"Duryodhana said,--'Those kings that are revered over all the world,
who are devoted to truth and who are pledged to the observance of rigid
vows, who are possessed of great learning and eloquence, who are fully
conversant with the Vedas and their branches as also with sacrifices,
who have piety and modesty, whose souls are devoted to virtue, who
possess fame, and who have enjoyed the grand rites of coronation, all
wait upon and worship Yudhishthira. And, O king, I beheld there many
thousands of wild kine with as many vessels of white copper for milking
them, brought thither by the kings of the earth as sacrificial presents
to be given away by Yudhishthira unto the Brahmana. And, O Bharata, for
bathing Yudhishthira at the conclusion of the sacrifice, many kings
with the greatest alacrity, themselves brought there in a state of
purity many excellent jars (containing water). And king Vahlika brought
there a car decked with pure gold. And king Sudakshina himself yoked
thereto four white horses of Kamboja breed, and Sunitha of great might
fitted the lower pole and the ruler of Chedi with his own hands took up
and fitted the flag-staff. And the king of the Southern country stood
ready with the coat of mail; the ruler of Magadha, with garlands of
flowers and the head-gear; the great warrior Vasudana with a sixty
years old elephant, the king of Matsya, with the side-fittings of the
car, all encased in gold; king Ekalavya, with the shoes; the king of
Avanti, with diverse kinds of water for the final bath; king Chekitana,
with the quiver; the king of Kasi, with the bow; and Salya, with a
sword whose hilt and straps were adorned with gold. Then Dhaumya and
Vyasa, of great ascetic merit, with Narada and Asita's son Devala,
standing before performed the ceremony of sprinkling the sacred water
over the king. And the great Rishis with cheerful hearts sat where the
sprinkling ceremony was performed. And other illustrious Rishis
conversant with the Vedas, with Jamadagni's son among them, approached
Yudhishthira, the giver of large sacrificial presents, uttering mantras
all the while, like the seven Rishis, approaching the great Indra in
heaven. And Satyaki of unbaffled prowess held the umbrella (over the
king's head). And Dhananjaya and Bhima were engaged in tanning the
king; while the twins held a couple of chamaras in their hands. And the
Ocean himself brought in a sling that big conch of Varuna which the
celestial artificer Viswakarman had constructed with a thousand Nishkas
of gold, and which Prajapati had in a former Kalpa, presented unto
Indra. It was with that conch that Krishna bathed Yudhishthira after
the conclusion of the sacrifice, and beholding it, I swooned away.
People go to the Eastern or the Western seas and also to the Southern
one. But, O father, none except birds can ever go to the Northern sea.
But the Pandavas have spread their dominion even there, for I heard
hundreds of conches that had been brought thence blown (in the
sacrificial mansion) indicative of auspicious rejoicing. And while
those conches blew simultaneously, my hair stood on end. And those
among the kings, who were weak in strength fell down. And
Dhrishtadyumna and Satyaki and the sons of Pandu and Kesava,--those
eight, endued with strength and prowess and handsome in person,
beholding the kings deprived of consciousness and myself in that
plight, laughed outright. Then Vibhatsu (Arjuna) with a cheerful heart
gave, O Bharata, unto the principal Brahmanas five hundred bullocks
with horns plated with gold. And king Yudhishthira, the son of Kunti,
having completed the Rajasuya sacrifice, obtained like the exalted
Harishchandra such prosperity that neither Rantideva nor Nabhaga, nor
Jauvanaswa, nor Manu, nor king Prithu the son of Vena, nor Bhagiratha,
Yayati, nor Nahusha, had obtained its like. And beholding, O exalted
one, such prosperity, in the son of Pritha which is even like that
which Harishchandra had, I do not see the least good in continuing to
live, O Bharata! O ruler of men, a yoke that is tied (to the bullock's
shoulders) by a blind man becomes loosened. Even such is the case with
us. The younger ones are growing while the elder ones are decaying. And
beholding all this, O chief of the Kurus, I cannot enjoy peace even
with the aid of reflection. And it is for this, O king, that I am
plunged into grief and becoming pale and emaciated.'