# The Mahabharata/Book 1: Adi Parva/Section XLIX

Section XLIX. ( Astika Parva continued. )
Saunaka said, "Tell me again in detail all that king Janamejaya had asked his ministers about his father's ascension to heaven." ​Sauti said, "O Brahmana, hear all that the king asked his ministers, and all that they said about the death of Parikshita.
"Janamejaya asked, 'Know ye all that befell my father? How also the famous one, in time, meet with his death? Hearing from ye the incidents of my father's life in detail, I shall ordain something if it be for the benefit of the world: otherwise I shall do nothing.'
"And the ministers replied, 'Hear, O monarch, what thou askest,—an account of thy illustrious father's life, and how also that king of kings hath gone on his final journey. Thy father was virtuous, and high-souled, and the protector of his people. And hear how he of high soul conducted himself on earth. Like unto an impersonation of virtue and justice, the monarch, cognisant of virtue, virtuously protected the four orders, each engaged in the practice of their specified duties. Of incomparable prowess, and blessed with fortune, he protected the goddess Earth. He had none who hated him and he himself hated none. Like unto Prajapati (Brahma) he was equally disposed to all creatures. And, O monarch, Brahmanas and Kshetrias and Vaisyas and Sudras, all engaged contentedly in the practice of their respective duties, were impartially cherished by that king. Widows and orphans, the maimed and the poor, he maintained. Of handsome features, he was unto all creatures like another Shoma (Moon.) Cherishing his subjects and keeping them contented, blessed with good fortune, truth-telling, of severe prowess, he was the disciple, in the science of arms, of Sharadwat (Kripacharya.) And, O Janamejaya, thy father was dear unto Govinda! Of great fame, he was loved by all men. And he was born in the womb of Uttara when the Kuru race was almost extinct. And, therefore, the mighty son of Saubhadra (Abhimanyu) came to be called Parikshita (born in an extinct line.) Well-versed in the interpretation of treatises on the duties of kings, he was gifted with every virtue. Of passions under complete control, intelligent, possessing a retentive memory, the practiser of all virtues, the conqueror of the six passions, of powerful mind, excellent over all, and fully acquainted with the science of morality and political con​verse, thy father ruled over these subjects for sixty years. And he then died making all his subjects deeply sorry. And, after him, O first of men, thou hast acquired this hereditary sovereignty of the Kurus, for the last thousand years. Thou hast been installed while a child and art protecting every creature.'
"And Janamejaya said, 'There hath not been born in our race a king who hath not sought the good of his subjects or been loved by them. Behold especially the conduct of my grand-fathers ever engaged in grand achievementes. How did my father, blessed with so many virtues, receive his death? Describe everything to me as it fell out. I am desirous of hearing it from ye!'"
Sauti continued, "And thus directed by the monarch, those councillors, ever solicitous of the good of the king, told him everything exactly as it fell out.
"And the councillors said, 'O king, that father of thine, the protector of the whole Earth, the foremost of all obedient to the injunctions of the shastras, became addicted to the sports of the field, even as Pandu of mighty arm and the first of all bearers of the bow in battle. And he made over to us all the affairs of state, from the most trivial to the most inportant. And one day, going into the forest, he pierced a deer with an arrow. And having pierced it he followed it quickly on foot into the deep woods, armed with sword and quiver. But thy father could not come upon the lost deer. Sixty years of age and decrepit, he was soon fatigued and became hungry. And he then saw in the deep woods an excellent Rishi. And the Rishi was then observing the vow of silence. And the king asked him, but though asked he made no reply. And the king, tired with exertion and hunger, suddenly became angry with that Rishi, sitting motionless like a piece of wood in observance of his vow of silence. And the king knew not that he was a Muni observing the vow of silence. And being under the control of anger thy father insulted him. And, O excellent one of the Bharata race, the king, thy father, taking up from the ground with the end of his bow a dead snake, placed it on the shoulders of that Muni of pure soul. But the ​Muni spake not a word good or bad and became not angry. And he continued in the same posture, bearing the dead snake.'"
And so ends the forty-ninth Section in the Astika of the Adi Parva.