with the fruits of the Horse-sacrifice, and followed their lord by the
Southern-path (to regions of brightness and bliss). When he, O Srinjaya,
who far surpassed thee in the four principal attributes and who was purer
than thy son, fell a prey to death, do not grieve for thy child that is
dead. We hear, O Srinjaya, that Sasavindu also, the son of Chitrasena,
felt a prey to death. That high-souled king had a hundred thousand wives,
and million of sons. All of them used to wear golden armour and all of
them were excellent bowmen. Each of those princes married a hundred
princesses, and each princess brought a hundred elephants. With each of
those elephants were a hundred cars. With each car were a hundred steeds,
all of good breed and all decked with trappings of gold. With each steed
were a hundred kine, and with each cow were a hundred sheep and goats.
This countless wealth, O monarch, Sasavindu gave away, in a
Horse-sacrifice, unto the Brahmanas. When he, O Srinjaya, who far
surpassed thee in the four principal attributes and who was purer than
thy son, fell a prey to death, do not grieve for thy child that is dead.
We hear, O Srinjaya, that Gaya also, the son of Amurtarayas, fell a prey
to death. For a hundred years, that king subsisted upon the remains of
sacrificial food. (Pleased with such devotion) Agni desired to give him
boons. The boons solicited by Gaya were, "Let my wealth be inexhaustible
even if I give ceaselessly. Let my regard for virtue exist for ever. Let
my heart ever take pleasure in Truth, through thy grace, O eater of
sacrificial libations." It hath been heard by us that king Gaya obtained
all those wishes from Agni. On days of the new moon, on those of the full
moon, and on every fourth month, for a thousand years, Gaya repeatedly
performed the Horse-sacrifice. Rising (at the completion of every
sacrifice) he gave away a hundred thousand kine and hundreds of mules
(unto the Brahmanas) during this period. That bull among men gratified
the gods with Soma, the Brahmanas with wealth, the Pitris with Swadha,
and the women with the accomplishment of all their wishes. In his great
Horse-sacrifice, king Gaya caused a golden ground to be made, measuring a
hundred cubits in length and fifty in breadth, and gave it away as the
sacrificial fee. That foremost of men, viz., Gaya, the son of
Amurtarayas, gave away as many kine as there are sand grains, O king, in
the river Ganga. When he, O Srinjaya, who far surpas