Chapter 52

Duryodhana said,–“Those king that are revered over all the world, whoare devoted to truth and who are pledged to the observance of rigid vows,

who are possessed of great learning and eloquence, who are fullyconversant with the Vedas and their branches as also with sacrifices, whohave piety and modesty, whose souls are devoted to virtue, who possessfame, and who have enjoyed the grand rites of coronation, all wait uponand worship Yudhishthira. And, O king, I beheld there many thousands ofwild kine with as many vessels of white copper for milking them, broughtthither by the kings of the earth as sacrificial presents to be givenaway by Yudhishthira unto the Brahmana. And, O Bharata, for bathingYudhishthira at the conclusion of the sacrifice, many kings with thegreatest alacrity, themselves brought there in a state of purity manyexcellent jars (containing water). And king Vahlika brought there a cardecked with pure gold. And king Sudakshina himself yoked thereto fourwhite horses of Kamboja breed, and Sunitha of great might fitted thelower pole and the ruler of Chedi with his own hands took up and fittedthe flag-staff. And the king of the Southern country stood ready with thecoat of mail; the ruler of Magadha, with garlands of flowers and thehead-gear; the great warrior Vasudana with a sixty years old elephant,the king of Matsya, with the side-fittings of the car, all encased ingold; king Ekalavya, with the shoes; the king of Avanti, with diversekinds of water for the final bath; king Chekitana, with the quiver; theking of Kasi, with the bow; and Salya; with a sword whose hilt and strapswere adorned with gold. Then Dhaumya and Vyasa, of great ascetic merit,with Narada and Asita’s son Devala, standing before performed theceremony of sprinkling the sacred water over the king. And the greatRishis with cheerful hearts sat where the sprinkling ceremony wasperformed. And other illustrious Rishis conversant with the Vedas, withJamadagni’s son among them, approached Yudhishthira, the giver of largesacrificial presents, uttering mantras all the while, like the sevenRishis, approaching the great India in heaven. And Satyaki of unbaffledprowess held the umbrella (over the king’s head). And Dhananjaya andBhima were engaged in tanning the king; while the twins held a couple ofchamaras in their hands. And the Ocean himself brought in a sling thatbig conch of Varuna which the celestial artificer Viswakarman hadconstructed with a thousand Nishkas of gold, and which Prajapati had in aformer Kalpa, presented unto India. It was with that conch that Krishnabathed Yudhishthira after the conclusion of the sacrifice, and beholdingit, I swooned away. People go to the Eastern or the Western seas and alsoto the Southern one. But, O father, none except birds can ever go to theNorthern sea. But the Pandavas have spread their dominion even there, forI heard hundreds of conches that had been brought thence blown (in thesacrificial mansion) indicative of auspicious rejoicing. And while thoseconches blew simultaneously, my hair stood on end. And those among thekings, who were weak in strength fell down. And Dhrishtadyumna andSatyaki and the sons of Pandu and Kesava,–those eight, endued withstrength and prowess and handsome in person, beholding the kings deprivedof consciousness and myself in that plight, laughed outright. ThenVibhatsu (Arjuna) with a cheerful heart gave, O Bharata, unto theprincipal Brahmanas five hundred bullocks with horns plated with gold.And king Yudhishthira, the son of Kunti, having completed the Rajasuyasacrifice, obtained like the exalted Harishchandra such prosperity thatneither Rantideva nor Nabhaga, nor Jauvanaswa, nor Manu, nor king Prithuthe son of Vena, nor Bhagiratha, Yayati, nor Nahusha, had obtained itslike. And beholding, O exalted one, such prosperity, in the son of Prithawhich is even like that which Harishchandra had, I do not see the leastgood in continuing to live, O Bharata! O ruler of men, a yoke that istied (to the bullock’s shoulders) by a blind man becomes loosened. Evensuch is the case with us. The younger ones are growing while the elderones are decaying. And beholding all this, O chief of the Kurus, I cannotenjoy peace even with the aid of reflection. And it is for this, O king,that I am plunged into grief and becoming pale and emaciated.”