Chapter 75: Concluding the Râjasûya and Duryodhana Laughed at

(1-2) The honorable king said: 'All the human divinity, o brahmin, that assembled at the Râjasûya sacrifice of Ajâtas'atru [he whose enemy was never born, or Yudhishthhira], were delighted with the great festiveness they saw: the kings, the sages and the godly, thus I heard my lord, except for Duryodhana; please enlighten us on the reason for that.'

(3) The son of Vyâsa said: 'At the Râjasûya sacrifice of the great soul of your grandfather were the family members who were bound in divine love, engaged in humbly serving him. (4-7) Bhîma was in charge of the kitchen, Duryodhana supervised the finances, Sahadeva did the reception and Nakula procured the needed items. Arjuna served the preceptors, Krishna washed the feet, the daughter of Drupada served the food and the magnanimous Karna handed out the gifts. Yuyudhâna, Vikarna, Hârdikya, Vidura and others like the sons of Bâhlîka headed by Bhûris'ravâ and Santardana, were, eager to please the king, willing to engage in the diversity of duties at the time of the elaborate sacrifice, o best of kings. (8) The priests, the prominent officials, the highly learned and all the best well-wishers, being well honored with pleasing words, auspicious offerings and gifts of gratitude, executed, after the king of Cedi had entered the feet of the master of the Sâtvatas, the avabhritha bathing in the river of heaven [the Yamunâ]. (9) To begin with the avabhritha celebration sounded the music of a variety of gomukha horns, kettledrums, large drums, mridangas, smaller drums and conchshells. (10) Women dancers danced and singers sang joyfully in groups as the loud sound of their vînâs, flutes and hand cymbals touched the heavens. (11) The kings with necklaces of gold took off [to the Yamunâ] with footsoldiers, flags and banners of different colors, excellent majestic elephants, chariots and horses that were finely caparisoned. (12) The Yadus, Sriñjayas, Kâmbojas, Kurus, Kekayas and Kos'alas with their armies, headed by [the king,] the performer of the sacrifice, made the earth tremble. (13) The ones officiating, the priests and the brahmins of excellence loudly vibrated the vedic mantras, while the gods and sages, the forefathers and singers of heaven recited praises and rained down flowers. (14) Men and women nicely adorned with sandalwood paste, garlands, jewelry and clothes, smeared and sprinkled each other playing with various liquids. (15) The courtesans were by the men playfully smeared with yogurt and perfumed water with plenty of turmeric and vermilion powder, and so smeared they in return [*]. (16) The queens guarded by soldiers went, just as did the wives of the gods in their celestial chariots in the sky, out to witness this firsthand and as they by their cousins and friends were sprinkled, was it a beautiful sight to see their faces blossoming with shy smiles. (17) They, their brothers-in-law, their friends and so on, all squirted with syringes to which their arms, breasts, thighs and waists due to the excitement became visible with their dresses drenched and loosened, and the braids of small flowers in their hair slipped; and so did they in the process of their charming play agitate the ones impure of mind. (18) He, the emperor mounted his chariot with excellent horses and shone, hung with gold, forth with his wives as the king of sacrifices, the Râjasûya with all its rituals, in person. (19) After having executed the patnî-samyâja- [**] and avabhritha ceremonies, made the priests him perform the âcamana of sipping water for purification, and bathe in the Ganges together with Draupadî. (20) The kettledrums of the gods resounded together with those of the human beings while the godly, the sages, the forefathers and the humans created a rain of flowers. (21) After this bathed all humans of all classes and orders in that place where even the greatest sinner can instantly be freed from all contamination. (22) The king next putting on a new set of silken garments, nicely ornamented honored the priests, the ones officiating and the brahmins with jewelry and clothing. (23) In diverse ways went the king, devoted to Nârâyana, at lengths in proving his respects to the kings, his friends, well-wishers, direct family, more distant relatives as also to others. (24) All the men, jeweled with earrings, wearing flowers and turbans, jackets and silks as well as the most precious pearl necklaces, shone like the demigods; just as did the women who with the beauty of their faces adorned with pairs of earrings and locks of hair wearing golden belts, radiated brilliantly. (25-26) Then, with his permission, did the priests highly respected, the officials, the vedic experts, the brahmins, the kshatriyas, vais'yas, s'ûdras and the kings who had come and, o king, along with their followers, the local rulers, the spirits, the forefathers and demigods had been worshiped, go back to their own abodes. (27) Like mortal men drinking the amrita had they never enough of glorifying the great celebration of the Râjasûya sacrifice of the saintly king, the servant of Lord Krishna. (28) In pain because of being separated from Krishna had king Yudhishthhira as said [in 10.74: 48] in his love for his family members and relatives difficulty letting them go. (29) My dear, in order to please him stayed the Supreme Lord there. The Yadu heroes who for that purpose were headed by Sâmba he sent off to Dvârakâ. (30) This way was the king, the son of Dharma [Yamarâja or Dharma, the lord of the duties]  successfully crossing over the so difficult to overcome ocean of his desires, by Krishna freed from the fever [see also 10.63: 23].