आश्रमवासिक पर्व — दान का वितरण

Thus accosted by Vidura, king, Dhritarashtra became highly please, O monarch, with the act of Yudhishthira and Jishnu.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Like the clouds refreshing the crops with their downpours, that royal cloud pleased the Brahinanas by downpours of riches.

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.

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.

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.

At last when he became tired with the work of making such profuse gifts, that great GiftSacrifice ended.

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.

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.