Shloka 45
अध्याय १: महाप्रस्थानारम्भः
The Commencement of the Great Departure
भरतश्रेष्ठ) तदनन्तर वे लवणसमुद्रके उत्तर तटपर होते हुए दक्षिण-पश्चिमदिशाकी ओर अग्रसर होने लगे ।।
tataḥ punaḥ samāvṛttāḥ paścimāṃ diśam eva te | dadṛśur dhārakāṃ cāpi sāgareṇa pariplutām ||
Lalu mereka berbalik sekali lagi dan melangkah hanya ke arah barat. Di sana mereka melihat Dvārakā juga—kota yang telah terendam oleh samudra.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights an ethical-spiritual realism central to the Mahābhārata: worldly greatness is transient. Seeing Dvārakā submerged reinforces vairāgya (dispassion) and steadiness in dharma—one should not cling to power, cities, or past glory, but proceed with disciplined purpose toward the final good.
During the Pāṇḍavas’ great departure (mahāprasthāna), they change course and move westward, where they witness Dvārakā inundated by the ocean. This sight becomes a narrative marker of the end of Kṛṣṇa’s era and strengthens their resolve to continue their concluding pilgrimage.