Mahabharata 14.86: ṣaḍaśītitamo'dhyāyaḥ

14.86.1

vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca |
ityuktvānuyayau pārtho hayaṃ taṃ kāmacāriṇam |
nyavartata tato vājī yena nāgāhvayaṃ puram || 1 ||

"Vaisampayana said, 'Having said these words, Partha set out, following the horse which wandered at its will. The sacrificial steed then turned towards the road that led to the city called after the elephant. Yudhishthira heard from his intelligence-bearers that the steed had turned back. And hearing also that Arjuna was hale and hearty, he became filled with joy. Hearing also the feats, accomplished by Vijaya in the country of the Gandharas as also in another realms, the king became exceedingly glad. Meanwhile, king Yudhishthira the just, seeing that the twelfth day of the lighted fortnight in the month of Magha had come, and noticing also that the constellation was favourable, summoned all his brothers, viz., Bhima and Nakula and Sahadeva. Endued with great energy, the king, O thou of Kuru's race, that foremost of all persons conversant with duties, said these words in proper time. Indeed, that foremost of all speakers, addressing Bhima, the first of all smiters, said;--'Thy younger brother (Arjuna), O Bhimasena, is coming back with the horse. I have learnt this from those men who had followed Arjuna. The time (for the sacrifice) is come. The sacrificial horse is near. The day of full moon of the month of Magha is at hand. The month is about to expire, O Vrikodara. Let, therefore, learned Brahmanas conversant with the Vedas look for a sacrificial spot for the successful accomplishment of the Horse-sacrifice.' Thus addressed, Bhima obeyed the royal behest.

14.86.2

taṃ nivṛttaṃ tu śuśrāva cāreṇaiva yudhiṣṭhiraḥ |
śrutvārjunaṃ kuśalinaṃ sa ca hṛṣṭamanābhavat || 2 ||

14.86.3

vijayasya ca tatkarma gāndhāraviṣaye tadā |
śrutvānyeṣu ca deśeṣu sa suprīto'bhavannṛpaḥ || 3 ||

14.86.4

etasminneva kāle tu dvādaśīṃ māghapākṣikīm |
iṣṭaṃ gṛhītvā nakṣatraṃ dharmarājo yudhiṣṭhiraḥ || 4 ||

14.86.5

samānāyya mahātejāḥ sarvānbhrātṝnmahāmanāḥ |
bhīmaṃ ca nakulaṃ caiva sahadevaṃ ca kauravaḥ || 5 ||

14.86.6

provācedaṃ vacaḥ kāle tadā dharmabhṛtāṃ varaḥ |
āmantrya vadatāṃ śreṣṭho bhīmaṃ bhīmaparākramam || 6 ||

14.86.7

āyāti bhīmasenāsau sahāśvena tavānujaḥ |
yathā me puruṣāḥ prāhurye dhanaṃjayasāriṇaḥ || 7 ||

14.86.8

upasthitaśca kālo'yamabhito vartate hayaḥ |
māghī ca paurṇamāsīyaṃ māsaḥ śeṣo vṛkodara || 8 ||

14.86.9

tatprasthāpyantu vidvāṃso brāhmaṇā vedapāragāḥ |
vājimedhārthasiddhyarthaṃ deśaṃ paśyantu yajñiyam || 9 ||

14.86.10

ityuktaḥ sa tu taccakre bhīmo nṛpatiśāsanam |
hṛṣṭaḥ śrutvā narapaterāyāntaṃ savyasācinam || 10 ||

He became very glad upon hearing that Arjuna of curly hair was about to come back. Then Bhima went out with a number of men well conversant with the rules of laying out sacrificial grounds and constructing buildings. And he took with him many Brahmanas well-versed in all the rites of sacrifices. Bhima selected a beautiful spot and caused it to be duly measured out for laying the sacrificial compound. Numerous houses and mansions were constructed on it and high and broad roads also were laid out. Soon enough the Kaurava hero caused that ground to teem with hundreds of excellent mansions. The surface was levelled and made smooth with jewels and gems, and adorned with diverse structures made of gold. Columns were raised, ornamented with bright gold, and high and wide triumphal arches also were constructed on that sacrificial compound. All these were made of pure gold. The righteous-souled prince also caused apartments to be duly constructed for the accommodation of ladies and of the numerous kings who, hailing from many realms, were expected to grace the sacrifice with their presence. The son of Kunti also caused many mansions to be duly erected for Brahmanas who were expected to come from diverse realms. Then the mighty-armed Bhimasena, at the command of the king, sent out messengers to the great kings of the Earth. Those best of kings, came to the Horse-sacrifice of the Kuru monarch for doing what was agreeable to him.

