Mahaprasthanika Parva
This is the 17th of the 18 Maha Parvas as well as the 94th of the 100 Upa Parvas of Vyasa Mahabharata. As the name suggests, this Parva describes the last great journey of the Pandavas along with Draupadi. Hearing the news about the club fight and the demise of Krishna, Yudhishthira decides to take the last journey. Together with his brothers, Draupadi and a dog, he makes his last journey towards Mount Meru. On the way, one by one, Draupadi, Sahadeva, Nakula, Arjuna and Bhima fall dead. When Indra comes with his chariot to take Yudhishthira to his realm, Yudhishthira was ready to reject the higher realms when his dog was not allowed to go with him.
This Maha Parva has only one Upa Parva of the same name, and has a total of 106 Shlokas organized into 3 Chapters. While the number of Chapters in the Parva is the same in all Recensions, the number of Shlokas differ (108 according to Nilakantha Recension, 111 according to the Kumbhakonam Recension and 114 according to the Southern Recension).
Chapter 1
This Chapter has a total of 44 (44 according to Nilakantha Recension, 47 according to Kumbhakonam Recension and 51 according to the Southern Recension) Shlokas.
After hearing about the great fight among the Vrishnis, Yudhishthira decides on the journey (प्रस्थान्). Yudhishthira tells Arjuna that he intends to stop doing anything (कर्मन्यास). He gives away his kingdom to Yuyutsu (Dhritarashtra’s bastard son), anoints Arjuna’s grandson Parikshit as the king, asks Kripa to take Parikshitas his disciple, and instructs Subhadra (Arjuna’s wife and Parikshit’s grandmother) to stay back. All the five Pandavas and Draupadi wear Valkala garments, and set out after performing their own last rites (इष्टिं नैष्ठिकीं). A dog follows them on their last journey.
Everyone except Arjuna was journeying without any weapons. Then Agni appears to them in the form of a giant, blocking their path, and tells them that Arjuna must leave his Gandiva and the inexhaustible quiver since they have to be returned to Varuna from whom they were obtained during the burning of the Khandava forest, and Arjuna will not be needing them any more. Insisted by his brothers, Arjuna then throws the bow and the quiver into the waters.
Chapter 2
This Chapter has a total of 26 Shlokas, according to all Recensions including the Critical Edition.
On their way to Mount Meru, one by one, every one except Yudhishthira fall down. Every time someone falls dead, Bhimasena asks Yudhishthira the reasons for their untimely death. According to Yudhishthira, the faults of Draupadi, Sahadeva, Nakula, Arjuna and Bhimasena, respectively were: Draupadi was greatly partial to Arjuna (पक्षपातॊ महानस्या विशॆषॆण धनंजयॆ), Sahadeva was proud of himself and thought that there was no one equal to him in intelligence (आत्मनः सदृशं प्राज्ञं नैशॊऽमन्यत कं चन), Nakula believed that there is no one equal to him in beauty (रूपॆण मत्समॊ नास्ति कश्चिदित्यस्य दर्शनं। अधिकश्चाहमॆवैक इत्यस्य मनसि स्थितं॥), Arjuna had promised that he will win all the enemies within one day but failed to do so (ऎकाह्ना निर्दहॆयं वै शत्रूनित्यर्जुनॊऽब्रवीत्। न च तत्कृतवानॆष शूरमानी ततॊऽपतत्॥), Bhimasena used to eat too much and brag about his strength (अतिभुक्तं च भवता प्राणॆन च विजत्थसॆ। अनवॆक्ष्य परं पार्थ तॆनासि पतितः क्षितौ॥). The dog follows Yudhishthira.
Chapter 3
This Chapter has a total of 36 (38 according to the Kumbhakonam, Nilakantha and the Southern Recensions) Shlokas.
Indra arrives and asks Yudhishthira to ascend his divine chariot. Yudhishthira requests him to allow his brothers and Draupadi too to accompany to the heavens. But Indra tells him that they have already reached the heavens and he is capable of reaching the heavens with his earthly body. Yudhishthira furthers asks Indra’s permission to take the dog with him. When the dog was denied, Yudhishthira protest saying that it is difficult for him to abandon the dog which has been faithful to him and he will even reject the heavens if he has to abandon the dog (अनार्यमार्यॆण सहस्रनॆत्र शक्यं कर्तुं दुष्करमॆतदार्य। मा मॆ श्रिया संगमनं तयास्तु यस्याः कृतॆ भत्कजनं त्यजॆयम्॥). Indrafurther tells him that the giving, sacrifices and oblations witnessed by a dog are stolen by the Krodhavasha Rakshasas (शुना दृष्टं कोधवशा हरंति यद्धत्तमिष्टं विवृतमथॊ हुतं च।) and he should reject the dog now. Yudhishthira then, tells Indra - abandoning the faithful is equal to the four sins of giving away the surrendered to the enemy, killing a woman, stealing from a Brahmin, and enmity towards friends (प्रतिप्रधानं शरणागतस्य स्त्रिया वधॊ ब्राह्मणस्वापहारः। मित्रद्रॊहस्तानि चत्वारि शक्र भक्तत्यागश्चैव समॊ मतॊ मॆ॥). Then lord Dharma, who had assumed the form of that dog, appears in his true form, and praises Yudhishthira for his steadfastness, and this was another test of his righteousness. Yudhishthira is then taken to the heavens.
Narada sings praises of Yudhishthira saying that he has surpassed the fames of all the Rajarshis who had hitherto arrived in the heavens, and he has never heard of anyone except Yudhishthira who has reached heavens with his own body (स्वशरीरॆण संप्राप्तं नान्यं शुश्रुम पांडवात्।). Yudhishthira insists that he wants to go to the heavenly regions where his brothers and Draupadi have reached.
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