sed thee in the four
principal 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
Sankriti's son Rantideva also fell a prey to death. Having undergone the
austerest of penances and adored him with great reverence, he obtained
these boons from Sakra, having solicited them, saying "Let us have
abundant food and numerous guests. Let not my faith sustain any
diminution, and let us not have to ask anything of any person." The
animals, both domestic and wild, slaughtered in his sacrifice, used to
come to him, viz., the high-souled Rantideva of rigid vows and great
fame, of their own accord. The secretions that flowed from the skins of
the animals (slaughtered in his sacrifices), produced a mighty and
celebrated river which to this day is known by the name of Charmanwati.
King Rantideva used to make gifts unto the Brahmanas in an extensive
enclosure. When the king said, "Unto thee I give a hundred nishkas! Unto
thee I give a hundred," the Brahmanas (without accepting what was
offered) made a noise (expressive of refusal). When, however, the king
would say, "I give a thousand nishkas," the gifts were all accepted. All
the vessels and plates, in Rantideva's palace, for holding food and other
articles, all the jugs and pots, the pans and plates and cups, were of
gold. On those nights during which the guests used to live in Rantideva's
abode, twenty thousand and one hundred kine had to be slaughtered. Yet
even on such occasions, the cooks, decked in ear-rings, used to proclaim
(amongst those that sat down to supper): "There is abundant soup, take as
much as ye wish; but of flesh we have not as much today as on former
occasions." 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 son that is dead. We hear, O Srinjaya, that
the high-souled Sagara also fell a prey to death. He was of Ikshvaku's
race, a tiger among men, and of superhuman prowess. Sixty thousand sons
used to walk behind him, like myriads upon myriads of stars waiting upon
the Moon in the cloudless firmament of autumn. His sway extended over the
whole of this earth.[101] He gratified the gods by performing a thousand
Horse-sacrifices. He gave away unto deserving Brahmanas palatial mansions
with columns of gold and (other parts) made entirely of that precious
metal, containing costly beds and b