Mahaprasthanika Parva

After this news of Krishna's extraordinary departure and that entire destruction of the Yadu dynasty, Yudhishthira began experiencing within himself a profound, unwavering clarity that now his own worldly life too was gradually advancing toward its conclusion.

Yudhishthira resolved to appoint Parikshit, who was like a grandson to him and who had now become fully ready as a capable, righteous young prince, as the heir of this vast Kuru empire of his.

In an exceedingly grand, dignified ceremony, in the presence of the entire city of Hastinapur and countless subjects and sages, Yudhishthira had Parikshit's coronation performed in the proper manner, and handed over to him the complete responsibility of this empire of his.

Yudhishthira gave Parikshit his final, affectionate counsel to observe those very profound principles of dharma, justice, and the welfare of subjects, which he himself had received from Bhishma the grandsire, years before, upon his bed of arrows.

After this coronation, Yudhishthira, deliberating with his four brothers and with Draupadi, began resolving to now give up this worldly life entirely and begin his final, great journey of departure toward the Himalayas.

Yudhishthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula, Sahadeva, and Draupadi, giving up entirely this vast empire of theirs, all their splendor, clothing and ornaments, and every other material possession, and adopting an exceedingly simple, ascetic garb, prepared for this final journey of theirs.

The entire city of Hastinapur, hearing of this exceedingly profound, unexpected decision of renunciation of these five heroic Pandavas and Draupadi's, sank into profound grief and emotion, and countless subjects gathered to give them a final farewell.

Parikshit, seeing these Pandavas who were like grandfathers to him, and Draupadi who was like a grandmother, setting out in this manner toward the forest, was filled with profound grief, but accepted this responsibility of his with complete patience and gravity.

During this journey, a dog, which had come from who knows where, began walking with this group of the Pandavas, with exceeding affection and devotion, and it never once left their company throughout this entire journey.

Thus Yudhishthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula, Sahadeva, Draupadi, and that devoted dog, leaving this vast empire of theirs behind forever, advanced onward, toward the Himalayas, on that final, great journey of departure of theirs.

Yudhishthira kept walking foremost on this journey, and behind him, in order, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula, Sahadeva, and Draupadi, and last of all that devoted dog, kept walking in a single line — this was an exceedingly grave, spiritual journey.

During this long journey, they passed through many vast mountains, dense forests, and difficult paths, and on this path of theirs, they expected not the slightest material comfort or rest.

This journey was, in truth, far more than an outward journey, a profound, inner, spiritual journey, in which each Pandava and Draupadi were trying to gradually free themselves from their respective accumulated worldly deeds and attachments.

Along the way, Agni the fire-god too appeared before them, and counseled Arjuna to now give up that extraordinary Gandiva bow of his, since no further use remained for it in this world, which Arjuna, with an exceedingly heavy heart, yet with complete acceptance, offered up to Varuna the water-god.

Thus, giving up all their remaining divine weapons and their last material possessions as well, this group continued advancing onward, toward those high, difficult peaks of the Himalayas.

During this long, painful journey, walking upon those difficult, snowy peaks of the Himalayas, Draupadi was the first to fall to the ground in exceeding exhaustion and weakness, and gave up her life right there.

Bhima, seeing this, was filled with exceeding distress, and asked Yudhishthira why Draupadi, who was exceedingly righteous, devoted to her husbands, and virtuous, should be the first to fall — this question troubled his heart profoundly.

Yudhishthira, without turning back, in an exceedingly calm, grave voice, answered that although Draupadi possessed many extraordinary qualities, in her heart there had always existed a particular, secret partiality toward Arjuna among her five husbands — this alone was her one fault.

Yudhishthira made clear that on a journey of this kind, all of a person's virtuous deeds grant them the strength to advance, but their remaining, unknown or subtle faults stop them right there on the path, however subtle they may be.

Bhima, carrying profound grief in his heart, accepting this answer, was compelled, along with his remaining brothers, to continue this journey onward, knowing that now he must keep advancing, without turning back even once.

As the journey advanced further, some time later, Sahadeva too, weakened by exceeding exhaustion, fell to the ground, and he too gave up his life right there; seeing this, Bhima again asked Yudhishthira the reason for it.

Yudhishthira answered that Sahadeva, though exceedingly renowned for his knowledge and wisdom, held within himself a subtle pride in the belief that no one else was as wise as he — this alone was his one fault.

Some time after this, Nakula too, in the same way, fell to the ground exhausted, and his life too came to an end right there; Bhima, again in exceeding distress, wished to know the reason for this.

Yudhishthira made clear that Nakula, renowned for his extraordinary beauty, held within himself this subtle feeling that no other man was as handsome as he — this alone proved to be his one, subtle fault.

Bhima, sinking into profound grief at this loss of these two younger brothers of his, yet through these profound answers of Yudhishthira's, began to understand that on this journey, even each person's subtlest pride is ultimately revealed.

As the journey advanced further, Arjuna too, exceedingly exhausted, fell to the ground, and he too gave up his life right there; seeing this, Bhima sank into exceedingly profound grief at this loss of this most beloved brother of his.

