Page:History of India Vol 2.djvu/221

 HORSE. SACRIFICE 183 India, and straightway proceeded to announce his suc- cess by a magnificent celebration of the sacrifice at his capital. The dramatist Kalidasa, who has so well pre- served the traditions of the time in his play on Xing Agnimitra, professes to record the very words of the invitation addressed by the victorious king to his son, the crown prince, as follows: " May it be well with thee! From the sacrificial enclosure the commander-in-chief Pushyamitra sends this message to his son Agnimitra, who is in the terri- tory of Vidisa, affectionately embracing him. Be it known unto thee that I, having been consecrated for the Rajasuya [i. e. asvamedha] sacrifice, let loose free from all check or curb a horse which was to be brought back after a year, appointing Vasumitra as its defender, girt with a guard of a hundred Rajputs. This very horse wandering on the right [or ' south '] bank of the Sindhu was claimed by a cavalry squadron of the Yavanas. Then there was a fierce struggle between the two forces. Then Vasumitra, the mighty bowman, hav- ing overcome his foes, rescued by force my excellent horse, which they were endeavouring to carry off. Ac- cordingly I will now sacrifice, having had my horse brought back to me by my grandson, even as Ansumat brought back the horse to Sagara. Therefore you must dismiss anger from your mind, and without delay come with my daughters-in-law to behold the sacrifice." The exaggerated regard for the sanctity of animal life, which was one of the most cherished features of Buddhism, and the motive of Asoka's most character-