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Ganesh Thite
which would arise from the performance of the Rajasuya My surmise viz the root-cause of the Bharatiya-war is in the Ramsaya-performance has a direct support even in the Mbh and Harivamsa Thus Dhitariştra says to Samjaya, "I abandoned the hope for any victory alter having heard that Pandavas conquered all the kings by means of their power and performed great sacrifice viz the Rajasuya (adairauşan digjave panduputrair vasikṛtān bhimipalan prasahya/mahakratum rajaiyah kṛtam ca tada nalamse jayāya sajaya/Mbh I 38) The dialogue between Janamejaya and Vуīsa occurning at the Harivamia III 2 14 ff is also very instructive in this respect Janamejaya says, "It is my frank opinion that Rajasaya must be regarded as the root-cause of the annihilation of the Kurus I consider the Rajasuya to have come into existence for the sake of war only, for ksatriyas are killed due to it la the ancient times Soma performed the Rajasuya and then there was a great war of stars When it was performed by Varuna, then a war between the gods and Asuras took place and all the belogs were ruined due to that war Hariścandra performed the Rajasuva and then there was a war between Adi and Baka and this war too was all-killing Next, Yudhisthirs performed the Rajasuya Then why didn't you oppose the performance of such a sacrifice ?"
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Thus we saw above how Yudhisthira was hesitating to perform the Raya, how discussions took place, how Duryodhana became angry after having seen the Rasuya performance, and how the Kauraves and Pandavas played dice and how ultimatel, there was an annihilating war, When Duryodhana obtained kingdom by means of dice-play, he also desired to perform the Rajasuva Then again discussions arose Even after getting the kingdom of Yudhisthira, Daryodhana was not satisfied He remained always disturbed Once he said to Karna, "I covet the Rajasaya-performance of Yudhisthira Fulil my desire, O Karna (rajasājam pavasya drva kratuvarah tadajama sprha sanut panna tau sampādaya staja Mbh II 241 19) Karna then encouraged him to perform the Rüya in the following words, "All the kings are now at your command O great king Let the best priests be invited, let the materials of the sacrifice be collected in the right manner (.lavadya prthipala vaiyah sarve nepottam//20//ahuyantah dijakresthah sambharaica yathavidhi/sambhryan 18 kurusrestha vajmopakaranani ca 11211 bahrannapasahyuktah susamyddhagunntaki pravartalan mahajajħastavapi bharatrabha //23// Mbh III 241 20 ff) Duryodhana's Purohita, however, opposed to the idea of Rajasuya by saying, "It is not possible to perform that great sacrifice (viz, the Rajassa) until Yudhisthira is alive Similarly your father Dhitarăşten is also still living Therefore it is wrong to perform the Rajastya there is another sacrifice equivalent to the Rajastya Please listen unto me Let all the king: who pay tax to you should offer gold to you, then let
