Chapter XIV: Section XIV

And after the expiry of full one year, when the sacrifcial horse had returned, the sacrifice of the king commenced on the north bank of the Sarayu. And with Rhishyasringa at their head, the principal twice born ones began the proceedings in that mighty horse-sacrifice of that high-souled monarch. And the priests, each duly and according to the ordinance performing his proper part, engaged in the ceremony in consonance with the scriptures. And the regenerate ones, having performed the _pravargya_ as well as the _upasada_ according to the ordinance, duly completed the additional ceremonies. Then, worshipping the deities with glad hearts, those foremost of ascetics duly performed the morning ablutions and the other prescribed rites. The oblations of clarified butter first having been offered unto Indra, according to the ritual, the king with a purified heart performed his ablutions. And then the mid-day ablutions took place in proper sequence. And those foremost of Brahmanas, in due form, and according to the ordinance, officiated at the third bath of that high-souled monarch. And the priests presided over by Rhishyasringa, invoked Sakra and the other deities, reciting measured _mantras_. And the sacrificial priests, chaunting sweet _Samas_ and soft mantras, duly invoking the dwellers of the celestial regions, offered each his share of the oblations. And no part of the ceremony was performed improperly, or left out,-- and every thing was satisfactorily celebrated with _mantras_. And on that day no Brahmana ever felt tired, or hungry; and there was none that was not learned, or that was not followed by an hundred persons. And Brahmanas, and Sudras having among them ascetics, and Sramanas, and the aged, and the infirm, and women, and children, were continually fed. And although they ate their fill, yet they knew no repletion. And "Give food, and clothes of various kind"--(was heard all around). And those employed in the task gave away profusely. And every day food dressed properly in due form was to be seen in countless heaps resembling hills. And men and women coming from various countries to the sacrifice of that high-souled one were excellently entertained with meats and drinks. And the foremost regenerate ones said,--"The viands have been prepared in the prescribed form, and they taste excellent. We have been gratified. Good betide thee!" All this was heard by that descendant of Raghu. And persons adorned with ornaments distributed the victuals among the Brahmanas, and they were assisted by others beaming jewelled pendants. And in the interval between the completion of one bath and the beginning of the next, mild and eloquent Vipras, desirous of victory, engaged in various disputations. And every day in that sacrifice, skilful Brahmanas, engaged in the ceremony, did every thing, according to the ritual. And there was no twice-born one that was not versed in the Vedas and the Vedangas, or that did not observe vows, or that was not profoundly learned,--nor did any assist at the sacrifice that could not argue ably. And when the time came for planting the _Yupas_, persons cognizant of arts and sacrificial rites, prepared six _Yupas_ of _Vilwa_, as many of catechu, and as many of _Palasa_, and one of _Sleshmataka_, and two of _Devadaru_ well-made and measuring two outstretched arms. Persons versed in the arts and science of sacrifice constructed these _Yupas_. And at the time of throwing up the _Yupas_, for embellishing the sacrifice, these one and twenty _Yupas_, each measuring one and twenty _Aratnis_, having eight angles, and smooth-faced were decked out in one and twenty pieces of cloth, and were firmly planted with due ceremonies by artizans. And being wrapped up in cloths, and worshipped with flowers, they looked like the seven Rishis appearing in the welkin. And an adequate number of bricks was also duly made (for the ceremony.) And Brahmanas accomplished in the arts constructed the sacrificial fire-place with those bricks. And that fire-place of that lion among kings, set by skilful Brahmanas, consisting on three sides of eighteen bricks, looked like the golden-winged Garura. And for the purpose of sacrificing them unto the respective deities were collected beasts and reptiles, and birds, and horses, and aquatic animals. And the priests sacrificed all these in proper form. And to these _Yupas_ were bound three hundred beasts, as well as the foremost of the best horses belonging to king Dacaratha. Then Kaucalya, having performed the preliminary rites, with three strokes slew that horse, experiencing great glee. And with the view of reaping merit Kaucalya, with an undisturbed heart passed one night with that horse furnished with wings. And the _Hotas_ and _Adhwaryus_, and the _Uagatas_ joined the king's _Vavata_ along with his _Mahishi_ and _Parivriti_[15] And priests of subdued senses, well-up in sacrificial rites, began to offer oblations with the fat of the winged-horse, according to the ordinance. And that lord of men, desirous of removing his sins, at the proper time smelt the odour of the smoke arising from the fat, agreeably to the scriptures. And then sixteen sacrificial priests in the prescribed form offered the various parts of the horse unto the fire. It is customary in other sacrifices to offer the oblations by means of a _Plaksha_ bough; but in the horse-sacrifice a cane is used instead. The horse-sacrifice, according to the Kalpa Sutras and the Brahmanas, extend over three days. There after, on the first day was the _Chatushtoma_ celebrated; and on the second the _Uktha_,-- and on the third the _Atiratra_. And then the _Jyotishtoma_, and then _Ayushtoma_, and the _Atiratra_ and the _Abhijit_, and the _Viswajit_, and the _Aptoryama_--all these various great sacrifices were celebrated with due rites. And in this mighty horse-sacrifice founded of yore by Sayambhu, that perpetuator of his line, the king, bestowed the Eastern quarter on his chief sacrificial priest, the Western on his _Adhwaryu_, the Southern on Brahma, and the Northern on the _Udgath_, as _Dakshinas_. And having completed that sacrifice, that perpetuator of his race, and foremost of men, the king, conferred on the priests the earth; and having conferred it, that auspicious descendant of Iskhaku experienced high delight. And then the priests spoke unto that monarch, who had all his sins purged off, saying,--"Thou alone art worthy to protect the entire world. We do not want the earth; nor can we rule it, being, O lord of Earth, constantly engaged in Vaidika studies. Do thou, therefore, confer upon us something instead, as the price thereof. Do thou confer upon us gems, or gold, or kine, or anything else, for, O foremost of monarchs, we do not want Earth." Thus addressed by the Brahmanas versed in the Veda, that best of kings bestowed upon them ten lacs of kine, and ten _Kotis_ of gold, and forty of silver. Then those priests in a body, accepting the wealth, brought it unto the ascetic Rhishyasringa and the intelligent Vasishtha. Then having receieived each his share, those foremost of regenerate ones were exceedingly pleased, and said,--"We have been highly gratified." Then unto those Brahmanas that had come there, the king with due regard gave _Kotis_ of gold. And unto a certain poor twice-born one that asked for gifts, the descendant of Raghu gave an excellent ornament from his own arm. And, when the regenerate ones were thus properly gratified, that one cherishing the Brahmanas, with senses intoxicated by excess of joy, reverentially bowed unto them. And thereupon the Brahmanas uttered various blessings upon that generous king, bending low to the earth. Then having celebrated that excellent and sin-destroying sacrifice, bringing heaven, and incapable of being celebrated by foremost monarchs, king Dacaratha, well pleased, spoke unto Rhisyasinga, saying,--"0 thou of excellent vows, it behoveth thee to do that whereby my line may increase." Thereupon the best of Brahmanas said,--"Be it so! Unto thee, O king, will be born four sons,--perpetuators of their race." Hearing these sweet words of his, that foremost of monarchs bended low unto him with controlled faculties, and experienced the excess of joy. And then that high-souled one again spoke unto Rhishyasringa.

[15] The Kshetriya kings could marry wives from among Kshetriyas,
Vaishyas and Sudras. The Kshetriya wife is called _Mahishee_, the
Vaishya wife _Vavata_ and the Sudra wife _Parivriti_.--T.