Shloka 20
अध्याय १: महाप्रस्थानारम्भः
The Commencement of the Great Departure
उत्सृज्याभरणान्यज्राज्जगृहे वल्कलान्युत । भीमार्जुनयमाश्चैव द्रौपदी च यशस्विनी
utsṛjyābharaṇāny ajrāj jagṛhe valkalāny uta | bhīmārjunayamāś caiva draupadī ca yaśasvinī ||
Dijo Vaiśampāyana: Tras desechar sus ornamentos, el rey tomó vestiduras de corteza; y lo mismo hicieron Bhīma, Arjuna, Yama (Yudhiṣṭhira) y la ilustre Draupadī. Con ello señalaron una renuncia deliberada: dejaron atrás los emblemas y deleites del poder para abrazar la austeridad al emprender el último viaje, conforme al ideal del dharma de desapego al final de la vida.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the dharmic ideal of renunciation at the close of worldly duties: relinquishing symbols of power and luxury (ornaments) and adopting austere attire (bark-garments) to cultivate detachment and readiness for the final passage.
As the Mahāprasthāna begins, Yudhiṣṭhira and his companions—Bhīma, Arjuna, and Draupadī—discard royal ornaments and take up bark-garments, outwardly marking their transition from rulers to ascetics setting out on their last journey.