17-1-001
जनमेजय उवाच
एवं वृष्ण्यन्धककुले श्रुत्वा मौसलमाहवम्
पाण्डवाः किमकुर्वन्त तथा कृष्णे दिवं गते
Janamejaya said Having heard about the battle between the Vrishnis and Andhakas, What did the Pandavas do when Krishna went to heaven?
17-1-002
वैशंपायन उवाच
श्रुत्वैव कौरवो राजा वृष्णीनां कदनं महत्
प्रस्थाने मतिमाधाय वाक्यमर्जुनमब्रवीत्
Vaishampayana said: Having heard about the great slaughter of the Vrishnis, the king of the Kouravas made up his mind to leave and spoke these words to Arjuna:
17-1-003
कालः पचति भूतानि सर्वाण्येव महामते
कर्मन्यासमहं मन्ये त्वमपि द्रष्टुमर्हसि
O you of great intellect, Time cooks all beings. I think that the non-equality of actions should be seen by you also.
17-1-004
इत्युक्तः स तु कौन्तेयः कालः काल इति ब्रुवन्
अन्वपद्यत तद्वाक्यं भ्रातुर्ज्येष्ठस्य वीर्यवान्
Thus addressed, the son of Kunti, the valorous one, agreed to the words of his elder brother, saying, "So be it."
17-1-005
अर्जुनस्य मतं ज्ञात्वा भीमसेनो यमौ तथा
अन्वपद्यन्त तद्वाक्यं यदुक्तं सव्यसाचिना
Knowing Arjuna's opinion, Bhimasena and the twins followed the words spoken by Savyasachi.
17-1-006
ततो युयुत्सुमानाय्य प्रव्रजन्धर्मकाम्यया
राज्यं परिददौ सर्वं वैश्यापुत्रे युधिष्ठिरः
Then, having summoned Yuyutsu, who desired to renounce for the sake of the Dharma, Yudhishthira gave away the entire kingdom to the son of a Vaishya.
17-1-007
अभिषिच्य स्वराज्ये तु तं राजानं परिक्षितम्
दुःखार्तश्चाब्रवीद्राजा सुभद्रां पाण्डवाग्रजः
Having consecrated that King Parikshit in his own kingdom, The king, the eldest of the Pandavas, afflicted with grief, said to Subhadra.
17-1-008
एष पुत्रस्य ते पुत्रः कुरुराजो भविष्यति
यदूनां परिशेषश्च वज्रो राजा कृतश्च ह
This will be your son's son, the king of the Kurus. And the remnant of the Yadus will be the king Vajra.
17-1-009
परिक्षिद्धास्तिनपुरे शक्रप्रस्थे तु यादवः
वज्रो राजा त्वया रक्ष्यो मा चाधर्मे मनः कृथाः
You should protect the king Vajra in Hastinapura, and the Yadava in Shakra-prastha. Do not think of unrighteousness.
17-1-010
इत्युक्त्वा धर्मराजः स वासुदेवस्य धीमतः
मातुलस्य च वृद्धस्य रामादीनां तथैव च
Having thus spoken to the wise Vasudeva, and to his aged maternal uncle, and to Rama and the others,
17-1-011
भ्रातृभिः सह धर्मात्मा कृत्वोदकमतन्द्रितः
श्राद्धान्युद्दिश्य सर्वेषां चकार विधिवत्तदा
The righteous one, along with his brothers, performed the water rites without delay. For the sake of all, he performed the śrāddhas according to the prescribed rites.
17-1-012
ददौ रत्नानि वासांसि ग्रामानश्वान्रथानपि
स्त्रियश्च द्विजमुख्येभ्यो गवां शतसहस्रशः
He gave jewels, garments, villages, horses, chariots, and women to the foremost brahmins, by the hundreds of thousands.
17-1-013
कृपमभ्यर्च्य च गुरुमर्थमानपुरस्कृतम्
शिष्यं परिक्षितं तस्मै ददौ भरतसत्तमः
Having worshipped Kripa, the preceptor, honoured with wealth and grain, the best of the Bharatas gave him to his disciple Parikshit.
17-1-014
ततस्तु प्रकृतीः सर्वाः समानाय्य युधिष्ठिरः
सर्वमाचष्ट राजर्षिश्चिकीर्षितमथात्मनः
Then, having summoned all the ministers, Yudhishthira told them all about his desire.
