Page:The Mahabharata (Kishori Mohan Gangopadhyay, First Edition) Volume 17.djvu/14

2 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 Vāsudeva of great intelligence, as also his old maternal uncle, and Rāma and others. He then duly performed the Crāddhas of all those deceased kinsmen of his. The king, in honor of Hari and naming him repeatedly, fed the Island-born Vyāsa, and Nārada, and Mārkandeya possessed of wealth of penances, and Yājnavalkya of Bharadwāja's race, with many delicious viands. In honor 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 Brāhmanas. Summoning the citizens, Kripa was installed as the preceptor and Parikshit was made over to him as his disciple, O chief of Bharata's 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 king's 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 Dharma's 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 barks of trees, O king. Having caused the preliminary rites of religion, O chief of Bharata's 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 prices 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 had set out of 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