Upa-Parva:
(94) Mahaprasthanika----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SECTION 1
ॐ Having bowed down unto Narayana, and to Nara, the foremost of men, as
also to the goddess Sarasvati, should the word "Jaya" be uttered.
Janamejaya said: "Having heard of that encounter with iron bolts between
the heroes of the Vrishni and the Andhaka races, and having been informed
also of Krishnas ascension to Heaven, what did the Pandavas do?"
Vaishampayana said: "Having heard the particulars of the great slaughter
of the Vrishnis, the Kaurava king set his heart on leaving the world. He
addressed Arjuna, saying, O thou of great intelligence, it is Time that
cooks every creature (in his cauldron). I think that what has happened is
due to the cords of Time (with which he binds us all). It behoveth thee
also to see it.
"Thus addressed by his brother, the son of Kunti only repeated the word
Time, Time! and fully endorsed the view of his eldest brother gifted with
great intelligence. Ascertaining the resolution of Arjuna, Bhimasena and
the twins fully endorsed the words that Arjuna had said. Resolved to
retire from the world for earning merit, they brought Yuyutsu before
them. Yudhishthira made over the kingdom to the son of his uncle by his
Vaisya wife. Installing Parikshit also on their throne, as king, the
eldest brother of the Pandavas, filled with sorrow, addressed Subhadra,
saying, This son of thy son will be the king of the Kurus. The survivor
of the Yadus, Vajra, has been made a king. Parikshit will rule in
Hastinapura, while the Yadava prince, Vajra, will rule in Shakraprastha.
He should be protected by thee. Never set thy heart on unrighteousness.
"Having said these words, king Yudhishthira the just, along with his
brothers, promptly offered oblations of water unto Vasudeva of great
intelligence, as also unto his old maternal uncle and Rama and others. He
then duly performed the Sraddhas of all those deceased kinsmen of his.
The king, in honour of Hari and naming him repeatedly, fed the
Island-born Vyasa, and Narada, and Markandeya possessed of wealth of
penances, and Yajnavalkya of Bharadwajas race, with many delicious
viands. In honour of Krishna, he also gave away many jewels and gems, and
robes and clothes, and villages, and horses and cars, and female slaves
by hundreds and thousands unto foremost of Brahmanas. Summoning the
citizens. Kripa was installed as the preceptor and Parikshit was made
over to him as his disciple, O chief of Bharatas race.
"Then Yudhishthira once more summoned all his subjects. The royal sage
informed them of his intentions. The citizens and the inhabitants of the
provinces, hearing the kings words, became filled with anxiety and
disapproved of them. This should never be done, said they unto the king.
The monarch, well versed with the changes brought about by time, did not
listen to their counsels. Possessed of righteous soul, he persuaded the
people to sanction his views. He then set his heart on leaving the world.
His brothers also formed the same resolution. Then Dharmas son,
Yudhishthira, the king of the Kurus, casting off his ornaments, wore
barks of trees. Bhima and Arjuna and the twins, and Draupadi also of
great fame, similarly clad themselves in bark of trees, O king. Having
caused the preliminary rites of religion, O chief of Bharatas race, which
were to bless them in the accomplishment of their design, those foremost
of men cast off their sacred fires into the water. The ladies, beholding
the princes in that guise, wept aloud. They seemed to look as they had
looked in days before, when with Draupadi forming the sixth in number
they set out from the capital after their defeat at dice. The brothers,
however, were all very cheerful at the prospect of retirement.
Ascertaining the intentions of Yudhishthira and seeing the destruction of
the Vrishnis, no other course of action could please them then.
"The five brothers, with Draupadi forming the sixth, and a dog forming
the seventh, set out on their journey. Indeed, even thus did king
Yudhishthira depart, himself the head of a party of seven, from the city
named after the elephant. The citizen and the ladies of the royal
household followed them for some distance. None of them, however, could
venture to address the king for persuading him to give up his intention.
The denizens of the city then returned; Kripa and others stood around
Yuyutsu as their centre. Ulupi, the daughter of the Naga chief, O thou of
Kuntis race, entered the waters of Ganga. The princess Chitrangada set
out for the capital of Manipura. The other ladies who were the
grandmothers of Parikshit centered around him. Meanwhile the high-souled
Pandavas, O thou of Kurus race, and Draupadi of great fame, having
observed the preliminary fast, set out with their faces towards the east.
Setting themselves on Yoga, those high-souled ones, resolved to observe
the religion of Renunciation, traversed through various countries and
reached diverse rivers and seas. Yudhishthira, proceeded first. Behind
him was Bhima; next walked Arjuna; after him were the twins in the order
of their birth; behind them all, O foremost one of Bharatas race,
proceeded Draupadi, that first of women, possessed of great beauty, of
dark complexion, and endued with eyes resembling lotus petals. While the
Pandavas set out for the forest, a dog followed them.
"Proceeding on, those heroes reached the sea of red waters. Dhananjaya
had not cast off his celestial bow Gandiva, nor his couple of
inexhaustible quivers, actuated, O king, by the cupidity that attaches
one to things of great value. The Pandavas there beheld the deity of fire
standing before them like a hill. Closing their way, the god stood there
in his embodied form. The deity of seven flames then addressed the
Pandavas, saying, Ye heroic sons of Pandu, know me for the deity of fire.
O mighty-armed Yudhishthira, O Bhimasena that art a scorcher of foes, O
Arjuna, and ye twins of great courage, listen to what I say! Ye foremost
ones of Kurus race, I am the god of fire. The forest of Khandava was
burnt by me, through the puissance of Arjuna and of Narayana himself. Let
your brother Phalguna proceed to the woods after casting off Gandiva,
that high weapon. He has no longer any need of it. That precious discus,
which was with the high-souled Krishna, has disappeared (from the world).
When the time again comes, it will come back into his hands. This
foremost of bows, Gandiva, was procured by me from Varuna for the use of
Partha. Let it be made over to Varuna himself.
"At this, all the brothers urged Dhananjaya to do what the deity said. He
then threw into the waters (of the sea) both the bow and the couple of
inexhaustible quivers. After this, O chief of Bharatas race, the god of
the fire disappeared then and there. The heroic sons of Pandu next
proceeded with their faces turned towards the south. Then, by the
northern coast of the salt sea, those princes of Bharatas race proceeded
to the south-west. Turning next towards the west, they beheld the city of
Dwaraka covered by the ocean. Turning next to the north, those foremost
ones proceeded on. Observant of Yoga, they were desirous of making a
round of the whole Earth."
