Chapter 127
“Vaisampayana continued, ‘Dhritarashtra then said, ‘O Vidura, celebratethe funeral ceremonies of that lion among kings viz., Pandu, and of Madrialso, in right royal style. For the good of their souls, distributecattle, cloths, gems and diverse kinds of wealth, every one receiving asmuch as he asketh for.
Make arrangements also for Kunti’s performing thelast rites of Madri in such a style as pleaseth her. And let Madri’s bodybe so carefully wrapped up that neither the Sun nor Vayu (god of wind)may behold it. Lament not for the sinless Pandu. He was a worthy king andhath left behind him five heroic sons equal unto the celestialsthemselves.’
“Vaisampayana continued, ‘Then Vidura, O Bharata, saying, ‘So be it,’ inconsultation with Bhishma, fixed upon a sacred spot for the funeral ritesof Pandu. The family priests went out of the city without loss of time,carrying with them the blazing sacred fire fed with clarified butter andrendered fragrant therewith. Then friends, relatives, and adherents,wrapping it up in cloth, decked the body of the monarch with the flowersof the season and sprinkled various excellent perfumes over it. And theyalso decked the hearse itself with garlands and rich hangings. Thenplacing the covered body of the king with that of his queen on thatexcellent bier decked out so brightly, they caused it to be carried onhuman shoulders. With the white umbrella (of state) held over the hearsewith waving yak-tails and sounds of various musical instruments, thewhole scene looked bright and grand. Hundreds of people began todistribute gems among the crowd on the occasion of the funeral rites ofthe king. At length some beautiful robes, and white umbrellas and largeryak-tails, were brought for the great ceremony. The priests clad in whitewalked in the van of the procession pouring libations of clarified butteron the sacred fire blazing in an ornamental vessel. And Brahmanas, andKshatriyas, and Vaisyas, and Sudras by thousands followed the deceasedking, loudly wailing in these accents, ‘O prince, where dost thou go,leaving us behind, and making us forlorn and wretched for ever?’ AndBhishma, and Vidura, and the Pandavas, also all wept aloud. At last theycame to a romantic wood on the banks of the Ganga. There they laid downthe hearse on which the truthful and lion-hearted prince and his spouselay. Then they brought water in many golden vessels, washed the prince’sbody besmeared before with several kinds of fragrant paste, and againsmeared it over with sandal paste. They then dressed it in a white dressmade of indigenous fabrics. And with the new suit on, the king seemed asif he was living and only sleeping on a costly bed.
“When the other funeral ceremonies also were finished in consonance withthe directions of the priests, the Kauravas set fire to the dead bodiesof the king and the queen, bringing lotuses, sandal-paste, and otherfragrant substances to the pyre.
“Then seeing the bodies aflame, Kausalya burst out, ‘O my son, myson!’–and fell down senseless on the ground. And seeing her down thecitizens and the inhabitants of the provinces began to wail from griefand affection for their king. And the birds of the air and the beasts ofthe field were touched by the lamentations of Kunti. And Bhishma, the sonof Santanu, and the wise Vidura, and the others also that were there,became disconsolate.
“Thus weeping, Bhishma, Vidura, Dhritarashtra, the Pandavas and the Kuruladies, all performed the watery ceremony of the king. And when all thiswas over, the people, themselves filled with sorrow, began to console thebereaved sons of Pandu. And the Pandavas with their friends began tosleep on the ground. Seeing this the Brahmanas and the other citizensalso renounced their beds. Young and old, all the citizens grieved onaccount of the sons of king Pandu, and passed twelve days in mourningwith the weeping Pandavas.'”
