नारद उवाच नासौ वृथाग्निना दग्धो यथा तत्र श्रुतं मया। वैचित्रवीर्यो नृपतिस्तत् ते वक्ष्यामि सुव्रत॥
Narada said The king has not been burnt to death by an unsanctified fire. I have heard this there. I tell you, O Bharata, such has not been the fate of Vaichitravirya.
वनं प्रविशतानेन वायुभक्षेण धीमता। अग्नयः कारयिन्वेष्टिमुत्सृष्टा इति नः श्रुतम्॥
We have heard that when the old king gifted with great intelligence and living on air alone entered the forest (after his return from Gangadvara), he caused his sacrificial fires to be duly ignited. Having performed is sacred rites there with, be abandoned them all.
याजकास्तु ततस्तस्य तानन्गीन्निर्जने वने। समुत्सृज्य यथाकामं जग्मुर्भरतसत्तम॥
Then the Yajaka Brahmanas he had with him cast off those fires in a solitary part of the forest and went away as they liked, O foremost one of Bharata's race.
स विवृद्धस्तदा वह्निर्वने तस्मिन्नभूत् किल। तेन तद् वनमादीप्तमिति ते तापसाऽब्रुवन्॥
The fire that cast off grew in the forest. It then produced a general conflagration in the forest. This is what I have heard from the ascetics living on the banks of Ganga.
स राजा जाह्नवीतीरे यथा ते कथितं मया। तेनाग्निना समायुक्तः स्वेनैव भरतर्षभ।॥
United with that (sacred) fire of his own, O chief of the Bharatas, the king, as I have already said to you, met with death on the banks of Ganga.
एवमावेदयामासुर्मुनयस्ते ममानघ। ये ते भागीरथीतीरे मया दृष्टा युधिष्ठिर॥
O sinless one, this is what the ascetics have told me, those viz., whom I saw on the banks of sacred Bhagirathi, O Yudhishthira.
एवं स्वेनाग्निना राजा समायुक्तो महीपते। मा शोचिथास्त्वं नृपतिं गतः स परमां गतिम्॥
Thus, O lord of Earth, king Dhritarashtra, coming into contact with his own sacred fire, departed from this world and attained to that high end that has been his.
गुरुशुश्रूषया चैव जननी ते जनाधिप। प्राप्ता सुमहतीं सिद्धिमिति मे नात्र संशयः॥
Through service rendered by her to her seniors, your mother, O king, has acquired very great success. There is not the slightest doubt of this.
कर्तुमर्हसि राजेन्द्र तेषां त्वमुदकक्रियाम्। भ्रातृभिः सहितः सर्वै रेतदत्र विधीयताम्॥
You should, O king of kings, now perform the rites of water to their honour with all your brothers. Let, therefore, the necessary steps be taken.
वैशम्पायन उवाच ततः स पृथिवीपालः पाण्डवानां धुरंधरः। निर्ययौ सहसोदर्यः सदारश्च नरर्षभः॥
Vaishampayana said Then that lord of Earth, that foremost of men, that upholder of the burthens of the Pandavas, wen tout, accompanied by all his brother as well as the ladies of his household.
पौरजानपदाश्चैव राजभक्तिपुरस्कृताः। गङ्गां प्रजग्मुरभितो वाससैकेन संवृताः॥
The inhabitants of the city as also those of the provinces, actuated by their loyalty, also went out. They all proceeded towards the banks of Ganga, every one clad on only a single piece of cloth.
ततोऽवगाह्य सलिले सर्वे ते नरपुङ्गवाः। युयुत्सुमग्रतः कृत्वा ददुस्तोयं महात्मने॥ गान्धार्याश्च पृथायाश्च विधिवन्नामगोत्रतः।
Then all those foremost of men having plunged into the river, placed Yuyutsu at their head, and began to offer oblations of water to the grant king. And they also gave similar oblations to Gandhari and Pritha, naming each separately and mentioning their families.
