Chapter 51

Duryodhana said,–‘O sinless one, listen to me as I describe that largemass of wealth consisting of various kinds of tribute presented untoYudhishthira by the kings of the earth.

They that dwell by the side ofthe river Sailoda flowing between the mountains of Mer and Mandara andenjoy the delicious shade of topes of the Kichaka bamboo, viz., theKhashas, Ekasanas, the Arhas, the Pradaras, the Dirghavenus, the Paradas,the Kulindas, the Tanganas, and the other Tanganas, brought as tributeheaps of gold measured in dronas (jars) and raised from underneath theearth by ants and therefore called after these creatures. The mountaintribes endued with great strength having brought as tribute numerousChamaras (long brushes) soft and black and others white as moon-beam andsweet honey extracted from the flowers growing on the Himavat as alsofrom the Mishali champaka and garlands of flowers brought from the regionof the northern Kurus, and diverse kinds of plants from the north evenfrom Kailasa, waited with their heads bent down at the gate of kingYudhishthira, being refused permission to enter. I also beheld therenumberless chiefs of the Kiratas armed with cruel weapons and everengaged in cruel deeds, eating of fruits and roots and attired in skinsand living on the northern slopes of the Himavat and on the mountain frombehind which the sun rises and in the region of Karusha on the sea-coastand on both sides of the Lohitya mountains. And, O king, having broughtwith them as tribute loads upon loads of sandal and aloe as also blackaloe, and heaps upon heaps of valuable skins and gold and perfumes, andten thousand serving-girls of their own race, and many beautiful animalsand birds of remote countries, and much gold of great splendour procuredfrom mountains, the Kiratas waited at the gate, being refused permissionto enter. The Kairatas, the Daradas, the Darvas, the Suras, theVaiamakas, the Audumvaras, the Durvibhagas, the Kumaras, the Paradasalong with the Vahlikas, the Kashmiras, the Ghorakas, the Hansakayanas,the Sivis, the Trigartas, the Yauddheyas, the ruler of Madras and theKaikeyas, the Amvashtas, the Kaukuras, the Tarkshyas, the Vastrapas alongwith the Palhavas, the Vashatayas, the Mauleyas along with theKshudrakas, and the Malavas, the Paundrayas, the Kukkuras, the Sakas, theAngas, the Vangas, the Punras, the Sanavatyas, and the Gayas–these goodand well-born Kshatriyas distributed into regular clans and trained tothe use of arms, brought tribute unto king Yudhishthira by hundreds andthousands. And the Vangas, the Kalingas, the Magadhas, the Tamraliptas,the Supundrakas, the Dauvalikas, the Sagarakas, the Patrornas, theSaisavas, and innumerable Karnapravaranas, who presented themselves atthe gate, were told by the gate-keepers at the command of the king, thatif they could wait and bring good tribute they could obtain admission.Then the kings of those nations each gave a thousand elephants furnishedwith tusks like unto the shafts of ploughs and decked with girdles madeof gold, and covered with fine blankets and therefore, resembling thelotus in hue. And they were all darkish as rocks and always musty, andprocured from the sides of the Kamyaka lake, and covered with defensivearmour. And they were also exceedingly patient and of the best breed. Andhaving made these presents, those kings were permitted to enter. O king,these and many others, coming from various regions, and numberless otherillustrious kings, brought jewels and gems unto this sacrifice. AndChitraratha, also the king of Gandharvas, the friend of Indra, gave fourhundred horses gifted with the speed of the wind. And the GandharvaTumvuru gladly gave a hundred horses of the colour of mango leaf anddecked in gold. And, O thou of the Kuru race, the celebrated king of theMlechcha tribe, called the Sukaras, gave many hundreds of excellentelephants. And Virata, the king of Matsya, gave as tribute two thousandelephants decked in gold. And king Vasudana from the kingdom of Pansupresented unto the son of Pandu six and twenty elephants and two thousandhorses. O king, all decked in gold and endued with speed and strength andin full vigour of youth, and diverse other kinds of wealth. And Yajnasenapresented unto the sons of Pandu for the sacrifice, fourteen thousandserving-girls and ten thousand serving-men with their wives, manyhundreds of excellent elephants, six and twenty cars with elephants yokedunto them, and also his whole kingdom. And Vasudeva of the Vrishni race,in order to enhance the dignity of Arjuna, gave fourteen thousands ofexcellent elephants. Indeed, Krishna is the soul of Arjuna and Arjuna isthe soul of Krishna, and whatever Arjuna may say Krishna is certain toaccomplish. And Krishna is capable of abandoning heaven itself for thesake of Arjuna. and Arjuna also is capable of sacrificing his life forthe sake of Krishna. And the Kings of Chola and Pandya, though theybrought numberless jars of gold filled with fragrant sandal juice fromthe hills of Malaya, and loads of sandal and aloe wood from the Darddurashills, and many gems of great brilliancy and fine cloths inlaid withgold, did not obtain permission (to enter). And the king of the Singhalasgave those best of sea-born gems called the lapis lazuli, and heaps ofpearls also, and hundreds of coverlets for elephants. And numberlessdark-coloured men with the ends of their, eyes red as copper, attired inclothes decked with gems, waited at the gate with those presents. Andnumberless Brahmanas and Kshatriyas who had been vanquished, and Vaisyasand serving Sudras, from love of Yudhishthira, brought tribute unto theson of Pandu. And even all the Mlechchas, from love and respect, cameunto Yudhishthira. And all orders of men, good, indifferent and low,belonging to numberless races, coming from diverse lands madeYudhishthira’s habitation the epitome of the world.

“And beholding the kings of the earth to present unto the foes suchexcellent and valuable presents, I wished for death out of grief. And Oking, I will now tell thee of the servants of the Pandavas, people forwhom Yudhishthira supplieth food, both cooked and uncooked. There are ahundred thousand billions of mounted elephants and cavalry and a hundredmillions of cars and countless foot soldiers. At one place raw provisionsare being measured out; at another they are being cooked; and at anotherplace the foods are being distributed. And the notes of festivity arebeing heard everywhere. And amongst men of all orders I beheld not asingle one in the mansion of Yudhishthira that had not food and drink andornaments. And eighty-eight thousands of Snataka Brahmanas leadingdomestic lives, all supported by Yudhishthira, with thirty serving-girlsgiven unto each, gratified by the king, always pray with complacenthearts for the destruction of his foes. And ten thousands of otherascetics with vital seed drawn up, daily eat of golden plates inYudhishthira’s palace. And, O king, Yajnaseni, without having eatenherself, daily seeth whether everybody, including even the deformed andthe dwarfs, hath eaten or not. And, O Bharata, only two do not paytribute unto the son of Kunti, viz., the Panchalas in consequence oftheir relationship by marriage, and the Andhakas and Vrishnis inconsequence of their friendship.