After the Battle

The battle had ended. 
The field of the Kurus, as it would be known thereafter, lay strewn with the spoils. All the Kauravas had fallen, and the Pandava armies had been slain on the eighteenth night by the treachery of the son of Drona. The twelve warriors who lived in the end, went to the Grandsire, to seek his blessing. Lying on the bed of arrows, he was in the grip of death, but his soul would not depart his body till he willed it, such was the boon the Gods had given him.

The Grandsire asked the Five, what shall you do now, my noble children?  To which they said, "We have slain the unjust and given those who fell an honourable passage to the afterlife, by completing all their last rites according to scripture, even the corpses of our enemies. Now we can rest." Yudhisthir though, remained silent, for it was always the younger who had the right to speak first in those days.

The Grandsire was disappointed, his face fell. He then asked the eldest, "Agree with your brothers, you do not. Speak, Ajaatashatru, what will you do now?"

And the son of Dharma spoke thus,
 
"O Grandsire, taker of the great oaths, he who lived his life by his word, and fell in battle to keep it, we shall fulfill your promise. Our war is against Injustice and mere slaughter of the unjust shall not realise this aim. We have won a battle, but the war lies ahead, in restoring the families whose sons and fathers this war took away. In securing the great Aaryavarta from all sides, so that foes from yonder, who penetrated our borders while we fought amongst ourselves, do not gain ground.  
We have to make this bloodied field yield gold once more and the rivers run clean once again, make the birds of carrion return to their usual subsistence on wild beasts. Never should they feast on dead warriors again. That is how your father ruled and for that Peace was this war waged. If we rest now, we will never be able to establish the order. Hence, we shall take up the bow again, and the plough. And the scripture and the healing herb. 

Forgive my brothers O Great One, the wounds of battle are still fresh on them. Forgive them like you forgave Karna. Forgive me for my trespass against my own master Drona. Forgive us for destroying the Race of Bharata. Bless us so we may redeem your final pledge and redeem ourselves"

The Grandsire was pleased and moved to emotion and he said "As long as any Bhaarata has in his heart, Truth and Justice, the Race shall not die. Forgiveness is yours already, my children. My blessings ride with you. Go forth and take the throne of Hastinaapura. Make the Land prosper. Whenever you are in doubt, you shall find me here. When the Kingdom of Bharata is secured from all foes, of sword and heart, then only shall I pass."

And so it was. The Five lay thoughts of rest, to rest and ruled the land with justice  and truth, with the sound counsel of he who lay on the arrows. At the end of this great  restoration, on the first day of the Uttaraayan, the mighty soul of Bhishma, passed. 
- Yuddha Parva, Mahaabhaarata 

Note: Why I felt like quoting this.
The beauty of this epic is in the multiplicity of interpretations. I personally associate this passage with the fallacy of resting on laurels and the necessity of never forgetting the bigger picture. Others will surely come up with other opinions on the meaning of this story, (besides the literal one, of course) and it would be good to know their thoughts.