ASHRAMAVASIKA PARVA: Chapter 14

Distribution of gifts

वैशम्पायन उवाच विदुरेणैवमुक्तस्तु धृतराष्ट्रो जनाधिपः। प्रीतिमानभवद् राजन् राज्ञो जिष्णोश्च कर्मणि॥
Thus accosted by Vidura, king, Dhritarashtra became highly please, O monarch, with the act of Yudhishthira and Jishnu.

ततोऽभिरूपान् भीष्माय ब्राह्मणानृषिसत्तमान्। पुत्रार्थे सुहृदश्चैव स समीक्ष्य सहस्रशः॥ कारयित्वान्नपानानि यानान्याच्छादनानि च। सुवर्णमणिरत्नानि दासीदासमजाविकम्॥ कम्बलानि च रत्नानि ग्रामान् क्षेत्रं तथा धनम्। सालङ्कारान् गजानश्वान् कन्याश्चैव वरस्त्रियः॥ उद्दिश्योद्दिश्य सर्वेभ्यो ददौ स नृपसत्तमः। द्रोणं संकीर्त्य भीष्मं च सोमदत्तं च बाह्निकम्॥ दुर्योधनं च राजानं पुत्रांश्चैव पृथक् पृथक्। जयद्रथपुरोगांश्च सुहृदश्चापि सर्वशः॥
Inviting then, after proper examination, superior Rishis, for the sake of Bhishma, as also of his sons and friends, and causing a large quantity of food and drink to be prepared, and cars and other vehicles and clothes, and gold and jewels and gems, and slaves both male and female, and goals and sheep, and blankets and rich articles to be collected, and villages and fields, and other kinds of wealth to be kept ready, as also elephants and horses decked with ornaments, and many beautiful maidens who were the best of their sex, that foremost of kings gave them away for the behoof of the dead, naming each of them in due order as the gifts were made. Naming Drona, Bhishma, Somadatta, Valhika, and king Duryodhana, and each one of his other sons, and all his well wishers with Jayadratha as the first, those gifts were made in due order.

स श्राद्धयज्ञो ववृते बहुशो धनदक्षिणः। अनेकधनरत्नौघो युधिष्ठिरमते तदा॥
With the approval of Yudhishthira, that, Shraddha-sacrifice became marked by large gifts of wealth and profuse presents of jewels and gems and other kinds of riches.

अनिशं यत्र पुरुषा गणका लेखकास्तदा। युधिष्ठिरस्य वचनादपृच्छन्त स्म तं नृपम्॥ आज्ञापय किमेतेभ्यः प्रदायं दीयतामिति। तदुपस्थितमेवात्र वचनान्ते ददुस्तदा॥
Teller sand scribes on that occasion, under the orders of Yudhishthira, ceaselessiy asked the old king, Do you command, O king, what gifts should be made to these, All things are ready here-As soon as the king spoke, they gave away what he directed.

शतदेये दशशतं सहस्र चायुतं तथा। दीयते वचनाद् राज्ञः कुन्तीपुत्रस्य धीमतः॥
A thousand was given to him that was to receive a hundred and ten thousand was given to him that was to receive a thousand, at the command of the royal son of Kunti.

एवं स वसुधाराभिर्वर्षमाणो नृपाम्बुदः। तर्पयामास विप्रांस्तान् वर्षन् सस्यमिवाम्बुद॥
Like the clouds refreshing the crops with their downpours, that royal cloud pleased the Brahinanas by downpours of riches.

ततोऽनन्तरमेवात्र सर्ववर्णान् महामते। अन्नपानरसौघेण प्लावयामास पार्थिवः॥
After all those gifts had been distributed, the king, O you of great intelligence, then deluged the assembled guests of all the four castes with repeated surges of food and drink of various tastes.

स वस्त्रधनरत्नौधे मृदङ्गनिनदो महान्। गवाश्चमकरावर्तो नानारत्नमहाकरः॥ ग्रामाग्रहारद्वीपाढ्यो मणिहेमजलार्णवः। जगत् सम्प्लावयामास धृतराष्ट्रोडुपोद्धतः॥
Indeed, the Dhritarashtra-ocean, swelling high, with jewels and gems for its waters, rich with the villages and fields and other foremost of gifts making its verdant islands, heaps of various kinds of precious articles for its rich caves, elephants and horses for its alligators and whirlpools, the sound of Mridangas for its deep roars, and clothes and wealth and precious stones for its waves, deluged the Earth.

एवं स पुत्रपौत्राणां पितृणामात्मनस्तथा। गान्धार्याश्च महाराज प्रददावौर्ध्व देहिकम्॥
It was thus, O king, that that monarch made gifts for the behoof, in the other world, of his sons and grandsons and departed manes as also of himself and Gandhari.

परिश्रान्तो यदासीत् स ददद् दानान्यनेकशः। निवर्तयामास तदा दानयज्ञं नराधिपः॥
At last when he became tired with the work of making such profuse gifts, that great GiftSacrifice ended.

एवं स राजा कौरव्य चक्रे दानमहाक्रतुम्। नटनर्तकलास्याढ्यां बह्वन्नरसदक्षिणम्॥
Thus did that king of Kuru's race celebrate his Gift-Sacrifice. Actors and mimes continually danced and sang on the occasion and contributed to the pleasure of all the guests. Food and drink of various tastes were given away in profusion.

दशाहमेवं दानानि दत्त्वा राजाम्बिकासुतः। बभूव पुत्रपौत्राणामनृणो भरतर्षभ॥
Making gifts in this way for ten days, the royal son of Ambika, O chief of Bharatas' race, became liberated from the debts he owed to his sons and grandson. became liberated from the debts he owed to his sons and grandson.