Chapter XIII

When after a full one year, spring had again appeared on the face of the earth, the puissant king, intent upon getting offspring through the horse-sacrifice, sough Vasiṣṭha’s side.

Having saluted Vasiṣṭha and duly paid him homage, he humbly spoke to that best of twice-born ones, with the intention of having offspring.

O Brahman, undertake to perform this sacrifice of mine, according to the ordinance, O foremost of ascetics! do you order so that no impediment may happen to the sacrifice!

You are my kind friend, and prime and mighty spiritual guide. Engaged in it, you will have to bear the entire burden of the ceremony.

Thereupon that best of Brāhmaṇas said to the king, So be it! I will do all that you asked.

He then said to the old Brāhmaṇas well-up in sacrificial affairs, and experienced car-makers, and highly pious aged people, and servants, carrying on the ceremonial operations till the end, and artists, and carpenters, and diggers, and astrologers, and artizans, and dancers, and conductors of theatres, and pure and learned persons variously versed in knowledge, Do you, in obedience to the royal mandate, engage in the sacrificial work!

And fetch bricks by thousands. And do raise structures for the kings, commanding every convenience.

Do you rear goodly and comfortable buildings by hundreds for the Brāhmaṇas, replenished with various meats and drinks.

You should provide spacious apartments for the citizens and the dwellers, of provinces, and separate quarters for the princes, coming from foreign parts. And stables and sleeping apartments be raised for warriors coming from foreign countries.

And dwellings filled with diverse kinds of viands, and commanding everything desirable, and mansions for the lower orders of the citizens, exceedingly beautiful to behold. And meats should be duly dispensed with all hospitality, and not in the indifference of festive occasions, so that all may regard themselves as honourably entertained. And none should be disregarded out of lust or passion.

Those persons, and artizans, that will labour eagerly in the sacrifice, should by turns, be especially entertained.

And servants, who being entertained with gifts, do every thing completely, and omit nothing. And do you, with hearts mollified by love, act so, that all our friends be well pleased with us.

Then they approached Vasiṣṭha, saying, Everything has been performed properly, without anything being left out. And what you say shall be performed, and nothing words, Do you invite all those kings that are pious, and Brāhmaṇas, and Kṣatriyas and Śūdras, by thousands. And do you with due honours bring people from all countries.

With proper honour yourself bring the righteous, truthful, and heroic Janaka, lord of Mithilā. And it is because he is our old friend that I first mention him.

Then do yourself bring the amiable and ever fair-spoken lord of Kāśī, of excellent character, resembling a celestial.

Then do you bring here along with his son, the highly-pious, old king of Kekaya, who is the father-in-law of this tiger of a monarch.

Then also bring with due honours the king of Aṅga, and that mighty archer, the illustrious Romapāda, the friend of that lion among the kings, along with his son.

Also bring with due respect the puissant king of Kosala. The heroic, and highly generous lord of Magadha, versed in all branches of learning. And in accordance with the mandate of the king, do invite the foremost monarchs! And summon the king, of the East, of the Sindhu and Sauvīra countries, and of Saurāṣṭra, and of the South! And speedily bring those monarchs that are attached to us, together with their friends and followers, the mandate of the monarch, bring over these, despatching dignified emissaries.

Having heard those words of Vasiṣtha, Sumantra speedily ordered the emissaries to bring the kings.

The virthous Sumantra, in accordance with the injunction of the ascetic, himself speedily set out for the purpose of bringing the monarchs.

Then the servants came and informed the intelligent Vasiṣtha as to the articles that had been got ready for the sacrifice.

Then well pleased that best of twice-born ones, the ascetic Vasiṣṭha, said to them, Do not give away disrespectfully or lightly. A gift bestowed with disrespect, indubitably destroy the giver.

Then for several days, kings began to pour into Daśaratha’s city daily and nightly, bringing with them various kinds of gems.

Thereupon Vasiṣṭha well-pleased said to the king, O tiger among men, obeying your mandate the kings have come here; and I too according to merit, have received those excellent kings with respect.

Everything has been carefully made ready for the sacrifice by the persons concerned. Do you, therefore, repair to the sacrificial ground, for performing the sacrifice.

O foremost of monarchs, it behove you to view the place, filled with all desirable objects, and looking as if prepared by imagination herself.

Then in accordance with the injunctions of both Vasiṣṭha and Ṛṣyaśṛṅga, the king came to the sacrificial spot on a day presided over by an auspicious star.

Then, with, Ṛṣyaśṛṅga at their head, Vasiṣṭha and the other principal Brāhmaṇas wending to me sacrificial ground, began the ceremony, according to the ordinance; and in due form. And the auspicious king, in company with his wives, was initiated into the ceremony.