शौचं निवर्तयन्तस्ते तत्रोपुर्नगराद् बहिः॥ प्रेषयामास स नरान् विधिज्ञानाप्तकारिणः। गङ्गाद्वारं नरश्रेष्ठो यत्र दग्धोऽभवन्नृपः॥
Having finished those rites which purify the living, they returned but without entering their capital lived outside of it. They also sent a number of trusted people well conversant with the ordinances relating to the cremation of the dead, to Gangadvara where the old king had been burnt to death.
तत्रैव तेषां कृत्यानि गङ्गाद्वारेऽन्वशात् तदा। कर्तव्यानीति पुरुषान् दत्तदेयान्महीपतिः॥
The king, having rewarded those men beforehand, commanded them to perform those rites of cremation which the bodies of Dhritarashtra and Gandhari and Kunti still awaited.
द्वादशेऽहनि तेभ्यः स कृतशौचो नराधिपः। ददौ श्राद्धानि विधिवद् दक्षिणावन्ति पाण्डवः॥
On the twelfth day, the king, properly purified, duly performed the Shraddhas of his deceased relations, which were marked by profuse gifts.
धृतराष्ट्रं समुद्दिश्य ददौ स पृथिवीपतिः। सुवर्णं रजतं गाश्च शय्याश्च सुमहाधनाः॥
Referring to Dhritarashtra, Yudhishthira made many gifts of gold and silver, of kine and costly beds.
गान्धार्याश्चैव तेजस्वी पृथायाश्च पृथक् पृथक्। संकीर्त्य नामनी राजा ददौ दानमनुत्तमम्॥
Uttering the names of Gandhari and Pritha, the king, gifted with great energy, made many excellent gifts.
यो यदिच्छति यावच्च तावत् स लभते नरः। शयनं भोजनं यानं मणिरत्नमथो धनम्॥
Every man received what thing he wished and as much of it as he wished, Beds and foods, and cars and conveyances, and jewels and gems, and other wealth were given away profusely.
यानमाच्छादनं भोगान् दासीश्च समलंकृताः। ददौ राजा समुद्दिश्य तयोर्मात्रोर्महीपतिः॥
Indeed, the king, referring to his two mothers, gave away cars and conveyances, dresses and coverlets, various kind of food, and female slaves adorned with various ornaments.
ततः स पृथिवीपालो दत्त्वा श्राद्धान्यनेकशः। प्रविवेश पुरं राजा नगरं वारणाह्वयम्॥
Having thus made many kinds of gift in profusion, that king then entered his capital named Histinapur.
ते चापि राजवचनात् पुरुषा ये गताभवन्। संकल्प्य तेषां कुल्यानि पुनः प्रत्यागमंस्ततः॥
Those men, men who had gone to the banks of Ganga at the command of the king, having disposed of (by cremation) the remains of the king and the two queens, returned to the city.
माल्यैर्गन्धैश्च विविधैरर्चयित्वा यथाविधि। कुल्यानि तेषां संयोज्य तदाचख्युर्महीपतेः॥
Having duly honoured those remains with garlands and scents of various kinds and disposed of them, they informed Yudhishthria of the accomplishment of their task.
समाश्वास्य तु राजानं धर्मात्मानं युधिष्ठिरम्। नारदोऽप्यगमद् राजन् परमर्षिर्यथेप्सितम्॥
FINISH AHSRAN The great Rishi Narada, having comforted king Yudhishthira of righteous soul, went away to where he liked.
एवं वर्षाण्यतीतानि धृतराष्ट्रस्य धीमतः। वनवासे तथा त्रीणि नगरे दश पञ्च च॥
Thus did king Dhritarashtra make his departure from this world after having passed three years in the forest and fifteen years in the city.
हतपुत्रस्य संग्रामे दानानि ददतः सदा। ज्ञातिसम्बन्धिमित्राणां भ्रातॄणां स्वजनस्य च॥
Having lost all his children in battle, he had made many gifts in honour of his kinsmen, relatives, and friends, his brothers and own people.
युधिष्ठिरस्तु नृपतिर्नातिप्रीतमनास्तदा। धारयामास तद् राज्यं निहतज्ञातिबान्धवः॥
King Yudhishthira, after the death of his uncle, became very cheerless. Deprived of his kinsmen and relatives, he somehow bore the burthen of sovereignty. JAVASIKA PARVA