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अश्वमेधिकपर्व (azvamedhikaparva)

 
Mahabharata
English
Aśvamedhika(ṃ) parva(n) (“the section treating of the Horse-sacrifice, ” the 93rd of the minor parvans of Mhbhr.
cf. Āśvamedhika(ṃ) parva(n)). § 778: Vaiśampāyana said (XIV, 1): After Dhṛtarāshṭra had offered libations of water [to Bhīshma], Yudhishṭhira fell down in grief on the bank of Gaṅgā. Incited by Kṛshṇa, Bhīma took him up, surrounded by the Pāṇḍavas
Dhṛtarāshṭra comforts him, saying that it is he and Gāndhārī who ought to grieve, and referring to Vidura's advice about abandoning Duryodhana and his warnings against Karṇa and Śakuni (XIV, 1). Kṛshṇa also exhorts him, referring to the duties of the kshattriyas expounded by Bhīshma, Vyāsa, Nārada, and Vidura. Yudhishṭhira cannot forget the slaughter of Karṇa. Vyāsa also comforts him (XIV, 2), and reminding him that D. and As. perform sacrifices, and that by sacrifices D. vanquished Dā., he urged him to perform the Rājasūya, the Horse-sacrifice, the Sarvamedha, and the Naramedha
[especially]
the Horse-sacrifice after the example of Rāma Dāśarathi and Bharata Daushmanti, and indicated to him a spot in the Himavat, where there was gold in abundance, left behind by the brahmans at the sacrifice of Marutta of the Karandhama race. Asked by Yudhishṭhira, Vyāsa told the history of Marutta (XIV, 3) ** i.e. Saṃvartta-Maruttīya (b). Vaiśampāyana said: † Yudhishṭhira was delighted at hearing the speech of Vyāsa, and desirous of performing his sacrifices with those riches, he consulted with his ministers (XIV, 4--10).--§ 779: Vaiśampāyana said: When Vyāsa had concluded his speech, Kṛshṇa addressed Yudhishṭhira, saying that Yudhishṭhira's karman has not yet been annihilated, nor had his foes been subjugated--“How canst thou be ignorant of the enemies in thy own flesh?”--and related the history of Indra's war with Vṛtra (b) (XIV, 11). Kṛshṇa then expounds that, as physical ailments and health depend on the distribution of the cold, warm, and windy [humours]
of the body, so do the mental ailments and health depend on sattva, rajas, and tamas in the soul [mind]
happiness is overcome by sorrow, and sorrow by pleasure
Yudhishṭhira should not recall his past sorrows: Kṛshṇā in the assembly, etc. ()
“the time has now come when thou must fight single-handed with thy mind” (XIV, 12)
salvation is not attained by foregoing external things
Mṛtyu (death) is [the thought]
“mine, ” and the eternal Brāhman is [the thought]
“not mine”
as no creature is ever destroyed, ahiṃsā (absence of injury) may exist even when one has pierced [a creature's]
body, and vice versa
(† v. 339--341): † the yogin knows yoga to be the perfect way, on account of the practices of his many former births
quoting the old verses sung by Kāma: “no creature is able to destroy me without [resorting to]
the [proper]
methods [i.e. subjugation of all desires, practice of yoga, etc.]…” (XIV, 13).--§ 780: Vaiśampāyana said: Thus Yudhishṭhira was consoled, exhorted by Vishṭaraśravas, etc. ()
and having again performed the obsequial rites for his relatives, etc., he ruled the earth. He said to Vyāsa, Nārada, etc., that he would now perform the sacrifice, and said that they would go to the Himālaya under the protection of Vyāsa [to fetch the gold], according to the words of Vyāsa, D.-ṛ. Nārada, and Devasthāna. Then M.-ṛ. took leave of Yudhishṭhira, Kṛshṇa, and Arjuna. A short time passed away while they performed their purifications after Bhīshma's death, and gave large gifts to the brahmans as śrāddha (aurddhvadehikaṃ) to the Kurus Bhīshma, Karṇa, etc., accompanied by Dhṛtarāshṭra, and then they entered the city of Hāstinapura (XIV, 14).--§ 781: Asked by Janamejaya what Kṛshṇa and Arjuna did when the Pāṇḍavas had reconquered and pacified their kingdom, Vaiśampāyana said: When the Pāṇḍava-kingdom had been conquered and pacified K. and A. travelled with great pleasure amidst picturesque sceneries, like Indra and his wife (?, so PCR.) (deveśvarau) in heaven, or like the Aśvins in Nandana, and [then]
entered the palace of Indraprastha in great merriment, reciting the genealogies of Ṛ. and gods, etc., and Kṛshṇa consoled Arjuna for the death of his relatives (). It was long since he had seen Vasudeva, Baladeva, and the Vṛshṇiheroes
he, therefore, asked leave to go to Dvāravatī, and to accompany him to Yudhishṭhira and apprise him of his departure. († v. 404--6): Arjuna sorrowfully replied, “Be it so” (XIV, 15).