Brahmanas, having counted it first, the whole of the wealth that existed on the earth in the possession of Mlecchas and other Brahmana-hating people.
When the gods and the Asuras were arrayed for battle, king Yayati aided the gods. Having divided the earth into four parts, he gave it away unto four persons. Having performed various sacrifices and virtuously begotten excellent offspring upon (his wives) Devayani, the daughter of Usanas and Sarmishtha, king Yayati, who was like unto a celestial, roved through the celestial woods at his own pleasure, like a second Vasava. Acquainted with all the Vedas, when, however, he found that he was not satiated with the indulgence of his passions, he then, with his wives, retired into the forest, saying this: ‘Whatever of paddy and wheat and gold and animals and women there are on earth, even the whole of these is not sufficient for one man.
Thinking of this, one should cultivate contentment.’ Thus abandoning all his desires, and attaining to contentment, the lord Yayati, installing (his son) on his throne, retired into the forest. When he died, O Srinjaya, who was superior to thee in respect of the four cardinal virtues and who, superior to thee, was much 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.'”
SECTION LXIV
“Narada said, ‘Nabhaga’s son, Amvarisha, O Srinjaya, we hear, fell a prey to death. Alone he battled a thousand times with a thousand kings. Desirous of victory, those foes, accomplished in weapons, rushed against him in battle from all sides, uttering fierce exclamations.
Aided by his strength and activity and the skill he had acquired by practice, he cut off, by the force of his weapons, the umbrellas, the weapons, the standards, the cars, and the lances of those enemies, and dispelled his anxieties.[105] Desirous of saving their lives, those men, doffing their coats of mail, implored him (for mercy). They sought his protection, saying, ‘We yield ourselves to thee.’ Reducing them to subjection and conquering the whole earth, he performed a hundred sacrifices of the best kind, according to the rites ordained in the scriptures, O sinless one! Food possessed of every agreeable quality was eaten (at those sacrifices) by large classes of people.
At those sacrifices, the Brahmanas were respectfully worshipped and greatly gratified. And the regenerate classes ate sweet-meats, and Purikas and Puras, and Apupas and Sashkalis of good taste and large size, and Karambhas and Prithumridwikas, and diverse kinds of dainties, and various kinds of soup, and Maireyaka, and Ragakhandavas, and diverse kinds of confectionary, well-prepared, soft, and of excellent fragrance, and clarified butter, and honey, and milk, and water, and sweet curds, and many kinds of fruits and roots agreeable to the taste.[106] And they that were habituated to wine drank in due time diverse kinds of intoxicating drinks for the sake of the pleasure that those produced, and sang and played upon their musical instruments. Avid others, by thousands, intoxicated with what they drank, danced and merrily sang hymns to the praise of Amvarisha; while others, unable to keep themselves erect, fell down on the earth.
In those sacrifices, king Amvarisha gave, as sacrificial presents, the kingdoms of hundreds and thousands of kings unto the ten million priests (employed by him) Having performed diverse sacrifices the king gave unto the Brahmanas, as sacrificial presents, numbers of princes and kings whose coronal locks had undergone the sacred bath, all cased in golden coats of mail, all having white umbrellas spread over their heads, all seated on golden cars, all attired in excellent robes and having large trains of followers, and all bearing their sceptres, and in possession of their treasuries. The great Rishis, seeing what he did, were highly gratified, and said, ‘None amongst men in past times did, none in future will be able to do, what king Amvarisha of profuse liberality, is doing now. When he, O Srinjaya, died who was superior to thee in respect of the four cardinal virtues and who superior to thee, was, much more superior to thy son, thou shouldst not, therefore, saying, ‘Oh, Swaitya, Oh, Swaitya’, grieve for the latter who performed no sacrifice and made no sacrificial present.'”