o bear the burthen, O Srinjaya, that Usinara's son Sivi, that foremost
of kings, that hero who was possessed of prowess equal to that of Indra
himself, bore. Do not, therefore, grieve for 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 seasonably, 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