Mahabharata 14.90: navatitamo'dhyāyaḥ

14.90.1

vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca |
sa praviśya yathānyāyaṃ pāṇḍavānāṃ niveśanam |
pitāmahīmabhyavadatsāmnā paramavalgunā || 1 ||

"Vaisampayana said, 'Entering the palace of the Pandavas the mighty-armed prince saluted his grand-mother in soothing and sweet accents. Then queen Chitrangada, and (Ulupi) the daughter of (the snake) Kauravya, together approached Partha and Krishna with humility. They then met Subhadra and the other ladies of the Kuru race with due formalities. Kunti gave them many gems and costly things. Draupadi and Subhadra and the other ladies of Kuru's race all made presents to them. The two ladies took up their residence there, using costly beds and seats, treated with affection and respect by Kunti herself from desire of doing what was agreeable to Partha. King Vabhruvahana of great energy, duly honoured (by Kunti), then met Dhritarashtra according to due rites. Repairing then to king Yudhishthira and Bhima and the other Pandavas, the mighty prince of Manipura saluted them all with humility. They all embraced him with great affection and honoured him duly. And those mighty car-warriors highly gratified with him, made large gifts of wealth unto him. The king of Manipura then humbly approached Krishna, that hero armed with the discus and the mace, like a second Pradyumna approaching his sire. Krishna gave unto the king a very costly and excellent car adorned with gold and unto which were yoked excellent steeds. Then king Yudhishthira the just, and Bhima, and Phalguna, and the twins, each separately honoured him and made costly presents unto him.

14.90.2

tathā citrāṅgadā devī kauravyasyātmajāpi ca |
pṛthāṃ kṛṣṇāṃ ca sahite vinayenābhijagmatuḥ |
subhadrāṃ ca yathānyāyaṃ yāścānyāḥ kuruyoṣitaḥ || 2 ||

14.90.3

dadau kuntī tatastābhyāṃ ratnāni vividhāni ca |
draupadī ca subhadrā ca yāścāpyanyā daduḥ striyaḥ || 3 ||

14.90.4

ūṣatustatra te devyau mahārhaśayanāsane |
supūjite svayaṃ kuntyā pārthasya priyakāmyayā || 4 ||

14.90.5

sa ca rājā mahāvīryaḥ pūjito babhruvāhanaḥ |
dhṛtarāṣṭraṃ mahīpālamupatasthe yathāvidhi || 5 ||

14.90.6

yudhiṣṭhiraṃ ca rājānaṃ bhīmādīṃścāpi pāṇḍavān |
upagamya mahātejā vinayenābhyavādayat || 6 ||

14.90.7

sa taiḥ premṇā pariṣvaktaḥ pūjitaśca yathāvidhi |
dhanaṃ cāsmai dadurbhūri prīyamāṇā mahārathāḥ || 7 ||

14.90.8

tathaiva sa mahīpālaḥ kṛṣṇaṃ cakragadādharam |
pradyumna iva govindaṃ vinayenopatasthivān || 8 ||

14.90.9

tasmai kṛṣṇo dadau rājñe mahārhamabhipūjitam |
rathaṃ hemapariṣkāraṃ divyāśvayujamuttamam || 9 ||

14.90.10

dharmarājaśca bhīmaśca yamajau phalgunastathā |
pṛthakpṛthagatīvainaṃ mānārhaṃ samapūjayan || 10 ||

14.90.11

tatastṛtīye divase satyavatyāḥ suto muniḥ |
yudhiṣṭhiraṃ samabhyetya vāgmī vacanamabravīt || 11 ||

On the third day, the sage Vyasa, the son of Satyavati, that foremost of eloquent men, approaching Yudhishthira said,--'From this day, O son of Kunti, do thou begin thy sacrifice. The time for it has come. The moment for commencing the rite is at hand. The priests are urging thee. Let the sacrifice be performed in such a way that no limb may become defective. In consequence of the very large quantity of gold that is required for this sacrifice, it has come to be called the sacrifice of profuse gold. Do thou also, O great king, make the Dakshina of this sacrifice three times of what is enjoined. Let the merit of thy sacrifice increase threefold. The Brahmanas are competent for the purpose. Attaining to the merits then of three Horse-sacrifices, each with profuse presents, thou shalt be freed, O king, from the sin of having slain thy kinsmen. The bath that one performs upon completion of the Horse-sacrifice, O monarch, is highly cleansing and productive of the highest merit. That merit will be thine, O king of Kuru's race. Thus addressed by Vyasa of immeasurable intelligence, the righteous-souled Yudhishthira of great energy underwent the Diksha for performance of the Horse-sacrifice. The mighty-armed monarch then performed the great Horse-sacrifice characterised by gifts of food and presents in profusion and capable of fructifying every wish and producing every merit. The priests, well conversant with the Vedas, did every rite duly, moving about in all directions.

