pronunciation. Like the gods, the Brahmanas also were gratified with the
sacrificial gifts and food and great wealth. And all the other orders of
men also were gratified at that sacrifice and filled with joy."


SECTION XXXV

(Arghyaharana Parva)

Vaisampayana said,--"On the last day of the sacrifice when the king was to
be sprinkled over with the sacred water, the great Brahmana Rishis ever
deserving of respectful treatment, along with the invited kings, entered
together the inner enclosure of the sacrificial compound. And those
illustrious Rishis with Narada as their foremost, seated at their ease
with those royal sages within that enclosure, looked like the gods seated
in the mansion of Brahma in the company of the celestial Rishis. Endued
with immeasurable energy those Rishis, having obtained leisure, started
various topics of conversation. 'This is so,' 'This is not so,' 'This is
even so.' 'This cannot be otherwise,'--thus did many of them engage in
discussions with one another. Some amongst the disputants, by well-chosen
arguments made the weaker position appear the stronger and the stronger
the weaker. Some disputants endued with great intelligence fell upon the
position urged by others like hawks darting at meat thrown up into the air,
while some amongst them versed in the interpretations of religious
treatises and others of rigid vows, and well-acquainted with every
commentary and gloss engaged themselves in pleasant converse. And, O king,
that platform crowded with gods, Brahmanas and great Rishis looked
extremely handsome like the wide expanse of the firmament studded with
stars. O monarch, there was then no Sudra near that platform of
Yudhisthira's mansion, nor anybody that was without vows.