Narada said The king has not been burnt to death by an unsanctified fire. I have heard this there. I tell you, O Bharata, such has not been the fate of Vaichitravirya.

We have heard that when the old king gifted with great intelligence and living on air alone entered the forest (after his return from Gangadvara), he caused his sacrificial fires to be duly ignited. Having performed is sacred rites there with, be abandoned them all.

Then the Yajaka Brahmanas he had with him cast off those fires in a solitary part of the forest and went away as they liked, O foremost one of Bharata's race.

The fire that cast off grew in the forest. It then produced a general conflagration in the forest. This is what I have heard from the ascetics living 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 to you, 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 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 end that has been his.

Through service rendered by her to her seniors, your mother, O king, has acquired very great success. There is not the slightest doubt of this.

You should, O king of kings, now perform the rites of water to their honour with all your brothers. Let, therefore, the necessary steps be taken.

Vaishampayana said Then that lord of Earth, that foremost of men, that upholder of the burthens of the Pandavas, wen tout, accompanied by all his brother as well as the ladies of his household.

The inhabitants of the city as also those of the provinces, actuated by their loyalty, also went out. They all proceeded towards the banks of Ganga, every one clad on only a single piece of cloth.

Then all those foremost of men having plunged into the river, placed Yuyutsu at their head, and began to offer oblations of water to the grant king. And they also gave similar oblations to Gandhari and Pritha, naming each separately and mentioning their families.

Having finished those rites which purify the living, they returned but without entering their capital lived outside of it. They also sent a number of trusted people well conversant with the ordinances relating to the cremation of the dead, to Gangadvara where the old king had been burnt to death.

The king, having rewarded those men beforehand, commanded them to perform those rites of cremation which the bodies of Dhritarashtra and Gandhari and Kunti still awaited.

On the twelfth day, the king, properly purified, duly performed the Shraddhas of his deceased relations, which were marked by profuse gifts.

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, gifted with great energy, made many excellent gifts.

Every man received what thing he wished and as much of it as he wished, Beds and foods, and cars and conveyances, and jewels and gems, and other wealth were given away profusely.

Indeed, the king, referring to his two mothers, gave away cars and conveyances, dresses and coverlets, various kind of food, and female slaves adorned with various ornaments.

Having thus made many kinds of gift in profusion, that king then entered his capital named Histinapur.

Those men, men who had gone to the banks of Ganga at the command of the king, having disposed of (by cremation) the remains of the king and the two queens, returned to the city.

Having duly honoured those remains with garlands and scents of various kinds and disposed of them, they informed Yudhishthria of the accomplishment of their task.

FINISH AHSRAN The great Rishi Narada, having comforted king Yudhishthira of righteous soul, went away to where he liked.

Thus did king Dhritarashtra make his departure from this world after having passed three years in the forest and fifteen years in the city.

Having lost all his children in battle, he had made many gifts in honour of his kinsmen, relatives, and friends, his brothers and own people.

King Yudhishthira, after the death of his uncle, became very cheerless. Deprived of his kinsmen and relatives, he somehow bore the burthen of sovereignty. JAVASIKA PARVA