17-1-015
ते श्रुत्वैव वचस्तस्य पौरजानपदा जनाः
भृशमुद्विग्नमनसो नाभ्यनन्दन्त तद्वचः
Hearing those words, the citizens and the people of the country were greatly distressed in mind and did not rejoice in those words.
17-1-016
नैवं कर्तव्यमिति ते तदोचुस्ते नराधिपम्
न च राजा तथाकार्षीत्कालपर्यायधर्मवित्
They said to the king, "This should not be done." But the king, knowing the law of the course of time, did not act thus.
17-1-017
ततोऽनुमान्य धर्मात्मा पौरजानपदं जनम्
गमनाय मतिं चक्रे भ्रातरश्चास्य ते तदा
Then, having consulted with the people of the city and countryside, the righteous-souled one made up his mind to leave, and his brothers also at that time.
17-1-018
ततः स राजा कौरव्यो धर्मपुत्रो युधिष्ठिरः
उत्सृज्याभरणान्यङ्गाज्जगृहे वल्कलान्युत
Then that king, the son of Dharma, Yudhiṣṭhira, having discarded ornaments from his body, took up bark garments.
17-1-019
भीमार्जुनौ यमौ चैव द्रौपदी च यशस्विनी
तथैव सर्वे जगृहुर्वल्कलानि जनाधिप
Bhima, Arjuna, the twins, and the glorious Droupadi, and all the others, O lord of men, took up bark garments.
17-1-020
विधिवत्कारयित्वेष्टिं नैष्ठिकीं भरतर्षभ
समुत्सृज्याप्सु सर्वेऽग्नीन्प्रतस्थुर्नरपुंगवाः
Having performed the final sacrifice in accordance with the rules, O bull among the Bharatas, Having abandoned all the fires in the water, those bulls among men departed.
17-1-021
ततः प्ररुरुदुः सर्वाः स्त्रियो दृष्ट्वा नरर्षभान्
प्रस्थितान्द्रौपदीषष्ठान्पुरा द्यूतजितान्यथा
Then all the women wept, seeing the bulls among men Departing, with Droupadi as the sixth, as if they had been defeated in gambling.
17-1-022
हर्षोऽभवच्च सर्वेषां भ्रातॄणां गमनं प्रति
युधिष्ठिरमतं ज्ञात्वा वृष्णिक्षयमवेक्ष्य च
All the brothers were delighted at the prospect of going. Knowing the opinion of Yudhiṣṭhira and seeing the destruction of the Vṛṣṇis,
17-1-023
भ्रातरः पञ्च कृष्णा च षष्ठी श्वा चैव सप्तमः
आत्मना सप्तमो राजा निर्ययौ गजसाह्वयात्
पौरैरनुगतो दूरं सर्वैरन्तःपुरैस्तथा
The five brothers, Krishna as the sixth, and the dog as the seventh, The king himself as the seventh, left from Hastinapura. Followed by the citizens from afar, and by all the women of the inner quarters,
17-1-024
न चैनमशकत्कश्चिन्निवर्तस्वेति भाषितुम्
न्यवर्तन्त ततः सर्वे नरा नगरवासिनः
And no one was able to say to him, "Turn back!" Then all the men who lived in the city turned back.
17-1-025
कृपप्रभृतयश्चैव युयुत्सुं पर्यवारयन्
विवेश गङ्गां कौरव्य उलूपी भुजगात्मजा
Kripa and others surrounded Yuyutsu. O Kouravya, Uloopi, the daughter of the serpent, entered the Ganges.
17-1-026
चित्राङ्गदा ययौ चापि मणिपूरपुरं प्रति
शिष्टाः परिक्षितं त्वन्या मातरः पर्यवारयन्
And Citrāṅgada went to the city of Manipura. The other mothers surrounded Parikshit.
17-1-027
पाण्डवाश्च महात्मानो द्रौपदी च यशस्विनी
कृतोपवासाः कौरव्य प्रययुः प्राङ्मुखास्ततः
The great-souled Pandavas and the glorious Droupadi, having fasted, O descendant of the Kuru lineage, went towards the east.
17-1-028
योगयुक्ता महात्मानस्त्यागधर्ममुपेयुषः
अभिजग्मुर्बहून्देशान्सरितः पर्वतांस्तथा
The great souls who were engaged in yoga and had adopted the virtue of renunciation, went to many countries, rivers, and mountains.
17-1-029
युधिष्ठिरो ययावग्रे भीमस्तु तदनन्तरम्
अर्जुनस्तस्य चान्वेव यमौ चैव यथाक्रमम्
Yudhishthira went in front, then Bhima, then Arjuna, then the twins in order.
