Yudhishṭhira at Rāmatīrtha

During the Kurukshetra war, Yudhishṭhira told Droṇa that Aśvatthāmā had been killed, so that Droṇa would put down his weapons. After the war this pāpa (sin) stopped his crowning as king. The Setu Māhātmya of the Skanda Purāṇa tells how he was freed from it by bathing for a month at Rāmatīrtha, the sacred lake at Setu.

The war and Droṇa

Droṇāchārya was the great teacher in arms of both the Pāṇḍavas and the Kauravas. In the Kurukshetra war he fought on the side of the Kauravas. His skill with the bow and his command of divine weapons were destroying the Pāṇḍava armies. Neither Arjuna nor any other Pāṇḍava warrior could overcome him. The fighting between Droṇa and the Pāṇḍava forces went on for five days after the fall of Bhīshma. In that time Droṇa killed great numbers of soldiers and overpowered Arjuna more than once. (Skanda Mahā Purāṇa, Brahma Khaṇḍa, Setu Māhātmya, Chapter 18)

Kṛshṇa’s plan

Bhagavān Kṛshṇa saw that Droṇa could not be beaten by force or by dharmic means, and he made a plan. He told the Pāṇḍavas: “Droṇa will put down his weapons only if he believes that his son Aśvatthāmā has been killed in battle. He would not trust an ordinary report. But if Yudhishṭhira, who is known as the one speaker of truth in the world, says it, Droṇa will believe him.”

Bhagavān Kṛshṇa proposed that Bhīma first kill an elephant named Aśvatthāmā. Then Yudhishṭhira would tell Droṇa: “Aśvatthāmā has fallen in battle.” (Skanda Mahā Purāṇa, Brahma Khaṇḍa, Setu Māhātmya, Chapter 18)

Yudhishṭhira’s trouble and his untruth

Yudhishṭhira was deeply troubled. He knew that a false word would make his chariot come down to the earth. Until then it had hovered a few inches above the ground because of his perfect truthfulness. He was pulled between his duty to win a just war and his lifelong vow of truth.

In the end, under the pressure of Bhagavān Kṛshṇa’s advice and the urgency of the battle, he called out to Droṇa in a loud voice: “Aśvatthāmā has been killed.” He meant the elephant. Then he added, very softly, “the elephant.”

Droṇa believed the first words. He thought his dear son was dead, and he laid down his weapons. At that moment Dhṛshṭadyumna, who had been born to kill Droṇa, cut off his head. (Skanda Mahā Purāṇa, Brahma Khaṇḍa, Setu Māhātmya, Chapter 18)

The voice from the sky

The war ended in victory for the Pāṇḍavas. As Yudhishṭhira’s crowning as king was being prepared, an āśarīravāṇī (a voice from the sky with no body) spoke:

“O Dharmaputra! O great one! O one who is kind even to enemies! You should not be crowned as king. You are not fit to be king. You caused an ācārya (a teacher) who had laid down his weapons to be killed by an untruth. Because of this, O son of Dharma, you have great pāpa. Without doing prāyashchitta (atonement) for it, you have no right to rule.”

Yudhishṭhira was deeply shaken. He grieved over what he had done and asked for counsel. (Skanda Mahā Purāṇa, Brahma Khaṇḍa, Setu Māhātmya, Chapter 18)

Vyāsa sends him to Rāmatīrtha

Yudhishṭhira turned to Kṛshṇadvaipāyana Vyāsa, who came to him. Vyāsa heard all that the voice from the sky had said. After deep thought he told Yudhishṭhira:

“O king, do not be afraid. I will tell you the way. At Rāmasetu in the south, on the mountain Gandhamādana, there is Rāmatīrtha, a supremely sacred lake that destroys all mahāpātakas (the greatest pāpas). Even the sight of it destroys crores of mahāpātakas, as the rising sun destroys darkness. Go there, bathe, and give dāna (gifts) of cows, land, sesame, cloth and gold. Your pāpa will be destroyed and you will gain the right to rule.”

(Skanda Mahā Purāṇa, Brahma Khaṇḍa, Setu Māhātmya, Chapter 18)

The pilgrimage and the freedom from pāpa

Yudhishṭhira set out at once for Rāmasetu, on foot. He went with Dhaumya and his brothers, and left Sahadeva in charge of the kingdom. He came to Setu and reached Rāmatīrtha. Following Vyāsa’s words and Dhaumya’s guidance, he made the saṅkalpa (the solemn vow of purpose) and bathed in Rāmatīrtha. He bathed there every day for one month. Each day he gave generous dāna to brāhmaṇas without holding back.

After a month the voice from the sky spoke to Yudhishṭhira again: “O king, all your pāpa is gone. The pāpa of untruth and the pāpa of the ācārya’s death have all been destroyed. You are pure. Go to your kingdom and be crowned as king. You are fit to rule.”

Yudhishṭhira bowed down towards the voice and returned to Hastināpura. There he was crowned and ruled with righteousness. (Skanda Mahā Purāṇa, Brahma Khaṇḍa, Setu Māhātmya, Chapter 18)

Sources

• Skanda Mahā Purāṇa, Brahma Khaṇḍa, Setu Māhātmya, Chapter 18