When Vidura returned, all the members of the royal household rose with joy, as if life itself had been restored to them. They approached him with reverence, greeting him with embraces and salutations. Overwhelmed by the pain of separation, streams of loving tears flowed as they welcomed Vidura; King Yudhishthira honored him, offering a seat and extending a warm welcome. Once Vidura had eaten, rested, and was comfortably seated, Yudhishthira, bowing humbly, began to speak as everyone listened intently. He asked, “Do you remember us, who flourished under your protection and were saved—along with our mother—from dangers like poison and fire? How have you sustained yourself while wandering the earth? Have you visited the chief holy places and sacred fields?” Yudhishthira continued, “O Lord, devotees like you are themselves holy places; they sanctify even sacred sites by carrying within their hearts the bearer of the mace. O dear one, have you seen or heard from our friends and relatives, the worshippers of Krishna? Are the Yadavas living happily in their city?” Vidura, thus addressed by Dharmaraja, recounted his experiences step by step, describing all he had seen and heard, except for the destruction of the Yadu dynasty. Though something deeply distressing and unbearable had occurred, Vidura, compassionate and unable to witness the sorrow of others, did not speak of it. For some time, Vidura remained there, honored and happy like a god, bringing well-being to his elder brother and happiness to all. During this period, Aryama carried out the duties of punishing wrongdoers, while Yama, due to a curse, lived as a Shudra for a hundred years. Yudhishthira, having regained his kingdom and seeing his grandson as the heir of the dynasty, rejoiced with his brothers—guardians of the world—in supreme prosperity. Yet, for those attached to their homes, heedless and absorbed in worldly pursuits, time—exceedingly difficult to overcome—passed unnoticed. Vidura, perceiving this, spoke to Dhritarashtra: “O King, depart quickly; see how danger has arrived. There is no remedy here, from anywhere or at any time. This is the Supreme Time, the Lord, who has come for all of us. By whom even those most dear, with their very lives, are overtaken and people are suddenly separated; what to say of others, like wealth and so forth?” He continued, “Fathers, brothers, friends, sons—all have been slain; youth has departed; your self is consumed by old age, and you reside in another’s house. Ah, how great is the hope for life in a living being, by which you, like a caretaker, accept food left aside by Bhima. Fire has been set, gifts given, poison administered, wives dishonored, land and wealth stolen—how much remains for those who gave their lives for such things? Even your body, O pitiable one, desiring to live, though unwilling, will depart, worn out by old age, like clothes that are threadbare.” Vidura advised, “One who, having lost all purpose for this body, becomes detached and freed from bonds, leaves it without concern for its destination; such a person is called wise. He who, whether from his own or another’s cause, has become disillusioned and self-possessed, placing Hari in his heart, leaves home; such a man is supreme. Therefore, let your journey be toward the northern direction, with your path unknown to others; for from here onward, time generally draws men away through the influence of the qualities.” Awakened by his wise younger brother Vidura, King Dhritarashtra cut the strong bonds of affection for his own people and departed along the path shown by his brother. The virtuous Gandhari, devoted to her husband, followed him as he left, relinquishing her staff of authority, just as noble souls lay aside attachments at the end. Meanwhile, Ajatashatru (Yudhishthira), having made peace with all, performed fire sacrifices, honored the brahmins with sesame, cows, land, and gold, and entered his house to pay respects to his elders. But he did not see his parents or Gandhari. Finding Sanjaya seated, he anxiously asked, “O Gavalgana, where is our aged father, now deprived of sight? And where is mother, grieving for her slain sons? Where has my uncle, our friend, gone? Perhaps, thinking me lacking in wisdom and now bereft of kin, he has, with his wife, sought the Ganga, hoping for relief from sorrow,” he wondered, falling into distress. He lamented, “After our father Pandu passed away, our uncles protected all our friends and children from calamity. Where have those protectors gone now, leaving us behind?” Suta explained that out of compassion and the pain of separation, Sanjaya, overwhelmed and unable to see the Lord within himself, could not reply, being deeply afflicted. Wiping his tears and steadying himself, Sanjaya answered Ajatashatru, remembering the feet of the Lord. Sanjaya said, “O delight of your lineage, I do not know the decision of your parents or of Gandhari, O mighty-armed one; I have been deceived by these great souls.” At that moment, the venerable sage Narada arrived with Tumburu. Yudhishthira and his brothers rose to greet and honor him, worshipping the sage. Yudhishthira said, “O revered one, I do not know where my parents have gone, nor where my mother, grieving for her slain sons and devoted to austerity, has departed.” Narada, like a helmsman guiding across the sea, spoke with wisdom. He said, “Just as cows, tied by their own ropes to a stake, are bound by a cord, so too are beings bound by names and words, carrying out offerings for the Lord. Just as the coming together and separation of playthings depend on the will of the player, so too do the unions and separations of people occur by the will of the Lord. What you consider as permanent or impermanent in this world is neither truly so; in any case, they are not to be grieved for, except due to attachment born of delusion.” Narada advised, “Therefore, O dear one, give up this weakness of heart, born of ignorance. How could those helpless and pitiable ones survive without me? This body, composed of the five elements, is subject to time, action, and the modes of nature. How can one protect others, just as someone seized by a serpent cannot save another?” Thus, through the wisdom of Vidura and Narada, the royal family was guided to face the inevitable passage of time, detachment, and the supreme will of the Lord, finding peace amid the trials of separation and impermanence.