Northern Path of the Mahāprasthāna

The northern path of the Mahāprasthāna (“the great departure”) is the last stretch of the Pāṇḍavas’ journey to the higher world. It leads from the plains over the Himavat, across a great sea of sand, toward Meru, the greatest of mountains. On this lonely and holy road Draupadī and the four younger brothers fell one by one, until Yudhishṭhira alone was left to be taken up in his mortal body.

The course of the ascent

The Pāṇḍavas gave up the Gāṇḍīva bow on the shore of the Lauhitya. They then went round the coast, past Dvārakā, which the sea had swallowed. Keeping to the dharma of yoga and wishing to walk round the whole earth, they turned toward the north.

Their minds were steady and unmoving as they travelled north, and they saw the mighty Himavat. They crossed even that great range and came upon a vast sea of sand, a barren stretch of land before them. Beyond it they saw Meru, the best of mountains, the axis toward which the ascent is made.

The region of the falling

On this northern stretch the travellers pressed on quickly, and the falls came one after another. As their yoga grew weak, Draupadī was the first to sink to the ground. Then, in turn, Sahadeva, Nakula, Arjuna and Bhīma fell. Yudhishṭhira named a particular fault for each of them. He did not turn back. He went on, with only the dog following him.

Here Indra’s chariot came down to carry Yudhishṭhira upward. Here too the being in the form of the dog showed himself as Dharma, who is also called Yama. (Mahābhārata, Mahāprasthānika Parva, Chapter 2)

Sources

• Mahābhārata, Mahāprasthānika Parva, Chapter 2