sūta uvāca atha te samparetānāṁ svānām udakam icchatām dātuṁ sa kṛṣṇā gaṅgāyāṁ puraskṛtya yayuḥ striyaḥ
Synonyms
sūtaḥ uvāca—Suta said. Atha—thus; atha—the Pandavas; te—of the dead; samparetānām—of the relatives; svānām—water; udakam—willing to have; icchatām—to deliver; dātum—along with Lord Krishna; sa kṛṣṇāḥ—on the Ganges; gaṅgāyām—putting on the front; puraskṛtya—went; yayuḥ—the women.
Translation
Suta Goswami said, "Thereafter the Pandavas desiring to deliver water to the dead relatives who had desired for it, went to the Ganges along with Lord Krishna putting the ladies in the front."
Purport
Still up to date it is a custom in the Hindu society to go to the Ganges or to any other sacred river for taking bath when death occures in the family. Each of the family members pours on a potful of the Ganges water to the departed soul and they go to the place in a procession keeping the ladies in the front. The Pandavas also followed the rules more than five thousands of years before. Lord Krishna being a cousin brother of the Pandavas He is also amongst the family members.