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Mahābhārata The History of the Great India
<< 137 The Most Honorable Person on Earth >>
 |  | King Yudhisthira must decide who will be honored first at his great sacrifice. The sage Vaisampayana is telling the history of the Pandavas to their great-grandson, King Janamejaya. As the narration continues, Vaisampayana describes the great Rajasuya sacrifice of King Yudhisthira, now emperor of the world.
| | | Yudhistira rose to receive his grandfather Bhisma and his teacher Drona, and having respectfully greeted them, he spoke these words to Bhisma, Drona, Krpa, Asvatthama, Duryodhana, and Vivimsati:
| | | "In this sacrifice you must all give me your mercy, for whatever wealth is mine in this world is yours, as am I myself. So all of you, as you desire, please encourage me in this affair without constraint."
| | | After saying this, the first-born son of Pandu was initiated for the rite, and then he engaged all his guests in fitting responsibilities. He gave Duhsasana responsibility for all the food, and he assigned Asvatthama to the reception of brahmanas. He completely entrusted to Sanjaya the task of welcoming kings, and to the great thinkers Bhisma and Drona he gave the job of discerning what was to be done and what was not to be done. King Yudhisthira had Krpa inspect the gold coins, bullion, and jewels and distribute priestly rewards and general charity. And in the same way he assigned the other tigerlike men various duties.
| | | Under Nakula's guidance, Bahlika, Dhrtarastra, Somadatta, and Jayadratha enjoyed themselves like lords in their own estates. Vidura, knower of all righteous principles, took charge of paying all the employees the state had hired for the occasion, and Duryodhana meticulously received the precious gifts brought by guests.
| | | All the world had come there, wishing to enjoy the ultimate reward and desiring to see the assembly hall and King Yudhisthira, the Pandava who was the king of virtue. No one brought less than a thousand presents, and with many jewels the respectable guests enriched Dharmaraja Yudhisthira. "It is especially by my gifts of jewels that Yudhisthira will accomplish the sacrifice!" In this way, rivaling one another, the kings gave riches to Yudhisthira.
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