him make those gifts unto persons of the regenerate
order, taking away from our mansions jewels and gems,
and kine, and slaves both mate and female, and goats
and sheep. Let gifts be made unto also those
that are poor or sightless or in great distress, selecting
the objects of his charity as he likes. Let, O
Vidura, large pavilions be constructed, rich with food
and drink of diverse tastes collected in profusion.
Let reservoirs of water be constructed for enabling
kine to drink, and let other works of merit be accomplished.—Even
these were the words said unto me by the king as also
by Pritha’s son Dhananjaya. It behoveth
thee to say what should be done next. After Vidura
had said these words, O Janamejaya, Dhritarashtra his
satisfaction at them and set his heart upon making
large presents on the day of full moon in the month
of Kartika."’
“Vaisampayana said,—’Thus addressed
by Vidura, king Dhritarashtra became highly pleased,
O monarch, with the act of Yudhishthira and Jishnu.
Inviting then, after proper examination, thousands
of deserving Brahmanas and 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 goats and sheep, and blankets and
costly articles to be collected, and villages and fields,
and other kines of wealth to be kept ready, as also
elephants and steeds decked with ornaments, and many
beautiful maidens who were the best of their sex,
that foremost of kings gave them away for the advancement
of the dead, naming each of them in due order as the
gifts were made. Naming Drona, and Bhishma, and
Somadatta, and Valhika, and king Duryodhana, and each
one of his other sons, and all his well-wishers with
Jayadratha numbering first, those gifts were made
in due order. With the approval of Yudhishthira,
that Sraddha-sacrifice became characterised by large
gifts of wealth and profuse presents of jewels and
gems and other kinds of treasure. Tellers and
scribes on that occasion, under the orders of Yudhishthira,
ceaselessly asked the old king.—Do thou
command, O monarch, what gifts should be made to these.
All things are ready here.—As soon as the
king spoke, they gave away what he directed.[30] Unto
him that was to receive a hundred, a thousand was given,
and unto him that was to receive a thousand was given
ten thousand, at the command of the royal son of Kunti.[31]
Like the, clouds vivifying the crops with their downpours,
that royal cloud gratified the Brahmanas by downpours
of wealth. After all those gifts had been distributed,
the king, O thou of great intelligence, then deluged
the assembled guests of all the four orders with repeated
surges of food and drink of diverge tastes. Verily,
the Dhritarashtra-ocean, swelling high, with jewels
and gems for its waters, rich with the villages and
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