14.90.12

adya prabhṛti kaunteya yajasva samayo hi te |
muhūrto yajñiyaḥ prāptaścodayanti ca yājakāḥ || 12 ||

14.90.13

ahīno nāma rājendra kratuste'yaṃ vikalpavān |
bahutvātkāñcanasyāsya khyāto bahusuvarṇakaḥ || 13 ||

14.90.14

evameva mahārāja dakṣiṇāṃ triguṇāṃ kuru |
tritvaṃ vrajatu te rājanbrāhmaṇā hyatra kāraṇam || 14 ||

14.90.15

trīnaśvamedhānatra tvaṃ saṃprāpya bahudakṣiṇān |
jñātivadhyākṛtaṃ pāpaṃ prahāsyasi narādhipa || 15 ||

14.90.16

pavitraṃ paramaṃ hyetatpāvanānāṃ ca pāvanam |
yadaśvamedhāvabhṛthaṃ prāpsyase kurunandana || 16 ||

14.90.17

ityuktaḥ sa tu tejasvī vyāsenāmitatejasā |
dīkṣāṃ viveśa dharmātmā vājimedhāptaye tadā |
narādhipaḥ prāyajata vājimedhaṃ mahākratum || 17 ||

14.90.18

tatra vedavido rājaṃścakruḥ karmāṇi yājakāḥ |
parikramantaḥ śāstrajñā vidhivatsādhuśikṣitāḥ || 18 ||

14.90.19

na teṣāṃ skhalitaṃ tatra nāsīdapahutaṃ tathā |
kramayuktaṃ ca yuktaṃ ca cakrustatra dvijarṣabhāḥ || 19 ||

They were all well-trained, and possessed of omniscience. In nothing was there a swerving from the ordinances and nothing was down improperly. Those foremost of regenerate persons followed the procedure as laid down (in the scriptures) and as it should be followed in those points about which no directions are given. Those best of regenerate ones, having first performed the rite called Pravargya, otherwise called Dharma, then duly went through the rite of Abhishava, O king. Those foremost of Soma-drinkers, O monarch, extracting the juice of the Soma, then performed the Savana rite following the injunctions of the scriptures. Among those that came to that sacrifice none could be seen who was cheerless, none who was poor, none who was hungry, none who was plunged into grief, and none that seemed to be vulgar. Bhimasena of mighty energy at the command of the king, caused food to be ceaselessly distributed among those that desired to eat. Following the injunctions of the scriptures, priests, well-versed in sacrificial rites of every kind, performed every day all the acts necessary to complete the great sacrifice. Amongst the Sadasayas of king Yudhishthira of great intelligence there was none who was not well conversant with the six branches of (Vedic). learning. There was none among them that was not an observer of vows, none that was not an Upadhyaya; none that was not well versed in dialectical disputations.

14.90.20

kṛtvā pravargyaṃ dharmajñā yathāvaddvijasattamāḥ |
cakruste vidhivadrājaṃstathaivābhiṣavaṃ dvijāḥ || 20 ||

14.90.21

abhiṣūya tato rājansomaṃ somapasattamāḥ |
savanānyānupūrvyeṇa cakruḥ śāstrānusāriṇaḥ || 21 ||

14.90.22

na tatra kṛpaṇaḥ kaścinna daridro babhūva ha |
kṣudhito duḥkhito vāpi prākṛto vāpi mānavaḥ || 22 ||

14.90.23

bhojanaṃ bhojanārthibhyo dāpayāmāsa nityadā |
bhīmaseno mahātejāḥ satataṃ rājaśāsanāt || 23 ||

14.90.24

saṃstare kuśalāścāpi sarvakarmāṇi yājakāḥ |
divase divase cakruryathāśāstrārthacakṣuṣaḥ || 24 ||

14.90.25

nāṣaḍaṅgavidatrāsītsadasyastasya dhīmataḥ |
nāvrato nānupādhyāyo na ca vādākṣamo dvijaḥ || 25 ||

14.90.26

tato yūpocchraye prāpte ṣaḍbailvānbharatarṣabha |
khādirānbilvasamitāṃstāvataḥ sarvavarṇinaḥ || 26 ||

