Narada departs; the Pandavas contemplate the rajasuya
The celestial sage Narada finishes his counsel and departs. In the silence he leaves behind, Yudhishthira and his brothers begin to think seriously about performing the rajasuya — the supreme royal sacrifice that will set the entire epic in motion.
Narada finished speaking. He had described the sabhas (celestial assemblies) of the gods, recounted the glory of King Harishchandra, and delivered a message from Yudhishthira’s own father, Pandu. The advice was clear: conquer the earth and perform the great rajasuya sacrifice.
With that, Narada took his leave. He departed with all the rishis he had arrived with, heading for the city of the Dasharhas.
The assembly hall in Indraprastha fell quiet. The Pandavas were alone with the vision Narada had planted. Yudhishthira, the Dharma King, and his brothers — Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula, and Sahadeva — began to think. Their thoughts turned, with a new and serious intensity, toward performing that supreme rite of sovereignty: the rajasuya.