14.091
Completion of the sacrifice;
The episode of the mongoose.
Vaiśampāyana said.
The foremost Brahmins, having pacified the other animals as prescribed, took hold of that horse according to the śāstra, the twice-born. (14-91-1)
Then, having instructed the horse as prescribed, the foremost among priests seated the king and then the high-minded daughter of Drupada, using the three prescribed gestures, O king, all according to rule. (14-91-2)
O bull among the Bharatas, the foremost of twice-born, unagitated, having taken out his fat, caused it to be cooked according to scripture, exactly as prescribed. (14-91-3)
Then Dharmarāja, together with his younger brothers, properly approached and smelled that which had the smell of sacrificial flesh smoke, a remover of all sin. (14-91-4)
O king, the sixteen wise priests gathered all the remaining parts of that horse and offered them entirely into the fire. (14-91-5)
Having in this way established that sacrifice of that king, resplendent with Indra's energy, Vyāsa, together with his disciple, the venerable sage, caused that king to prosper. (14-91-6)
Then Yudhiṣṭhira bestowed gifts to the members of the assembly as prescribed; to Vyāsa, he gave land and a crore of thousands of gold ornaments. (14-91-7)
O king, having received the earth, Vyāsa, the son of Satyavatī, spoke to Yudhiṣṭhira, the chief of the Bharatas and righteous in soul. (14-91-8)
O best of kings, this earth has been deposited by you. Let the price be given to me, for the brāhmaṇas are indeed desiring wealth. (14-91-9)
But the great-minded Yudhiṣṭhira, accompanied by his wise brothers, replied to those Brāhmaṇas in the midst of the noble-souled kings. (14-91-10)
In the great horse-sacrifice, the earth itself is regarded as the offering. Conquered by Arjuna, this earth has been presented to the priests by me. (14-91-11)
I shall enter the forest; O chiefs of Brāhmaṇas, divide this earth into four parts, making the earth according to the measure of the four priests. (14-91-12)
O best of sages, I do not wish to accept the property of a brāhmaṇa. This indeed is always my decision, and that of my brothers as well, O sinless ones. (14-91-13)
When he had spoken thus, the brothers and Draupadī likewise said, "So it is"; and that became hair-raising. (14-91-14)
Then, O Bhārata, a voice in the sky exclaimed, 'well done! well done!' Likewise, the sound of those groups of twice-born praising resounded. (14-91-15)
Vyāsa, after having been addressed in this manner, once again, honoring Yudhiṣṭhira in the midst of the Brāhmaṇas, the sage spoke as follows. (14-91-16)
This whom you gave to me, I return her to you. Let gold be given to these twice-born; as for the earth, let it be yours. (14-91-17)
Then Vāsudeva said to King Yudhiṣṭhira, "You should do exactly as the venerable Vyāsa has directed." (14-91-18)
Thus addressed, he—the best of the Kurus, with a joyful heart, together with his brothers—gave as a sacrificial offering a gift, multiplied by crores upon crores, three times greater for the sacrifice. (14-91-19)
In that world, no other king will accomplish what the lion of the Kurus did in emulating Marutta. (14-91-20)
But having accepted that wealth, Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana, the master, gave it to the priests; the learned one divided it into four parts, and they (the priests) received it. (14-91-21)
Yudhiṣṭhira, after giving gold as the price for the earth, his sins cleansed and having attained heaven, rejoiced along with his brothers. (14-91-22)
The sacrificial priests distributed that entire heap of gold to the twice-born according to each one's enthusiasm and capacity. (14-91-23)
But in the sacrificial enclosure, whatever gold, ornaments, gateways, sacrificial posts, pots, vessels, and bricks were there—all that, with Yudhiṣṭhira's permission, the twice-born (Brahmins) divided among themselves. (14-91-24)
Thereafter, the Kṣatriyas seized the wealth from the Brāhmaṇas; afterwards, the Vaiśyas and Śūdras and other foreign races likewise took that gold, again and again, over long periods of time. (14-91-25)
Thereafter, all the brāhmaṇas, filled with joy and satisfied by the wealth given by the great-souled king of dharma, went to their homes. (14-91-26)
The venerable Vyāsa, of great radiance, gave his own share of that great gold to Kuntī because she had saluted his feet. (14-91-27)
Then Pṛthā, having obtained from her father-in-law the giver of delight, with a joyful heart, performed a very great virtuous act in the world. (14-91-28)
But having gone to the Avabṛtha bath, the sinless king, together with his brothers, being honored, shone like Mahendra among the gods. (14-91-29)
O great king, the Pāṇḍavas, surrounded by the assembled kings, then shone like planets among groups of stars. (14-91-30)
He then also gave to the kings various kinds of gems, elephants, horses, ornaments, women, garments, and gold. (14-91-31)
Distributing that limitless multitude of wealth in the assembly of kings, Pārtha shone like the king Vaiśravaṇa. (14-91-32)
Then, having brought the heroic king Babhruvahana and given him abundant wealth, he sent him homewards. (14-91-33)
O best of kings, that boy, the grandson of Duḥśalā, was affectionately installed in his ancestral kingdom, which was protected by his forefathers. (14-91-34)
The self-controlled Kuru king Yudhishthira sent off all those kings, having honored and assigned them well. (14-91-35)
Thus, the sacrifice of the wise Dharmarāja was abounding in food, wealth, and jewels, and was like an ocean of surā and maireya. (14-91-36)
O best of Bharatas, lakes whose mud was clarified butter, where there were many mountains of food, and canals filled with muddy water of mangoes appeared. (14-91-37)
They said, "Let food, eggs, and boars be prepared and eaten; let the animals also be killed." No end to this was ever seen there. (14-91-38)
At that time, it became delightful with intoxicated and joyous singing young women, and with the pleasant sounds of the mṛdaṅga drum and conch. (14-91-39)
Men from various regions used to say, "Let it be given, let it be enjoyed," as there, day and night, without hindrance, appeared a scene like a grand festival, crowded with people who were exceedingly delighted. (14-91-40)
Having dispensed streams of wealth, fulfilling desires with jewels and riches, the sinless and accomplished hero, best among the Bharatas, entered the city. (14-91-41)
