200 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES
driven neither by rods nor fear, nor carried on their work weeping with tears upon their faces. Whoso chose to help, he worked; whoso chose not to help, worked not. What each chose to do he did; what they chose not to do, that was left undone, With ghee and oil, and butter and milk, and honey and sugar only was that sacrifice accomplished.
- ‘And further, O Brahman, the Kshatriya vassels, and the ministers and officials, and the Brahmans of position, and the householders of substance, whether of the country or of the towns, went to King, Widerealm, taking with them much wealth, and said,” This abundant wealth, Sire, have we brought hither for the king’s use. Let his majesty accept it at our hands!”
“Sufficient wealth have I, my friends, laid up, the produce of taxation that is just. Do you keep yours, and take away more with you!”
When they had thus been refused by the king, they went aside, and considered thus one with the other: “It would not beseem us now, were we to take this wealth away again to our own homes. King Wide-realm is offering a great sacrifice. Let us too make an after-sacrifice!”
- ‘So the Kshatriyas established a continual largesses to the east of the king’s sacrificial pit, and the officials to the south thereof, and the Brahmans to the west thereof, and the householders to the north thereof. And the things given, and the manner of their gift, was in all respects like unto the great sacrifice of King Wide-realm himself.’
‘Thus, O Brahman, there was a fourfold co-operation, and King Widerealm was gifted with eight personal gifts, and his officiating Brahman with four. And there were three modes of the giving of that sacrifice. This, O Brahman, is what is called the due celebration of a sacrifice in its threefold mode and with its furniture of sixteen kinds.
- ‘And when he had thus spoken, those Brahmans lifted up their voices in tumult, and said: “How glorious the sacrifice, how pure its accomplishment!” But Kutadanta the Brahman sat there in silence.
Then those Brahmans said to Kutadanta: ‘Why do you not approve the good words of the Samana Gotama as well-said?’
‘I do not fail to approve; for he who approves not as well-said that which has been -well spoken by the Samana Gotama, verily his head would split in twain. But I was considering that the Samana Gotama does not say: “Thus have 1 heard,” nor “Thus behoves it to be,” but says only, “Thus it was then,” or “It was like that then”. So I thought; “For a certainty the Samana Gotama himself must at that time have been King Wide-realm, or the Brahman who officiated for him at that sacrifice. Does the Venerable Gotama admit that he who celebrates such a sacrifice, or causes it to be celebrated, is reborn at the