race, six stakes were set up that were made of Vilwa,[209] six that were made of Khadira, and six that were made of Saravarnin.  Two stakes were get up by the priests that were made of Devadaru in that sacrifice of the Kuru king, and one that was made of Sleshmataka.  At the command of the king, Bhima caused some other stakes to be set up, for the sake of beauty only, that were made of gold.  Adorned with fine cloths supplied by the royal sage, those stakes shone there like Indra and the deities with the seven celestial Rishis standing around them in Heaven.  A number of golden bricks were made for constructing therewith a Chayana.  The Chayana made resembled in beauty that which had been made for Daksha, the lord of creatures (on the occasion of his great sacrifice).  The Chayana measured eight and ten cubits and four stories or lairs.  A golden bird, of the shape of Garuda, was then made, having three angles.[210] Following the injunctions of the scriptures, the priests possessed of great learning then duly tied to the stakes both animals and birds, assigning each to its particular deity.[211] Bulls, possessed of such qualifications as are mentioned in the scriptures, and aquatic animals were properly tied to the stakes after the rites relating to the sacrificial fire had been performed.  In that sacrifice of the high-souled son of Kunti, three hundred animals were tied to the stakes setup, including that foremost of steeds.  That sacrifice looked exceedingly beautiful as if adorned with the celestial Rishis, with the Gandharvas singing in chorus and the diverse tribes of Apsaras dancing in merriment.  It teemed, besides, with Kimpurushas and was adorned with Kinnaras.  All around it were abodes of Brahmanas crowned with ascetic success.  There were daily seen the disciples of Vyasa, those foremost of regenerate ones, who are compilers of all branches of learning, and well conversant with sacrificial rites.  There was Narada, and there was Tumvuru of great splendour.  There were Viswavasu and Chitrasena and others, all of whom were proficient in music.  At intervals of the sacrificial rites, those Gandharvas, skilled in music and well versed in dancing, used to gladden the Brahmanas who were engaged in the sacrifice.’”

SECTION LXXXIX

“Vaisampayana said, ’Having cooked, according to due rites, the other excellent animals that were sacrificed, the priests then sacrificed, agreeably to the injunctions of the scriptures, that steed (which had wandered over the whole world).  After cutting that horse into pieces, conformably to scriptural directions, they caused Draupadi of great intelligence, who was possessed of the three requisites of mantras, things, and devotion, to sit near the divided animal.  The Brahmanas then with cool minds, taking up the marrow of that steed, cooked it duly, O chief of Bharata’s race.  King Yudhishthira the just, with all his younger brothers, then smelled, agreeably to the scriptures,