Mahabharata, Book 7, Section LXVद्रोणपर्व

Kisari Mohan Ganguli’s English prose (1883–96), beside the Sanskrit of adhyāya 7.65.

65Sanskrit adhyāya 7.65 · Sanskrit source · English source

Sanskrit

नारद उवाच।
शशिबिन्दुं च राजानं मृतं सृञ्जय शुश्रुम।
य ईजे विविधैर्यज्ञैः श्रीमान्सत्यपराक्रमः।।
तस्य भार्यासहस्राणां शतमासीन्महात्मनः।
एकैकस्यां च भार्यायां सहस्रं तनयाभवन्।।
ते कुमाराः पराक्रान्ताः सर्वे नियुतयाजिनः।
राजानः क्रतुभिर्मुख्यैरीजाना वेदपारगाः।।
हिरण्यकवचाः सर्वे सर्वे चोत्तमधन्विनः।
सर्वेऽश्वमेधैरीजानाः कुमाराः शाशिबिन्दवाः।।
तानश्वमेधे राजेन्द्रो ब्राह्मणेभ्योददत्पिता।
शतंशतं रथगजा एकैकं पृष्ठतोऽन्वयुः।।
राजपुत्रं तदा कन्यास्तपनीयस्वलङ्कृताः।
कन्याङ्कन्यां शतं नागा नागेनागे शतं रथाः।।
रथेरथे शतं चाश्वा बलिनो हेममालिनः।
अश्वेअश्वे गोसहस्रं गवां पञ्चाशदाविकाः।।
एतद्धनमपर्याप्तमश्वमेधे महामस्वे।
शशिबिन्दुर्महाभागो ब्राह्मणेभ्यो ह्यमन्यत।।
वार्क्षाश्च यूपा यावन्त अश्वमेधे महामखे।
ते तथैव पुनश्चान्ये तावन्तः काञ्चनाभवन्।।
भक्ष्यान्नपाननिचयाः पर्वताः क्रोशमुच्छ्रिताः।
तस्याश्वमेधे निर्वृत्ते राज्ञः शिष्टास्त्रयोदश।।
तुष्टपुष्टजनाकीर्णां शान्तविघ्नामनामयाम्।
शशिबिन्दुरिमां भूमिं चिरं भुक्त्वा दिवं गतः।।
स चेन्ममार सृञ्जय चतुर्भद्रतरस्त्वया।
पुत्रात्पुण्यतरस्तुभ्यं मा पुत्रमनुतप्यथाः।
अयज्वानमदक्षिण्यमभि श्वैत्येत्युदाहरत्।।
।। इति श्रीमन्महाभारते द्रोणपर्वणि अभिमन्युवधपर्वणि
षोडशराजकीये पञ्चषष्टितमोऽध्यायः।। 65 ।।

English Ganguli

“‘"Narada said, ‘King Sasavindu, O Srinjaya, we hear, fell a prey to death. Of great beauty and of prowess incapable of being baffled, he performed diverse sacrifices. That high-souled monarch had one hundred thousand wives. From each of those wives were born a thousand sons. All those princes were endued with great prowess. They performed millions of sacrifices. Accomplished in the Vedas, those kings performed many foremost of sacrifices. All of them were cased (on occasions of battle) in golden coats of mail. And all of them were excellent bowmen. All these princes born of Sasavindu performed Horse-sacrifices. Their father, O best of monarchs, in the Horse-sacrifices he had performed, gave away, (as sacrificial presents), all those sons unto the Brahmanas. Behind each of those princes were hundreds upon hundreds of cars and elephants and fair maidens decked in ornaments of gold. With each maiden were a hundred elephants; with each elephant, a hundred cars; with each car a hundred steeds, adorned with garlands of gold. With each of those steeds were a thousand kine; and with each cow were fifty goats. The highly blessed Sasavindu gave away unto the Brahmanas, in the great Horse-sacrifice of his such unlimited wealth. The king caused as many sacrificial stakes of gold to be made for that great Horse-sacrifice of his as is the number, double of sacrificial stakes of wood in other sacrifices of the kind. There were mountains of food and drink of the height of about two miles each. Upon the completion of his Horse-sacrifice, thirteen such mountains of food and drink remained (untouched). His kingdom abounded in people that were contented and well-fed. And it was free from all inroads of evil and the people were perfectly happy. Having ruled for many long years, Sasavindu, at last, ascended to heaven. When he died, O Srinjaya, who was superior to thee in respect of the four cardinal virtues and who superior to thee was, therefore, much more superior to thy son, thou shouldst not, saying, “Oh, Swaitya, Oh Swaitya”, grieve for the latter who performed no sacrifice and made no sacrificial present.’”’"