352 Babu Rajendralala Mitra — A Picnic in Ancient India. [No. 4, 
ting on their dress, repaired by his order to the banqueting hall. There they 
took their seats according to their respective ranks, ages, and relationship, 
and cheerfully commenced the work of eating and drinking. Cleanly cooks, 
under the superintendence of diligent stewards, served them large pieces of 
meat roasted on spits, and meat cooked as curries, and sauces made of tama- 
rinds and pomegranates ; young buffaloes roasted on spits and dressed by 
dropping ghi thereon ; the same fried in ghi, seasoned with acids and 
sochel salt and sorrel leaves ; large haunches of venison boiled in different 
ways with sorrel and mangoes, and sprinkled over with condiments ; shoulders 
and rounds of animals dressed in ghi, well sprinkled over with sea salt 
and powdered black-pepper, and garnished with radishes, pomegranates, lemon, 
sweet basil, Ocymum gratissimum, assafretida, ginger, and the herb An- 
d ropey on scluenanthus. Of drinkables, too, of various kinds, the party partook 
most plentifully with appropriate relishes.* Surrounded by their loved ones, 
they drank of maireya, madhvika, sura, and asava, helping them on with 
roasted birds, seasoned with pungent condiments, ghi, acids, sochel salt, and 
oil ; cakes of rich flavour, some made with clayed sugar, some colored with 
saffron, and some salted ; ginger comfits, cheese, t sweet cakes full of ghi, 
and various "kinds of candied stuffs. 
“ Udhvava Bhoja and others, respected heroes who did not drink, heartily 
feasted on various kinds of cooked vegetables and fruits, broths, curds, and 
milk, drinking from cups made of shells fragrant rasala of diverse kiudsf and 
milk boiled with sugar. 
“ After their feast the gallant Bhaima chiefs, along with their ladies, 
joyfully commenced again to sing such choice delightful songs as were 
agreeable to the ladies. The Lord Upendra (Krishna) was pleased at night 
to order the singing of the chJtdlikya song which is called Devagandharva. 
Thereupon Narada took up his Vina of six octaves whereon could be played all 
the six musical modes (raga) and every kind of tune, Krishna undertook to 
beat time with cymbals, and the lordly Arjuna took up a flute, while the de- 
lighted and excellent Apsaras engaged themselves in playing on the mridanga 
and other musical instruments. Then ltambha, the accomplished actress, 
* Upadarsa. The commentator Nilakantha, takes this word for drinking goblets. 
Wilson in his dictionary explains it to mean, “ a relish, or something to jiromote 
drinking.” The last has the support of ancient lexicons. 
t ltasala is a kind of sherbet mado with cream, curds, sugar and spices largely 
diluted with water. 
t The commentator Nilakantlia has failed completely in explaining some of tho 
words ; Kild(a for instanco, he takes to bo an adjective meaning things made of buffalo 
milk, whereas its true meaning is cheese, and the word in the mutilated form lat is still 
current in the vernacular for decomposed or curdled milk. The two words preceding 
it in tho text aro lawimannitan, ardrtln, salted and moist or juicy, i. c., saltod plump 
chcose. The commentator, however, takes tho word ardran for a noun meaning 
ginger comfits. 
