ABHIMANYU-VADHA PARVA: Chapter 58

The story of king Sini

नारद उवाच शिबिमौशीनरं चापि मृतं सृञ्जय शुश्रुम। य इमां पृथिवीं सर्वां चर्मवत् पर्यवेष्टयत्॥
Narada said We heard, O Srinjaya, that even Sini, the son of Ushinara, had to sutfer death, who had put, as it were, a leathern band round the entire earth.

साद्रिद्वीपार्णववनां रथघोषेण नादयन्। स शिबिर्वैरिपून् नित्यं मुख्यान् निघ्नन् सपत्नजित्॥
He made the earth with her mountain and the islands and seas and forests resound with the clatter of his car-whecls. That subduer of foes, viz., Sini himself, every day used to slay the foremost of his opponents.

तेन यज्ञेर्बहुविधैरिष्टं पर्याप्तदक्षिणैः। स राजा वीर्यवान् धीमानवाप्य वसु पुष्कलम्॥
He celebrated various sacrifices attended with profuse sacrificial presents; that highly puissant and intelligent monarch acquired enormous quality of wealth.

सर्वमूर्धाभिषिक्तानां सम्मत: सोऽभवद्युधि। अयजच्चाश्वमेधैर्यो विजित्य पृथिवीमिमाम्॥
In battle he came to be recognised as the head of all the Kshatriya. Having brought the entire earth under his control, he performed many Horse-sacrifices.

निरर्गलैर्बहुफलैर्निष्ककोटिसहस्रदः। हस्त्यश्वपशुभिर्धान्यैर्मुगैर्गोऽजाविभिस्तथा॥
Productive of great merit without any the least obstruction, giving away as sacrificial presents thousands and millions of golden nikshas, numerous elephants, steeds and other kinds of animals, large quantities of grain and countless deer, cows and sheep.

विविधा पृथिवीं पुण्यां शिविर्ब्राह्मणसात्करोत्। यावत्यो वर्षतो धारा यावत्यो दिवि तारकाः॥ यावतयः सिकता गाङ्गेयो यावन्मेरोर्महोपलाः। उदन्वति च यावनित रत्नानि प्राणिनोऽपि च॥ तावतीरददद् गा वै शिविरौशीनरोऽध्वरे। नो यन्तारं धुरस्तस्य कञ्चिदन्यं प्रजापतिः॥ भूतं भव्यं भवन्तं वा नाध्यगच्छन्नरोत्तमम्। तस्यासन् विविधा यज्ञाः सर्वकामैः समन्विताः॥
And Sini also offered as a gift to the Brahmanas this earth consisting of various different kinds of soil. Indeed Ushinara's son Sini gave away as presents as many kine as is the number of rain drops showered on the earth or the number of stars in the firmament or the number of sand grains on the bed of the river Ganga, or the number of stones that compose the mount Meru or the number of gems or aquatic animals in the ocean. The Lord of creation has not come across or will not come across, in the past, the present or the future, another king competent to bear the burden that king Sini bore on his shoulders. The sacrifices celebrated by king Sini were numerous and attended with all sorts of rites.

हेमयूपासनगृहा हेमप्राकारतोरणाः। शुचि स्वाद्वन्नपानं च ब्राह्मणाः प्रयुतायुताः॥
In his sacrifices, the stakes, the carpets, the horses, the walls and the arches were all made of gold. Edibles and drink suited to the taste and perfectly pure, were used to be supplied in abundance; and the Brahmanas that came there were countless.

नानाभक्ष्यैः प्रियकथाः पयोदधिमहाह्रदाः। तस्यासन् यज्ञवाटेषु नद्यः शुभ्रानपर्वताः॥
Viands and edibles of every description were used to be distributed with agreeable words, (such as 'take, accept' etc.). There milk and curds used to be collected in lakes of large dimensions. In his sacrificial compound, flowed rivers of drink and stood hills of white edibles.

पिबत स्नात खादध्वमिति यद् रोचते जनाः। यस्मै प्रादाद् वरं रुद्रस्तुष्टः पुण्येन कर्मणा॥
"Drink" "bathe" 'eat' and 'do as like,' these were the words that used to be heard there. Pleased with his deeds of piety, Rudra

अक्षयं ददतो विततं श्रद्धा कीर्तिस्तथा क्रियाः। यथोक्तमेव भूतानां प्रियत्वं स्वर्गमुत्तमम्॥
“As you give away numerous presents, let your wealth, your devotion, your renown, your meritorious deeds, the love that people cherish for you and the paradise that you shall attain to, let all these of yours, be inexhaustible.”

एताल्लब्वा वरानिष्टाशिबिः काले दिवं गतः। स चेन्ममार सृञ्जय चतुर्भद्रतरस्त्वया॥
Having obtained even such a desirable boon, in due time, Sini had to go to heaven. O Srinjaya, even when such a king had to suffer death who was superior to you in respect of the four virtues.

पुत्रात् पुण्यतरस्तुभ्यं मा पुत्रमनुतप्यथाः। अयज्वानमदाक्षिण्यमभि श्वैत्येत्युदाहरत्॥
And consequently who was far more superior to your son, you should not lament for your son saying-O Shvaitya-who performed no sacrifice and made no gifts. your son saying-O Shvaitya-who performed no sacrifice and made no gifts.