17-1-030
पृष्ठतस्तु वरारोहा श्यामा पद्मदलेक्षणा
द्रौपदी योषितां श्रेष्ठा ययौ भरतसत्तम
The beautiful one with eyes like lotus petals, Droupadi, the best of women, went behind, O best of the Bharatas.
17-1-031
श्वा चैवानुययावेकः पाण्डवान्प्रस्थितान्वने
क्रमेण ते ययुर्वीरा लौहित्यं सलिलार्णवम्
And a dog followed them alone, as the Pandavas set out for the forest. In due course, those heroes went to the ocean of water called Lauhitya.
17-1-032
गाण्डीवं च धनुर्दिव्यं न मुमोच धनंजयः
रत्नलोभान्महाराज तौ चाक्षय्यौ महेषुधी
And the divine bow Gandiva, the son of Pandu did not release. And those two inexhaustible quivers, O great king, out of greed for jewels.
17-1-033
अग्निं ते ददृशुस्तत्र स्थितं शैलमिवाग्रतः
मार्गमावृत्य तिष्ठन्तं साक्षात्पुरुषविग्रहम्
They saw Agni there, standing in front of them like a mountain, obstructing the path, standing in the form of a man.
17-1-034
ततो देवः स सप्तार्चिः पाण्डवानिदमब्रवीत्
भो भो पाण्डुसुता वीराः पावकं मां विबोधत
Then the seven-rayed god spoke to the Pandavas: "O heroes, sons of Pandu, know me, the fire."
17-1-035
युधिष्ठिर महाबाहो भीमसेन परंतप
अर्जुनाश्विसुतौ वीरौ निबोधत वचो मम
O mighty-armed Yudhishthira, O Bhīmasena, O scorcher of enemies, O heroes, sons of Ārjuna and Āshva, listen to my words.
17-1-036
अहमग्निः कुरुश्रेष्ठा मया दग्धं च खाण्डवम्
अर्जुनस्य प्रभावेण तथा नारायणस्य च
I am Agni, O best of the Kurus, I burned down Khandava By the power of Arjuna and Narayana.
17-1-037
अयं वः फल्गुनो भ्राता गाण्डीवं परमायुधम्
परित्यज्य वनं यातु नानेनार्थोऽस्ति कश्चन
This your brother Phalguna, having abandoned the Gandīva bow, the supreme weapon, should go to the forest. There is no use for it at all.
17-1-038
चक्ररत्नं तु यत्कृष्णे स्थितमासीन्महात्मनि
गतं तच्च पुनर्हस्ते कालेनैष्यति तस्य ह
The Wheel-gem, which was in the possession of the great soul Kṛṣṇa, has gone back to his hand. It will come again in due time.
17-1-039
वरुणादाहृतं पूर्वं मयैतत्पार्थकारणात्
गाण्डीवं कार्मुकश्रेष्ठं वरुणायैव दीयताम्
This bow, the best of bows, was formerly brought by me from Varuna for the sake of Partha. Let it be given back to Varuna.
17-1-040
ततस्ते भ्रातरः सर्वे धनंजयमचोदयन्
स जले प्राक्षिपत्तत्तु तथाक्षय्यौ महेषुधी
Then all those brothers urged Dhananjaya He threw them into the water, as well as the inexhaustible great arrows.
17-1-041
ततोऽग्निर्भरतश्रेष्ठ तत्रैवान्तरधीयत
ययुश्च पाण्डवा वीरास्ततस्ते दक्षिणामुखाः
Then, O best of Bharatas, the fire disappeared right there. And the heroic Pandavas went from there, facing south.
17-1-042
ततस्ते तूत्तरेणैव तीरेण लवणाम्भसः
जग्मुर्भरतशार्दूल दिशं दक्षिणपश्चिमम्
Then, on the northern shore of the salt ocean, they went in the southwest direction, O tiger among men.
17-1-043
ततः पुनः समावृत्ताः पश्चिमां दिशमेव ते
ददृशुर्द्वारकां चापि सागरेण परिप्लुताम्
Then they turned back again, heading towards the west. They saw Dvārakā, which was being flooded by the ocean.
17-1-044
उदीचीं पुनरावृत्त्य ययुर्भरतसत्तमाः
प्रादक्षिण्यं चिकीर्षन्तः पृथिव्या योगधर्मिणः
Having turned to the north, the best of the Bharatas went, Wishing to perform a circumambulation of the earth, which was endowed with the qualities of yoga.