"Narada said,--'O Yudhisthira, I shall now describe the assembly house
of Yama, the son of Vivaswat, which, O son of Pritha, was built by
Viswakarma. Listen now to me. Bright as burnished gold, that assembly
house, O monarch, covers an area of much more than a hundred yojanas.
Possessed of the splendour of the sun, it yieldeth everything that one
may desire. Neither very cool nor very hot, it delighteth the heart. In
that assembly house there is neither grief nor weakness of age, neither
hunger nor thirst. Nothing disagreeable findeth a place there, nor any
kind of evil feelings there. Every object of desire, celestial or
human, is to be found in that mansion. And all kinds of enjoyable
articles, as also of sweet, juicy, agreeable, and delicious edibles in
profusion that are licked, sucked, and drunk, are there, O chastiser of
all enemies. The floral wreaths in that mansion are of the most
delicious fragrance, and the trees that stand around it yield fruits
that are desired of them. There are both cold and hot waters and these
are sweet and agreeable. In that mansion many royal sages of great
sanctity and Brahmana sages also of great purity, cheerfully wait upon,
O child, and worship Yama, the son of Vivaswat. And Yayati, Nahusha,
Puru, Mandhatri, Somaka, Nriga; the royal sage Trasadasyu, Kritavirya,
Sautasravas; Arishtanemi, Siddha, Kritavega, Kriti, Nimi, Pratarddana,
Sivi, Matsya, Prithulaksha, Vrihadratha, Vartta, Marutta, Kusika,
Sankasya, Sankriti, Dhruva, Chaturaswa, Sadaswormi and king Kartavirya;
Bharata and Suratha, Sunitha, Nisatha, Nala, Divodasa, and Sumanas,
Amvarisha, Bhagiratha; Vyaswa, Vadhraswa, Prithuvega, Prithusravas,
Prishadaswa, Vasumanas, Kshupa, and Sumahavala, Vrishadgu, and
Vrishasena, Purukutsa, Dhwajin and Rathin; Arshtisena, Dwilipa, and the
high-souled Ushinara; Ausinari, Pundarika, Saryati, Sarava, and Suchi;
Anga, Rishta, Vena, Dushmanta, Srinjaya and Jaya; Bhangasuri, Sunitha,
and Nishada, and Bahinara; Karandhama, Valhika, Sudymna, and the mighty
Madhu; Aila and the mighty king of earth Maruta; Kapota, Trinaka, and
Shadeva, and Arjuna also. Vysawa; Saswa and Krishaswa, and king
Sasavindu; Rama the son of Dasaratha, and Lakshmana, and Pratarddana;
Alarka, and Kakshasena, Gaya, and Gauraswa; Rama the son of Jamadagnya,
Nabhaga, and Sagara; Bhuridyumna and Mahaswa, Prithaswa, and also
Janaka; king Vainya, Varisena, Purujit, and Janamejaya; Brahmadatta,
and Trigarta, and king Uparichara also; Indradyumna, Bhimajanu,
Gauraprishta, Nala, Gaya; Padma and Machukunda, Bhuridyumna,
Prasenajit; Aristanemi, Sudymna, Prithulauswa, and Ashtaka also; a
hundred kings of the Matsya race and hundred of the Vipa and a hundred
of the Haya races; a hundred kings of the name of Dhritarashtra, eighty
kings of the name of Janamejaya; a hundred monarchs called Brahmadatta,
and a hundred kings of the name of Iri; more than two hundred Bhishmas,
and also a hundred Bhimas; a hundred Prativindhyas, a hundred Nagas,
and a hundred Palasas, and a hundred called Kasa and Kusa; that king of
kings Santanu, and thy father Pandu, Usangava, Sata-ratha, Devaraja,
Jayadratha; the intelligent royal sage Vrishadarva with his ministers;
and a thousand other kings known by the name of Sasa-vindu, and who
have died, having performed many grand horse-sacrifices with large
presents to the Brahmanas--these holy royal sages of grand achievements
and great knowledge of the Sastras, wait upon, O King, and worship the
son of Vivaswat in that assembly house. And Agastya and Matanga, and
Kala, and Mrityu (Death), performers of sacrifices, the Siddhas, and
many Yogins; the Prtris (belonging to the classes--called Agniswattas,
Fenapa, Ushampa, Swadhavat, and Verhishada), as also those others that
have forms; the wheel of time, and the illustrious conveyer himself of
the sacrificial butter; all sinners among human beings, as also those
that have died during the winter solstice; these officers of Yama who
have been appointed to count the allotted days of everybody and
everything; the Singsapa, Palasa, Kasa, and Kusa trees and plants, in
their embodied forms, these all, O king, wait upon and worship the god
of justice in that assembly house of his. These and many others are
present at the Sabha of the king of the Pitris (manes). So numerous are
they that I am incapable of describing them either by mentioning their
names or deeds. O son of Pritha, the delightful assembly house, moving
everywhere at the will of its owner, is of wide extent. It was built by
Viswakarma after a long course of ascetic penances. And, O Bharata,
resplendent with his own effulgence, it stands glorified in all its
beauty. Sannyasis of severe ascetic penance, of excellent vows, and of
truthful speech, peaceful and pure and sanctified by holy deeds, of
shining bodies and attired in spotless robes, decked with bracelets and
floral garlands, with ear-rings of burnished gold, and adorned with
their own holy acts as with the marks of their order (painted over
their bodies), constantly visit that Sabha (Assembly). Many illustrious
Gandharvas, and many Apsaras fill every part of that mansion with
music; both instrumental and vocal and with sounds of laughter and
dance. And, O son of Pritha, excellent perfumes, and sweet sounds and
garlands of celestial flowers always contribute towards making that
mansion supremely blest. And hundreds of thousands of virtuous persons,
of celestial beauty and great wisdom, always wait upon and worship the
illustrious Yama, the lord of created beings in that assembly house.
Such, O monarch, is the Sabha, of the illustrious king of the Pitris! I
shall now describe unto the assembly house of Varuna also called
Pushkaramalini!'