ers all of whom
honoured him duly.'

"Vaisampayana continued, 'When the great sacrifice of Yudhishthira
commenced, many eloquent dialecticians started diverse propositions and
disputed thereon, desirous of vanquishing one another.[203] The (invited)
kings beheld the excellent preparations of that sacrifice, resembling
those of the chief himself of the deities, made, O Bharata, by Bhimasena.
They beheld many triumphal arches made of gold, and many beds and seats
and other articles of enjoyment and luxury, and crowds of men collected
at different spots. There were also many jars and vessels and cauldrons
and jugs and lids and covers. The invited kings saw nothing there that
was not made of gold. Many sacrificial stakes also were set up, made,
according to the directions of the scriptures of wood, and adorned with
gold. Endued with great effulgence, these were duly planted and dedicated
(with scriptural Mantras). The king saw all animals, again, which belong
to land and all those which belong to water, collected there on the
occasion. And they also beheld many kine and many buffaloes and many old
women, and many aquatic animals, many beasts of prey and many species of
birds, and many specimens of viviparous and oviparous creatures, and many
that are filth-born, and many belonging to the vegetable kingdom, and
many animals and plants that live or grow on mountains. Beholding the
sacrificial compound thus adorned with animals and kine and corn, the
invited kings became filled with wonder. Large heaps of costly
sweet-meats were kept ready for both the Brahmanas and the Vaisyas. And
when the feeding was over of a hundred thousand Brahmanas, drums and
cymbals were beat. And so large was the number fed that the sounds of
drums and cymbals were repeatedly heard, indeed, from day to day those
sounds continued. Thus was performed that sacrifice of king Yudhishthira
of great intelligence. Many hills of food, O king, were dedicated on the
occasion. Many large tanks were seen of curds and many lakes of ghee. In
that great sacrifice, O monarch, was seen the entire population of
Jamvudwipa, with all its realms and provinces, collected together.
Thousands of nations and races were there. A large number of men, O chief
of Bharata's race, adorned with garlands and wearing bright ear-rings
made of gold, taking innumerable vessels in their hands, distributed the
food unto the regenerate classes by hundreds and thousands. The
attendants of th