, after the completion of his sacrifices diverse
tribes of celestials, those creators of the universe, with Indra himself
in their company and with Vrihaspati at their head, used to come. All the
carpets and furnitures of his sacrificial compound were of gold. The
regenerate classes, desirous of food, all ate as they pleased, at his
sacrifices, food that was clean and agreeable to their desires. And in
all his sacrifices, milk and curds and clarified butter and honey, and
other kinds of food and edibles, all of the best order, and robes and
ornaments covetable for their costliness, gratified Brahmanas, thoroughly
conversant with the Vedas. The very gods used to become distributors of
food in king Marutta's palace. The Viswedevas were the courtiers of that
royal sage, the son of Avikshit. By him were gratified the denizens of
heaven with libations of clarified butter. And gratified (therewith),
these, in their turn, increased that powerful ruler's wealth of crops
with copious showers of rain. He always contributed to the gratification
of the Rishis, the Pitris, and the gods, and thereby made them happy, by
practising Brahmacharya, study of the Vedas, obsequial rites, and all
kinds of gifts. And his beds and carpets and vehicles, and his vast
stores of gold difficult to be given away, in fact, all that untold
wealth of his, was given away voluntarily unto the Brahmanas. Sakra
himself used to wish him well. His subjects were made happy (by him).
Acting always with piety, he (ultimately) repaired to those eternal
regions of bliss, acquired by his religious merit. With his children and
counsellors and wives and descendants and kinsmen, king Marutta, in his
youth, ruled his kingdom for a thousand years. When such a king, O
Srinjaya, died who was superior to thee, in respect of the four cardinal
virtues (viz., ascetic penances, truth, compassion, and liberality), and
who, superior to thee, was much superior to thy son, do not grieve saying
"O Swaitya," for thy son who performed no sacrifice and gave no
sacrificial present.'

SECTION LVI

"'"Narada said, 'King Suhotra also, O Srinjaya, we hear, fell a prey to
death. He was the foremost of heroes, and invincible in battle. The very
gods used to come for seeing him. Acquiring his kingdom virtuously, he
sought the advice of his Ritwijas and domestic priests and Brahmanas for
his own good, and enquiring of them, used to obey their behests.
Well-acquainted with the duty of prot