that hero who was possessed of prowess equal to that of Indra himself, bore.  Do not, therefore, grieve or thy son who never performed any sacrifice nor made any gift.  Indeed, O Srinjaya, when Sivi, who was far superior to thee in the four attributes and who was purer than thy son, fell a prey to death, do not grieve for thy son that is dead.  We hear, O Srinjaya, that the high-souled Bharata also, the son of Dushmanta and Sakuntala, who had a vast and well-filled treasury, fell a prey to death.  Devoting three hundred horses unto the gods on the banks of the Yamuna, twenty on the banks of the Saraswati, and fourteen on the banks of Ganga, that king of great energy, in days of old, performed (in this order) a thousand Horse-sacrifices and a hundred Rajasuyas.  No one amongst the kings of the earth can imitate the great deeds of Bharata, even as no man can, by the might of his arms, soar into the welkin.  Erecting numerous sacrificial altars, he gave away innumerable horses and untold wealth unto the sage Kanwa.[91] When even he, O Srinjaya, who was far superior to thee in the four attributes and who was purer than thy son, fell a prey to death, do not grieve for thy son that is dead.  We hear, O Srinjaya, that Rama also, the son of Dasaratha, fell a prey to death.  He always cherished his subjects as if they were the sons of his own loins.  In his dominions there were no widows and none that was helpless.  Indeed, Rama in governing his kingdom always acted like his father Dasaratha.  The clouds, yielding showers season ably, caused the crops to grow abundantly.  During the period of his rule, food was always abundant in his kingdom.  No death occurred by drowning or by fire.  As long as Rama governed it, there was no fear in his kingdom of any disease.  Every man lived for a thousand years, and every man was blessed with a thousand children.  During the period of Rama’s sway, all men were whole and all men attained the fruition of their wishes.  The very women did not quarrel with one another, what need then be said of the men?  During his rule his subjects were always devoted to virtue.  Contented, crowned with fruition in respect of all the objects of their desire, fearless, free, and wedded to the vow of truth, were all the people when Rama governed the kingdom.  The trees always bore flowers and fruit and were subject to no accidents.  Every cow yielded milk filling a drona to the brim.  Having dwelt, in the observance of severe penances, for four and ten years in the woods, Rama performed ten Horse-sacrifices of great splendour[92] and to them the freest access was given to all.  Possessed of youth, of a dark complexion, with red eyes, he looked like the leader of an elephantine herd.  With aims stretching down to his knees and of handsome face, his shoulders were like those of a lion and the might of his arms great.  Ascending upon the throne of Ayodhya, he ruled for ten thousand and ten hundred years.  When, he O Srinjaya, who transcended thee