Yudhishthira Visits Sacred Tirthas and Performs Austerities
After crossing the ocean shore, Yudhishthira arrives at a sacred forest where the altar of Richika's son stands. He visits the holy sites of gods and ancestors, observes fasts, and gives away gems. Then, at the great tirtha of Prabhasa, he performs a twelve-day austerity — living on water and air, surrounded by flames — that draws the attention of the Vrishnis.
Yudhishthira crossed a region on the shores of the ocean and came to a forest famous on earth. In ancient times, the gods had performed austerities there, and kings regarded it as the most sacred of places. There, he saw the altar of Richika's son — the one who was the foremost of archers, long and thick in the arms. It was surrounded by many ascetics and was worthy of being worshipped by the virtuous.
The lord of the earth saw the holy sites of the Vasus, the masses of Maruts, the two Ashvins, Vaivasvata, the Adityas, the lord of riches, Indra, Vishnu, the lord Savita, Bhaga, the moon, Divakara, the lord of the waters, the masses of Sadhyas, Dhata, the ancestors, the great-souled Rudra with his masses of ganas, Sarasvati, the masses of Siddhas, Pushan, and all the other immortals. He saw these beautiful sites and observed fasts there. He gave away many expensive gems. Having bathed his limbs in all these tirthas (sacred fords), he returned again to Shurparaka.
With his brothers, he again went to the tirthas along the shores of the ocean. He then went to the great tirtha of Prabhasa, acclaimed by brahmanas throughout the earth. With his younger brothers and with Krishna — the one with the large and red eyes — he bathed there and offered oblations to the masses of gods and the ancestors. So did the brahmanas, together with Lomasha.
He lived on water and air for twelve days. He performed ablutions at dawn and dusk. He surrounded himself with flames on all sides. Thus did the supreme upholder of dharma scorch himself with austerities. Aranyaka Parva, Chapter 415