33. Hearing this behest of the sage, the king held his reverential silence; and beckoned to his heralds to proceed to all the ten sides of his dominions, and invite thousands of Bráhmans, that are acquainted with the vedas forthwith (to the royal court).
34. He bade them to go to Mathura, Suráshtra and Gauda, and to bring with them with due respect all the Bráhmans, that are born of Vedic families, and are abiding in those districts and lands.
35. There then assembled more than ten thousands of Bráhmans to the royal palace, and the king fed them all alike and paying particular regard to the more learned among them.
36. He treated them with the best sorts of food and rice, honoured them with their honorariums, and gave them a good many gifts; and after honouring them in this manner, he offered his oblations to the manes of his ancestors, and gave his offerings to the tutelar gods of his house. (A Bráhman has his precedence in a feast to the gods and patres; but the merit of giving a feast is lost unless it is followed by other gifts).
37. The king next treated his friends and relatives with proper repast, and then fed his companions and servants and the citizens all on the same day. His attention was at last directed to the feeding of the poor and needy, and of the lame and blind and lunatics.
38. Having discharged to his utmost the duties of the festival, he commanded a great festivity to be held in his hall, all over decorated with silk and embroidery, and with gold, gems and pearls.
39. The city then being adorned and lighted, like the ever bright mount of Meru, there went on a merry dance and ball of giddy girls and players in every house (as a sign of general joy).
40. There was a ringing of bells and sounding of cymbols all about, with the beating of drums and trimbrels at every door; flutes and wind instruments were blowing on every side, and guitars and wired instruments were playing with loud gingling, and vying with each other.
41. The markets were closed, and the marketers stopped in their course; the air appeared as an arbour of plants, shaking with the uplifted and quavering and waving arms of the merry dancers in the streets; and it seemed as the starry heaven, by the glittering light of the teeth of strolling players, displayed in their comic dance and loud laughter.
42. There was the heroic dance attended by the loud shouts of the players, and melodramas accompanied with the soft and sweet strains of the performers, there was also a staggering and strutting dance on one foot and leg, and thumping the ground with the other.