Vaisampayana said, “The magnanimous monarch pursued his journey, and at
different spots on the shore of the sea visited the various bathing
places, all sacred and pleasant and frequented by men of the sacerdotal
caste. And O son of Parikshit! He in proper form took his bath in them
together with his younger brothers and then went to an excellent river,
the holiest of all. There also the magnanimous king, took his plunge, and
offered libations to his forefathers and the gods, and distributed riches
to the leaders of the twice-born class. Then he went to the Godavari, a
river that falls directly into the sea. There he was freed from his sins.
And he reached the sea in the Dravida land, and visited the holy spot
passing under Agastya’s name, which was exceedingly sacred and
exceptionally pure. And the valiant king visited the feminine sacred
spots. Here he listened to the story of that well-known feat which was
achieved by Arjuna, chief of all wielders of the bow, and which was
beyond the power of human beings to perform. And here he was praised by
the highest members of the saintly class, and the son of Pandu
experienced the greatest delight. And, O protector of the earth! the
ruler of the world, accompanied by Krishna bathed in those holy spots,
and speaking of Arjuna’s valour in laudatory terms delightfully spent his
time in the place. Then he gave away thousands of cows at those holy
spots on the coast of the sea; and with his brothers narrated well
pleased how Arjuna had made a gift of kine. And he, O king! visited one
by one those holy places on the coast of the sea and many other sacred
spots, and thus fulfilled his heart’s desire, till he came to the holiest
of all known by the name of Suparaka. Then having crossed a certain tract
on the coast of the sea, he reached a forest celebrated on earth. There
the deities had practised asceticism in former days, and likewise
virtuous rulers of men had performed sacrificial rites. There he,
possessed of long and lusty arms, beheld the celebrated altar of
Richika’s son, who was the foremost of all wielders of the bow. And the
altar was girt round by hosts of ascetics, and was fit to be worshipped
by persons of a virtuous life. Then the king beheld the holy and
delightful shrines of all the gods and of the Vasus, and of the hosts of
wind and of the two celestial physicians and of Yama, son of the sun and
of the lord of riches, and of Indra, and of Vishnu, and of the lord
Creator and of Siva, and of the moon, and of the author of day, and of
the lord of waters, and of the host of Sadhyas, and of Brahma, and of the
forefathers, and of Rudra together with all his followers, and of the
goddess of learning, and of the host of Siddhas, and of many immortal
holy gods besides. And in those shrines the king observed various fasts,
and gave away large quantities of gems. He plunged his body in all the
holy spots, and then came again to Surparaka. And he by the same
landing-place of the sea again proceeded with his uterine brothers and
came over to the holy spot Prabhasa, whereof fame hath been spread by
mighty Brahmanas throughout the world. There he, possessed of a pair of
large red eyes, washed himself with all his younger brothers, and offered
libations to the forefathers and the celestial hosts; and so did Krishna
and all those Brahmanas together with Lomasa. For twelve days he
subsisted upon air and water. And he performed ablutions for days and
nights and surrounded himself with fires kindled on all sides. Thus that
greatest of all virtuous men engaged himself in asceticism. While he was
acting thus, information reached both Valarama and Krishna that the king
was practising penances of a most austere form and these two leaders of
the entire Vrishni tribe accompanied with troops came to Yudhishthira of
Ajamidha’s race. And when the Vrishnis beheld that the sons of Pandu lay
down on the ground, their bodies besmeared all over with dirt and when
they beheld the daughter of Drupada in a sad state, their grief was great
and they could not refrain from breaking out in loud lamentations. Then
the king, whose courage was such that misfortune never could cast him
down, cordially met Rama and Krishna and Samva, Krishna’s son, and the
grand-son of Sini and other Vrishnis, and paid honour to them in a
suitable form. And they also in return paid honour to all the sons of
Pritha, and were similarly honoured by Pandu’s sons. And they seated
themselves round about Yudhishthira, as round Indra, O king! are seated
the celestial hosts. And highly pleased, he recounted to them all the
machinations of his adversaries, and how also he had resided in the
forest, and how Arjuna had gone to Indra’s abode in order to learn the
science of arms--all this he related with a gladdened heart. And they
were happy to learn all this news from him; but when they saw the
Pandavas so exceedingly lean, the majestic and magnanimous Vrishnis could
not forbear shedding tears, which spontaneously gushed from their eyes on
account of the agony they felt.”