The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa Translated into English Prose: Sabha Parva
Religion
The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa Translated into English Prose: Sabha Parva
Epic literature, Sanskrit
and a hundred Palasas, and a hundred called Kasa and Kusa; that king of
kings Santanu, and thy father Pandu, Usangava, Sata-ratha, Devaraja,
Jayadratha; the intelligent royal sage Vrishadarva with his ministers;
and a thousand other kings known by the name of Sasa-vindu, and who
have died, having performed many grand horse-sacrifices with large
presents to the Brahmanas--these holy royal sages of grand achievements
and great knowledge of the Sastras, wait upon, O King, and worship the
son of Vivaswat in that assembly house. And Agastya and Matanga, and
Kala, and Mrityu (Death), performers of sacrifices, the Siddhas, and
many Yogins; the Prtris (belonging to the classes--called Agniswattas,
Fenapa, Ushampa, Swadhavat, and Verhishada), as also those others that
have forms; the wheel of time, and the illustrious conveyer himself of
the sacrificial butter; all sinners among human beings, as also those
that have died during the winter solstice; these officers of Yama who
have been appointed to count the allotted days of everybody and
everything; the Singsapa, Palasa, Kasa, and Kusa trees and plants, in
their embodied forms, these all, O king, wait upon and worship the god
of justice in that assembly house of his. These and many others are
present at the Sabha of the king of the Pitris (manes). So numerous are
they that I am incapable of describing them either by mentioning their
names or deeds. O son of Pritha, the delightful assembly house, moving
everywhere at the will of its owner, is of wide extent. It was built by
Viswakarma after a long course of ascetic penances. And, O Bharata,
resplendent with his own effulgence, it stands glorified in all its
beauty. Sannyasis of severe ascetic penance, of excellent vows, and of
truthful speech, peaceful and pure and sanctified by holy deeds, of
shining bodies and attired in spotless robes, decked with bracelets and
floral garlands, with ear-rings of burnished gold, and adorned with
their own holy acts as with the marks of their order (painted over
their bodies), constantly visit that Sabha (Assembly). Many illustrious
Gandharvas, and many Apsaras fill every part of that mansion with
music; both instrumental and vocal and with sounds of laughter and
dance. And, O son of Pritha, excellent perfumes, and sweet sounds and
garlands of celestial flowers always contribute towards making that
mansion supremely blest. And hundreds of thousands of virtuous persons,
of celestial beauty and great wisdom, always wait upon and worship the
illustrious Yama, the lord of created beings in that assembly house.
Such, O monarch, is the Sabha, of the illustrious king of the Pitris! I
shall now describe unto the assembly house of Varuna also called
Pushkaramalini!'
SECTION IX
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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