well versed with the changes brought about by time, did not
listen to their counsels. Possessed of righteous soul, he persuaded the
people to sanction his views. He then set his heart on leaving the world.
His brothers also formed the same resolution. Then Dharma's son,
Yudhishthira, the king of the Kurus, casting off his ornaments, wore
barks of trees. Bhima and Arjuna and the twins, and Draupadi also of
great fame, similarly clad themselves in bark of trees, O king. Having
caused the preliminary rites of religion, O chief of Bharata's race, which
were to bless them in the accomplishment of their design, those foremost
of men cast off their sacred fires into the water. The ladies, beholding
the princes in that guise, wept aloud. They seemed to look as they had
looked in days before, when with Draupadi forming the sixth in number
they set out from the capital after their defeat at dice. The brothers,
however, were all very cheerful at the prospect of retirement.
Ascertaining the intentions of Yudhishthira and seeing the destruction of
the Vrishnis, no other course of action could please them then.

"'The five brothers, with Draupadi forming the sixth, and a dog forming
the seventh, set out on their journey. Indeed, even thus did king
Yudhishthira depart, himself the head of a party of seven, from the city
named after the elephant. The citizens and the ladies of the royal
household followed them for some distance. None of them, however, could
venture to address the king for persuading him to give up his intention.
The denizens of the city then returned; Kripa and others stood around
Yuyutsu as their centre. Ulupi, the daughter of the Naga chief, O thou of
Kunti's race, entered the waters of Ganga. The princess Chitrangada set
out for the capital of Manipura. The other ladies who were the
grandmothers of Parikshit centered around him. Meanwhile the high-souled
Pandavas, O thou of Kuru's race, and Draupadi of great fame, having
observed the preliminary fast, set out with their faces towards the east.
Setting themselves on Yoga, those high-souled ones, resolved to observe
the religion of Renunciation, traversed through various countries and
reached diverse rivers and seas. Yudhishthira, proceeded first. Behind
him was Bhima; next walked Arjuna; after him were the twins in the order
of their birth; behind them all, O foremost one of Bharata's race,
proceeded Draupadi, that first of women, possessed of great beauty, of
dark c