Dyuta Parva — Lamentations of Duryodhana

Duryodhana Said Those high-souled kings, who are devoted to truth, who are greatly observant of vows, who are vastly learned, who are eloquent, who are learned in the Vedas and their branches and in sacrifices.

Who have piety and modesty, who are virtuous-minded, who are renowned and on whom the grand rites of coronation have been performed, all these worship the king.

As I saw many thousands of wild kine with as many vessels of white copper for milking them, brought there by the kings of the earth to be given away Dakshina (sacrificial presents) by Yudhishthira.

O descendant of Bharata, many kings with greatest alacrity themselves brought there many excellent jars(of water) for the purpose of bathing the king at the end of the sacrifice.

Valhika himself brought there a car decked with gold. Sudakshina himself yoked to it four white horses of the Kamboja kind.

The greatly strong Sunitha gladly fitted its lower pole and the ruler of Chedi with his own hands took up and fitted its flag-staff.

The king of the southern country stood ready with the coat of mail and the Magadha king with garlands of flowers and the headsdress. The great bow-man Vasudeva stood with a sixty years old elephant, the king of Matsya with side-fittings of the cars decked with gold, Ekalavya with the shoes, the king of Avanti with various kinds of water for the final bath.

Chekitana with the Quiver, the king of Kashi with the bow, Shalya with a sword, the hilt and straps of which were inlaid with gold.

Dhaumya and greatly ascetic Vyasa with Narada and Asita's son, Rishi Devala at the head, performed the ceremony of sprinkling sacred water over the king.

The great Rishis sat with cheerful heart at the place where the sprinkling ceremony took place. As the seven Rishis approached the chief of the celestials Indra in heaven, so the illustrious Rishis, learned in the Vedas, with the son of Jamadagni, came uttering Mantras to the great Dakshina-giving (Yudhishthira).

The greatly powerful Satyaki held the umbrella and Dhananjaya (Arjuna) and Bhima fanned the Pandava (Yudhishthira).

The twins (Nakula and Sahadeva) held two excellent chamaras in their hands which was presented by Prajapati to Indra in a former Kalpa.

That big conch of Varuna which Vishvakarma had constructed with a thousand Nishkas of gold was brought by the Ocean himself.

With it Krishna bathed Yudhishthira after the conclusion of the sacrifice. Seeing this I partly lost my senses. People go to the eastern and the western and also the southern seas;

But, O father, except birds none can go the northern seas. They have spread their dominion even there-for I heard hundreds of conches that had been brought from that region blown indicating auspicious rejoicing. While those conches were simultaneously blown, my hair stood on end; and those among the kings who were weak in strength fell down in a swoon.

O descendant of Bharata Dhrishtadyumna, Satyaki, the Pandavas and Keshava (Krishna), these eight handsome and greatly powerful men having seen the kings deprived of consciousness and myself in that state, laughed aloud. Then Bibhatsu (Arjuna) gave to the foremost of Brahmanas with a cheerful heart five hundred bullocks with their horns covered with gold, Rantideva, Nabhaga, Yauvanashva, Manu.

King Pritha, the son of Vena, Bhagiratha, Yayati or Nahusha was not like the king Yudhishthira.

The son of Kunti (Yudhishthira), having completed the Rajasuya sacrifice, obtained the prosperity as was obtained by the lord Harishchandra.

O descendant of Bharata, o lord, seeing such prosperity in the son of Pritha as that of Harishchandra, I do not find any good in my living any longer.

O king, a yoke tied by a blind man becomes loosened. Such is the case with us. The younger ones are growing, while the elder ones are decaying.

O chief of the Kurus, seeing all this, however, I try to console my mind by thoughts. I cannot enjoy peace. It is for this I am plunged into grief, and I am becoming pale and emaciated.