is what I have heard from the ascetics dwelling on
the banks of Ganga. United with that (sacred)
fire of his own, O chief of the Bharatas, the king,
as I have already said unto thee, met with death on
the banks of Ganga. O sinless one, this is what
the ascetics have told me,—those,
viz.,
whom I saw on the banks of the sacred Bhagirathi, O
Yudhishthira. Thus O lord of Earth, king Dhritarashtra,
coming into contact with his own sacred fire, departed
from this world and attained to that high goal that
has been his. Through service rendered by her
to her seniors, thy mother, O lord of men, has attained
to very great success. There is not the slightest
doubt of this. It behoveth thee, O king of kings,
to now discharge the rites of water to their honour,
with all thy brothers. Let, therefore, the necessary
steps be taken towards that end.’
“Vaisampayana continued,—’Then
that lord of Earth, that foremost of men, that upholder
of the burthens of the Pandavas, went out, accompanied
by all his brothers as well as the ladies of his household.
The inhabitants of the city as also those of the provinces,
impelled by their loyalty, also went out. They
all proceeded towards the banks of Ganga, every one
clad in only single peace of raiment. Then all
those foremost of men, having plunged into the stream,
placed Yuyutsu at their head, and began to offer oblations
of water unto the high-souled king. And they also
gave similar oblations unto Gandhari and Pritha, naming
each separately and mentioning their families.
Having finished those rites that cleanse the living,
they came back but without entering their capital took
up their residence outside of it. They also despatched
a number of trusted people well conversant with the
ordinances relating to the cremation of the dead,
to Gangadwara where the old king had been burnt to
death. The king, having rewarded those men beforehand,
commanded them to accomplish those rites of cremation
which the bodies of Dhritarashtra and Gandhari and
Kunti still awaited.[62] On twelfth day, the king,
properly purified, duly performed the Sraddhas of
his deceased relations, which were characterised by
gifts in abundance. Referring to Dhritarashtra,
Yudhishthira made many gifts of gold and silver, of
kine and costly beds. Uttering the names of Gandhari
and Pritha, the king, endued with great energy, made
many excellent gifts. Every man received what
thing he wished and as much of it as he wished.
Beds and food, and cars and conveyances, and jewels
and gems, and other wealth were given away in profusion.
Indeed, the king referring to his two mothers, gave
away cars and conveyances, robes and coverlets, various
kinds of food, and female slaves adorned with diverse
ornaments. Having thus made many kinds of gifts
in profusion, that lord of Earth then entered his capital
called after the elephant. Those men who had
gone to the banks of Ganga at the command of the king,
having disposed of (by cremation) the remains of the
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