नारद उवाच ते शशबिन्दुं च राजानं मृतं सृञ्जय शुश्रुमा ईजे स विविधैर्यज्ञैः श्रीमान् सत्यपराक्रमः॥
Narada said We also heard, O Srinjaya, that king Shashabindu, who was of great personal beauty and of prowess incapable of being repulsed and who performed numerous and diverse sacrifices, had to undergo death.
तस्य भार्यासहस्राणां शतमासीन्सहात्मनः। एकैकस्यां च भार्यायां सहस्रं तनयाऽभवन्॥
That one of illustrious soul had a hundred thousand wives, and each of these wives was blessed with a thousand sons.
कुमाराः पराक्रान्ताः सर्वे नियुतयाजिनः। राजानः क्रतुभिर्मुख्यैरीजाना वेदपारगाः॥
All those princes were endowed with prowess; all of them performed ten millions of sacrifices each. Learned in the sacred scriptures, those royal heroes accomplished many excellent sacrifices.
हिरण्यकवचाः सर्वे सर्वे चोत्तमधन्विनः। सर्वेऽश्वमेधैरीजाना: कुमारा: शशबिन्दवः॥
All of them, (on occasions of battle) used to don golden coats of mail; and all were excellent bowmen. All those of Shashabindu accomplished the Horse-sacrifice.
तानश्वमेधे राजेन्द्रो ब्राह्मणेभ्योऽददत् पिता। शतं शतं रथगजा एकैकं पृष्ठतोऽन्वयुः॥
That foremost of kings, their father gave them away to the Brahmanas as sacrificial peasants, at his own sacrifice. Each of those princes was followed by hundreds upon hundreds of car-warriors and elephants.
राजपुत्रं तदा कन्यास्तपनीयस्वलंकृताः। कन्यां कन्यां शतं नागा नागे नागे शतं रथाः॥
And beautiful dansels adorned with ornaments of gold. With each damsel were a sons hundred elephants and with each elephant a hundred chariots.
रथे रथे शतं चाश्वा बलिनो हेममालिनः। अश्वे अश्वे गोसहस्रं गवां पञ्चाशदाविकाः॥
With each car were a hundred horses adorned with chains of gold and with each horse a thousand cows. With each cow were fifty goats.
एतद् धनमपर्याप्तमश्वमेधे महामखे। शशबिन्दुमहाभागो ब्राह्मणेभ्यो ह्यमन्यत॥
This uncountable wealth was gifted by the prosperous and respected king Sasabindu to Brahmins in the great offering Ashvamedha arranged once by him.
वाश्चि यूपा यावन्त अश्वमेधे महामखे। ते तथैव पुनश्चान्ते तावन्तः काञ्चनाऽभवन्॥
In that great Horse-sacrifice of his, he gave away unlimited wealth and in other sacrifices also he gave away equal amount of gold.
भक्ष्यानपाननिचयाः पर्वताः क्रोशमुच्छ्रिताः। तस्याश्वमेधे निर्वृत्ते राज्ञः शिष्टास्त्रयोदश॥
There were piles of edibles, foods and confectionery of the height of two full miles. And when the Horse-sacrifices of the king was over thirteen such piles remained (un-used).
तुष्टपुष्टजनाकीर्णा शान्तविघ्नामनामयाम्। शशबिन्दुरिमां भूमिं चिरं भुक्त्वा दिवं गतः॥
Having ruled for many years over his kingdom, where the people were well-fed, satisfied and free from diseases and where all kinds of evils rooted out, king Shashabindu ascended to heaven.
स चेन्ममार सृञ्जय चतुर्भद्रतरस्त्वया। पुत्रात् पुण्यतरस्तुभ्यं मा पुत्रमनुतप्यथाः। अयज्वानमदाक्षिण्यमभि श्वैत्येत्युदाहरत्॥
O Srinjaya, when even such a sovereign, who was superior in respect of the four cardinal virtues to you and consequently to your son, had to suffer death you should not lament of your son who performed no sacrifices and made no sacrificial gifts, saying 'O Shvaitya'. were