ABHIMANYU-VADHA PARVA: Chapter 61

The story of king Dilipa

नारद उवाच दिलीपं चेदैलविलं मृतं सृञ्जय शुश्रुम। यस्य यज्ञशतेष्वासन् प्रयुतायुतशो द्विजाः। तन्त्रज्ञानार्थसम्पन्ना यज्वानः पुत्रपौत्रिणः॥
Narada said We also heard, O Srinjaya, that Dilipa the son of Ilavala had to suffer death. In the celebration of his hundred sacrifices were present countless number of the twice-born ones acquainted with the knowledge of the reality about things, devoted to the performance of sacrifices and blessed with sons and grandsons.

य इमां वसुसम्पूर्णो वसुधां वसुधाधिपः। ईजानो वितते यज्ञे ब्राह्मणेभ्यो ह्यमन्यत॥
That king of the earth, celebrating various sacrifices, offered this earth replete with treasures, to the Brahmanas as a gift.

दिलीपस्य तु यज्ञेषु कृतः पन्था हिरण्मयः। तं धर्म इव कुर्वाणा: सेन्द्रा देवाः समागमन्॥
At all the sacrifices of king Dilipa, the roads used to be constructed of gold. Regarding him equal to Dharma himself, the very Gods and Indra at their head, used to come to him.

सहस्रं यत्र मातङ्गा गच्छन्ति पर्वतोपमाः। सौवर्णं चाभवत् सर्वं सदः परमभास्वरम्॥
were here wandering many great clephants like a various hills. The upper and lower rings in his sacrificial stakes were made of gold.

रसानां चाभवन् कुल्या भक्ष्याणां चापि पर्वताः। सहस्रव्यामा नृपते यूपाश्चासन् हिरण्मयाः॥
Canals of essence used to flow there and piles of cereal (food-grains) was so collected as that of mountains. Oking! One thousand pandalas (pavilions) made of gold extended each to a vyama were erected with grandeur in the offerings (yajna) arranged by them.

चषालं प्रचषालं च यस्य यूपे हिरण्मये। नृत्यन्तेऽप्सरसस्तस्य षट् सहस्राणि सप्त च॥ यत्र वीणां वादयति प्रीत्या विश्वावसुः स्वयम्। सर्वभूतान्यमन्यन्त राजानं सत्यशीलिनम्॥ रागखाण्डवभोज्यैश्च मत्ताः पतिषु शेरते। तदेतदद्भुतं मन्ये अन्यैर्न सदृशं नृपैः॥ यदप्सु युध्यमानस्य चक्रे न परिपेततुः।
Partaking of his Raga-khandavas, many people at his sacrifices used to lie down on the high-ways. He following thing seemed exceedingly wonderful and never occurred to any other king, viz., that when Dilipa fought on waters, his car-wheels never sank below the surface.

राजानं दृढधन्वानं दिलीपं सत्यवादिनम्॥ येऽपश्यन् भूरिदाक्षिण्यं तेऽपि स्वर्गजितो नराः।
Those who saw king Dilipa, that steady bowmen, always truthful and giving away profuse gifts at his sacrifices, succeeded in attaining paradise.

पञ्च शब्दा न जीर्यन्ति खट्वाङ्गस्य स्वाध्यायघोषो ज्याघोषः पिबताश्रीत खादत।
In the mansion of Dilipa otherwise called Khattvanga, the following five sorts of sounds were always to be heard, namely, the sound of the recital of the Vedas, the twang of the bow and the sound produced by utterance of the words, 'Drink, Enjoy and Eat.'

निवेशने॥ स चेन्ममार सृञ्जय चतुर्भद्रतरस्त्वया॥ पुत्रात् पुण्यतरस्तुभ्यं मा पुत्रमनुतप्यथाः। अयज्वानमदाक्षिण्यमभि श्वत्येत्युदाहरत्॥
When even such a king, O Srinjaya, died, who was superior to you in respect of the four cardinal virtues and consequently far superior to your son, you should not lament for your son saying-'O Shvaitya’, who did perform no sacrifice and make no sacrificial presents.

स चेन्ममार सृञ्जय चतुर्भद्रतरस्त्वया॥ पुत्रात् पुण्यतरस्तुभ्यं मा पुत्रमनुतप्यथाः। अयज्वानमदाक्षिण्यमभि श्वत्येत्युदाहरत्॥
When even such a king, O Srinjaya, died, who was superior to you in respect of the four cardinal virtues and consequently far superior to your son, you should not lament for your son saying-'O Shvaitya’, who did perform no sacrifice and make no sacrificial presents.