Bhima, in an exceedingly distressed voice, asked Yudhishthira why Arjuna, who was himself so great, invincible a warrior, and who had achieved countless extraordinary victories, should also fall in this manner on the path.

Yudhishthira answered in an exceedingly grave voice that within Arjuna there had existed a subtle pride that he could destroy all his enemies completely in a single day — this prideful thought was far beyond his actual capacity.

Yudhishthira also made clear that Arjuna, on one occasion, without giving other great warriors their proper respect, had displayed an excessive conceit in his own superiority — this alone proved to be his one, subtle yet significant fault.

Bhima, experiencing profound shock at this loss of this most beloved brother of his, yet accepting this profound answer of Yudhishthira's, with an exceedingly heavy heart, continued this journey onward with his remaining brother Sahadeva — now only Yudhishthira and Bhima himself remained.

Finally, in this next stage of the journey, Bhima himself too, exceedingly exhausted, fell to the ground, and he too gave up his life right there; now Yudhishthira, entirely alone, remained on this journey with only that devoted dog.

Bhima, even as he fell, asked his elder brother Yudhishthira, in an exceedingly faint voice, this final question — what fault of his own had there been, on account of which he too had fallen in this manner on the path.

Yudhishthira, without stopping, in an exceedingly grave, yet affectionate voice, answered that Bhima held excessive attachment toward his food, and had never taken the vow of not eating himself without first giving food to others, and that he also took excessive pride in his own strength.

Thus, one by one, Draupadi and the four Pandavas, on account of their respective subtle, unknown faults, fell upon the path of this long, difficult journey, and their lives ended right there upon this earth.

Yudhishthira, though experiencing profound grief at this successive loss of all these loved ones of his, without turning back even once, continued this final journey of his onward, alone, with exceedingly firm resolve and patience.

Yudhishthira, now entirely alone, with only that devoted dog, kept advancing, with exceeding patience and firmness, toward those exceedingly high, difficult peaks of the Himalayas, knowing that his own journey too was now nearing its conclusion.

Suddenly, in a wondrous, divine sight, Indra, the king of the gods, himself appeared before Yudhishthira from the sky, with his grand, golden chariot, and invited Yudhishthira to come directly to heaven, with this very physical body of his.

Indra told Yudhishthira that this extraordinary righteousness of his, and this unparalleled patience of his on this journey, made him worthy of this rare honor, that he could enter heaven directly, with this very physical body of his, without experiencing death.

Yudhishthira, though pleased by this extraordinary invitation, before mounting this chariot at once, requested of Indra that the dog, which had accompanied him with exceeding devotion and affection throughout this entire long journey, should also go with him to heaven upon this chariot.

Indra, raising some objection to this request of Yudhishthira's, said that in heaven there was no place for such ordinary animals, and that Yudhishthira should give up his attachment to this dog and mount the chariot alone.

Yudhishthira, even in the face of this request of Indra's, with exceeding firmness and clarity, declared that he could not leave behind this devoted dog, which had never once left his company throughout this entire, difficult journey, alone, for the temptation of any heavenly pleasure.

Yudhishthira made clear that abandoning any devoted creature who has taken refuge with oneself, even for a goal as supreme as the attainment of heaven, was entirely contrary to his dharma, and that he could never commit such an act of unrighteousness.

Seeing this unwavering, righteous decision of Yudhishthira's, that dog suddenly appeared in its true, divine form — it was, in truth, Dharmaraja (Yamaraja) himself, who was Yudhishthira's own father, and who had appeared in the form of this dog to test this final, supreme righteousness of his.

Dharmaraja, exceedingly pleased by this extraordinary, unbroken righteousness, compassion, and devotion of Yudhishthira's, gave him his affectionate blessing, and declared that throughout this entire life of his, he had proven himself, time and again, upon this touchstone of dharma.

Yudhishthira, deeply overwhelmed by this extraordinary, divine revelation of his father Dharmaraja's, bowed to him with exceeding humility, and now made ready to depart toward heaven upon that divine chariot of Indra's, together with Dharmaraja.

Yudhishthira, with this affectionate blessing of Dharmaraja's and this divine invitation of Indra's, mounting that golden chariot along with this very physical body of his, departed toward heaven in an exceedingly dignified manner — this was an exceedingly rare, extraordinary honor.

This event proved to be one of the most poignant, spiritually profound events of the entire Mahabharata, in which that lifelong righteousness of Yudhishthira's finally manifested as its supreme, rarest reward.

Draupadi and the four Pandavas, who had given up their lives along this journey, their souls too, according to their respective accumulated virtuous deeds, were, in time, to meet Yudhishthira once again, one by one, in heaven itself.

Thus this worldly life of the Pandavas and Draupadi's came to an end in an exceedingly dignified, spiritually complete manner, and this final journey of theirs became, for the generations to come, an eternal, inspiring tale of dharma, sacrifice, and devotion.

Thus the Mahaprasthanika Parva reaches its conclusion with Parikshit's coronation, that final, great journey of departure of the Pandavas and Draupadi's toward the Himalayas, and finally Yudhishthira's ascent to heaven along with his own physical body. In the next parva, the Swargarohana Parva, the story of Yudhishthira's final, profound test of vision in heaven, and the reunion of all the characters, will be told.