14.86.11

tato yayau bhīmasenaḥ prājñaiḥ sthapatibhiḥ saha |
brāhmaṇānagrataḥ kṛtvā kuśalānyajñakarmasu || 11 ||

14.86.12

taṃ saśālacayagrāmaṃ saṃpratolīviṭaṅkinam |
māpayāmāsa kauravyo yajñavāṭaṃ yathāvidhi || 12 ||

14.86.13

sadaḥ sapatnīsadanaṃ sāgnīdhramapi cottaram |
kārayāmāsa vidhivanmaṇihemavibhūṣitam || 13 ||

14.86.14

stambhānkanakacitrāṃśca toraṇāni bṛhanti ca |
yajñāyatanadeśeṣu dattvā śuddhaṃ ca kāñcanam || 14 ||

14.86.15

antaḥpurāṇi rājñāṃ ca nānādeśanivāsinām |
kārayāmāsa dharmātmā tatra tatra yathāvidhi || 15 ||

14.86.16

brāhmaṇānāṃ ca veśmāni nānādeśasameyuṣām |
kārayāmāsa bhīmaḥ sa vividhāni hyanekaśaḥ || 16 ||

14.86.17

tathā saṃpreṣayāmāsa dūtānnṛpatiśāsanāt |
bhīmaseno mahārāja rājñāmakliṣṭakarmaṇām || 17 ||

14.86.18

te priyārthaṃ kurupaterāyayurnṛpasattamāḥ |
ratnānyanekānyādāya striyo'śvānāyudhāni ca || 18 ||

And they brought many gems with them and many female slaves and horses and weapons. The sounds that arose from those high-souled kings who resided within those pavilions touched the very heavens and resembled the noise made by the roaring ocean. King Yudhishthira, the delighter of the Kurus, assigned unto the monarchs who thus came to his sacrifice diverse kinds of food and drink, and beds also of celestial beauty. The chief of the Bharatas, viz., king Yudhishthira the just, assigned several stables well filled with different kinds of corn and sugarcane and milk to the animals (that came with the guests). To that great sacrifice of king Yudhishthira the just who was possessed of high intelligence, there also came a large number of Munis all of whom were utterers of Brahman. Indeed, O lord of Earth, all the foremost ones among the regenerate class that were then alive, came to that sacrifice, accompanied by their disciples. The Kuru king received them all. King Yudhishthira of mighty energy, casting off all pride, himself followed all his guests to the pavilions that had been assigned for their residence. Then all the mechanics and engineers, having completed the arrangements of the sacrifice informed king Yudhishthira of it. Hearing that everything was ready, king Yudhishthira the just, full of alertness and attention, became highly glad along with his brothers all of whom honoured him duly.'

14.86.19

teṣāṃ niviśatāṃ teṣu śibireṣu sahasraśaḥ |
nardataḥ sāgarasyeva śabdo divamivāspṛśat || 19 ||

14.86.20

teṣāmabhyāgatānāṃ sa rājā rājīvalocanaḥ |
vyādideśānnapānāni śayyāścāpyatimānuṣāḥ || 20 ||

14.86.21

vāhanānāṃ ca vividhāḥ śālāḥ śālīkṣugorasaiḥ |
upetāḥ puruṣavyāghra vyādideśa sa dharmarāṭ || 21 ||

14.86.22

tathā tasminmahāyajñe dharmarājasya dhīmataḥ |
samājagmurmunigaṇā bahavo brahmavādinaḥ || 22 ||

14.86.23

ye ca dvijātipravarāstatrāsanpṛthivīpate |
samājagmuḥ saśiṣyāṃstānpratijagrāha kauravaḥ || 23 ||

14.86.24

sarvāṃśca tānanuyayau yāvadāvasathāditi |
svayameva mahātejā dambhaṃ tyaktvā yudhiṣṭhiraḥ || 24 ||

14.86.25

tataḥ kṛtvā sthapatayaḥ śilpino'nye ca ye tadā |
kṛtsnaṃ yajñavidhiṃ rājandharmarājñe nyavedayan || 25 ||

14.86.26

tacchrutvā dharmarājaḥ sa kṛtaṃ sarvamaninditam |
hṛṣṭarūpo'bhavadrājā saha bhrātṛbhiracyutaḥ || 26 ||