Mahaprasthanika Parwa: The Last Journey of the Pandavas

King Yudhishthira received news of a massacre among the Vrishni people and that Krishna had ascended to heaven. Facing the reality that the end had come, Yudhishthira and his brothers decided to leave this world. They entrusted the administration to Yuyutsu, the son of their uncle, who was assigned to oversee the Kaurava kingdom, while Parikshit was appointed as king.

After arranging everything, Yudhishthira performed the Sraddha ceremony to honor the souls of deceased family members and gave various gifts to the Brahmins, including gemstones, clothing, land, horses, chariots, and servants. He also announced that Kripa would be the royal teacher and Parikshit his student, as well as their intention to withdraw to the eternal realm. Despite the deep sorrow and disagreement of the people, Yudhishthira and his brothers proceeded with their decision.

Pandavas begin their journey (Sources : Personal Collection)

They shed their royal garments and donned coverings made of bark, then began their journey to the eternal realm accompanied by a faithful dog. The party traversed various countries, rivers, oceans, and forests until they reached the red-colored sea. In the midst of the sea, they saw a towering fire. The fire turned out to be the god Agni. The Fire God requested Arjuna to throw his divine bow, Gandiva, into the sea, stating that the weapons would return to their place when the time was right. Arjuna complied and cast his bow into the sea, after which the god Agni disappeared.

Arjuna Throws Gandiwa's Magical Weapon into the Sea (Source: Private Collection)

The journey continued towards the south and west until they reached the southern coast and saw that the city of Dwaraka had submerged due to the rising tide. Despite the city's destruction, they continued their journey north, leaving the sunken Dwaraka behind, with the resolve to traverse the world until their last breath.

In the north, Yudhishthira and his brothers reached the Himalayas, then crossed vast deserts until they saw the peak of Mount Meru. They continued their journey with deep yogic focus, but Draupadi fell and died. Bhima asked why Draupadi, who was innocent, perished, and Yudhishthira explained that she received the reward for her love of Arjuna.

The journey continued, and Sahadeva also fell and died. Yudhishthira mentioned that Sahadeva had been too proud of his own intelligence, and thus had to pay for his arrogance.

Nakula also fell, dying because of his excessive pride in his appearance. Yudhishthira explained that Nakula had to face the consequences of his vanity.

Arjuna, after seeing his brothers fall, could no longer continue the journey and eventually collapsed. Yudhishthira explained that Arjuna had failed to fulfill his promise to destroy his enemies in one day and, therefore, had to bear the consequences of underestimating other archers.

Not long after, Bhima finally fell for the last time. Bhima asked Yudhishthira about his fate. Yudhishthira explained that Bhima had been too focused on food and physical strength, which caused him to only last up to that point. Finally, Yudhishthira continued the journey alone, accompanied only by a loyal dog.

The Emergence of God Indra and God Dharma (Source: Personal Collection)

Not long after their journey, the god Indra appeared and invited Yudhishthira to ascend to the celestial chariot. However, Yudhishthira refused because all his brothers and Draupadi had fallen. He insisted that Draupadi and his loyal dog should be taken to heaven as well. Indra explained that his brothers and Krishna had already reached heaven, and that a place in heaven was not available for those with a dog. Yudhishthira still refused to abandon his dog, adhering to the principles of loyalty and protection for those in need. Suddenly, the dog transformed into the god Dharma, who acknowledged Yudhishthira’s virtue and praised him for his loyalty and righteousness. The god Dharma declared that Yudhishthira was worthy of achieving the highest glory and bliss.

Yudisthira is in Heaven (Source: Personal Collection)

Accompanied by the gods and rishis, Yudhishthira ascended to the celestial chariot and soared into the sky with radiant light. Narada and the gods praised Yudhishthira as the greatest of all kings and sages. Although highly revered in heaven, Yudhishthira still expressed his desire to be with his brothers and Draupadi. He stated that he wanted no other place than where they were. Indra affirmed that Yudhishthira had reached the highest level and should be content with his achievement. However, Yudhishthira remained determined to join his brothers and Draupadi, which became his ultimate goal.