When the time came for erecting the sacrificial stake, O chief of Bharata's race, six stakes were set up that were made of Vilwa, six that were made of Khadira, and six that were made of Saravarnin. Two stakes were get up by the priests that were made of Devadaru in that sacrifice of the Kuru king, and one that was made of Sleshmataka. At the command of the king, Bhima caused some other stakes to be set up, for the sake of beauty only, that were made of gold. Adorned with fine cloths supplied by the royal sage, those stakes shone there like Indra and the deities with the seven celestial Rishis standing around them in Heaven. A number of golden bricks were made for constructing therewith a Chayana. The Chayana made resembled in beauty that which had been made for Daksha, the lord of creatures (on the occasion of his great sacrifice). The Chayana measured eight and ten cubits and four stories or lairs. A golden bird, of the shape of Garuda, was then made, having three angles. Following the injunctions of the scriptures, the priests possessed of great learning then duly tied to the stakes both animals and birds, assigning each to its particular deity. Bulls, possessed of such qualifications as are mentioned in the scriptures, and aquatic animals were properly tied to the stakes after the rites relating to the sacrificial fire had been performed.

14.90.27

devadārumayau dvau tu yūpau kurupateḥ kratau |
śleṣmātakamayaṃ caikaṃ yājakāḥ samakārayan || 27 ||

14.90.28

śobhārthaṃ cāparānyūpānkāñcanānpuruṣarṣabha |
sa bhīmaḥ kārayāmāsa dharmarājasya śāsanāt || 28 ||

14.90.29

te vyarājanta rājarṣe vāsobhirupaśobhitāḥ |
narendrābhigatā devānyathā saptarṣayo divi || 29 ||

14.90.30

iṣṭakāḥ kāñcanīścātra cayanārthaṃ kṛtābhavan |
śuśubhe cayanaṃ tatra dakṣasyeva prajāpateḥ || 30 ||

14.90.31

catuścityaḥ sa tasyāsīdaṣṭādaśakarātmakaḥ |
sa rukmapakṣo nicitastriguṇo garuḍākṛtiḥ || 31 ||

14.90.32

tato niyuktāḥ paśavo yathāśāstraṃ manīṣibhiḥ |
taṃ taṃ devaṃ samuddiśya pakṣiṇaḥ paśavaśca ye || 32 ||

14.90.33

ṛṣabhāḥ śāstrapaṭhitāstathā jalacarāśca ye |
sarvāṃstānabhyayuñjaṃste tatrāgnicayakarmaṇi || 33 ||

14.90.34

yūpeṣu niyataṃ cāsītpaśūnāṃ triśataṃ tathā |
aśvaratnottaraṃ rājñaḥ kaunteyasya mahātmanaḥ || 34 ||

In that sacrifice of the high-souled son of Kunti, three hundred animals were tied to the stakes setup, including that foremost of steeds. That sacrifice looked exceedingly beautiful as if adorned with the celestial Rishis, with the Gandharvas singing in chorus and the diverse tribes of Apsaras dancing in merriment. It teemed, besides, with Kimpurushas and was adorned with Kinnaras. All around it were abodes of Brahmanas crowned with ascetic success. There were daily seen the disciples of Vyasa, those foremost of regenerate ones, who are compilers of all branches of learning, and well conversant with sacrificial rites. There was Narada, and there was Tumvuru of great splendour. There were Viswavasu and Chitrasena and others, all of whom were proficient in music. At intervals of the sacrificial rites, those Gandharvas, skilled in music and well versed in dancing, used to gladden the Brahmanas who were engaged in the sacrifice.'"

14.90.35

sa yajñaḥ śuśubhe tasya sākṣāddevarṣisaṃkulaḥ |
gandharvagaṇasaṃkīrṇaḥ śobhito'psarasāṃ gaṇaiḥ || 35 ||

14.90.36

sa kiṃpuruṣagītaiśca kiṃnarairupaśobhitaḥ |
siddhavipranivāsaiśca samantādabhisaṃvṛtaḥ || 36 ||

14.90.37

tasminsadasi nityāstu vyāsaśiṣyā dvijottamāḥ |
sarvaśāstrapraṇetāraḥ kuśalā yajñakarmasu || 37 ||

14.90.38

nāradaśca babhūvātra tumburuśca mahādyutiḥ |
viśvāvasuścitrasenastathānye gītakovidāḥ || 38 ||

14.90.39

gandharvā gītakuśalā nṛtteṣu ca viśāradāḥ |
ramayanti sma tānviprānyajñakarmāntareṣvatha || 39 ||