Yudhishthira is tested again in Heaven

Arrived at Heaven, king Yudhishthira beheld Duryodhana endued with prosperity and seated on an excellent seat. He blazed with effulgence like the sun and wore all those signs of glory which belong to heroes. He was in the company of many deities of blazing effulgence and of Sadhyas of righteous deeds. Yudhishthira, beholding Duryodhana and his prosperity, became suddenly filled with rage and turned back from the sight.

He loudly addressed his companions, saying: “I do not wish to share regions of felicity with Duryodhana who was stained by cupidity and possessed of little foresight. It was for him that friends and kinsmen over the whole Earth were slaughtered by us whom he had afflicted greatly in the deep forest. It was for him that the virtuous princess of Panchala, Draupadi, our wife, was dragged into the midst of the assembly before all our seniors. You Gods! I have no desire to even behold Suyodhana. I wish to go there where my brothers are.”

Narada, smiling, told him: “It should not be so, Yudhishthira! While residing in Heaven, all enmities cease. Do not say so about king Duryodhana. Hear my words. Here is king Duryodhana. He is worshipped with the gods by those righteous men and those foremost of kings who are now denizens of Heaven. By causing his body to be poured as a libation on the fire of battle, he has obtained the end that consists in attainment of the region for heroes. You and your brothers, who were veritable gods on Earth, were always persecuted by this one. Yet through his observance of Kshatriya practices he has attained to this region. This lord of Earth was not terrified in a situation fraught with terror. Son! You should not bear in mind the woes inflicted on you on account of the match at dice. You should not remember the afflictions of Draupadi. It behoves you not to remember the other woes which were yours in consequence of the acts of your kinsmen, the woes that were due to battle or to other situations. Meet Duryodhana now according to the ordinances of polite interaction. This is Heaven, Yudhishthira! There can be no enmities here.”

Though thus addressed by Narada, the Kuru king Yudhishthira, endued with great intelligence, enquired about his brothers and said: “If these eternal regions are reserved for heroes like Duryodhana, that unrighteous and sinful man, that man who was the destroyer of friends and of the whole world, that man for whose sake the entire Earth was devastated with all her horses and elephants and human beings, that wicked man for whose sake we were burnt with wrath in thinking of how best we might remedy our wrongs, I desire to see what regions have been attained by those high-souled heroes, my brothers of high vows, steady achievers of promises, truthful in speech, and distinguished for courage. The high-souled Karna, the son of Kunti, incapable of being baffled in battle, Dhrishtadyumna, Satyaki, the sons of Dhrishtadyumna and those other Kshatriyas who met with death in the observance of Kshatriya practices, where are those lords of Earth? I do not see them here, Narada! I desire to see Virata and Drupada and the other great Kshatriyas headed by Dhrishtaketu, as also Shikhandi, the Panchala prince, the sons of Draupadi, and Abhimanyu, irresistible in battle.

“I do not see here Radha’s son of immeasurable prowess, as also my high-souled brothers, and Yudhamanyu and Uttamaujas, those great car-warriors that poured their bodies as libations on the fire of battle, those kings and princes that met with death for my sake in battle. Where are those great car-warriors that possessed the prowess of tigers? Have those foremost of men acquired this region? If those great car-warriors have obtained these regions, then only you know that I shall reside here with those high-souled ones. If this auspicious and eternal region has not been acquired by those kings, then know that without those brothers and kinsmen of mine, I shall not live here. At the time of performing the water rites after the battle, I heard my mother say, ‘You offer oblations of water unto Karna!’ Since hearing those words of my mother, I am burning with grief. I grieve also incessantly at this that when I marked the resemblance between the feet of my mother and those of Karna of immeasurable soul, I did not immediately place myself under orders of that afflicter of hostile ranks. Ourselves joined with Karna, Indra himself would have been unable to vanquish in battle. Wherever may that child of Surya be, I desire to see him. His relationship with us being unknown, I caused him to be slain by Arjuna. Bhima also of terrible prowess and dearer to me than my life-breaths, Arjuna too, resembling Indra himself, the twins also that resembled the Destroyer himself in prowess, I desire to behold. I wish to see the princess of Panchala, whose conduct was always righteous. I wish not to stay here. I tell you the truth. What is Heaven to me if I am dissociated from my brothers? That is Heaven where those brothers of mine are. This, in my opinion, is not Heaven.”

The Gods said: “If you long to be there, go then, son, without delay. At the command of the chief of the Gods, we are ready to do what is agreeable to you.”

Having said so, the Gods then ordered the celestial messenger, saying, “Show unto Yudhishthira his friends and kinsmen.” Then the royal Yudhishthira and the celestial messenger proceeded together to that place where those chiefs of men whom Yudhishthira had wished to see were. The celestial messenger proceeded first, the king followed him behind. The path was inauspicious and difficult, trodden by men of sinful deeds. It was enveloped in thick darkness, covered with hair and moss forming its grassy vesture. Polluted with the stench of sinners, and miry with flesh and blood, it abounded with gadflies, stinging bees and gnats and was endangered by the inroads of grisly bears. Rotting corpses lay here and there. Overspread with bones and hair, it was noisome with worms and insects. It was skirted all along with a blazing fire. It was infested by crows and other birds and vultures, all having beaks of iron, as also by evil spirits with long mouths pointed like needles. It abounded with inaccessible fastnesses like the Vindhya mountains. Human corpses were scattered over it, smeared with fat and blood, with arms and thighs cut off, or with entrails torn out and legs severed.

Along that path so disagreeable with the stench of corpses and awful with other incidents, the righteous-souled king proceeded, filled with diverse thoughts. He beheld a river full of boiling water and, therefore, difficult to cross, as also a forest of trees whose leaves were sharp swords and razors. There were plains full of fine white sand exceedingly heated, and rocks and stones made of iron. There were many jars of iron all around, with boiling oil in them. Many a Kuta-salmalika was there, with sharp thorns and, therefore, exceedingly painful to the touch. The son of Kunti beheld also the tortures inflicted upon sinful men.

Beholding that inauspicious region abounding with every sort of foulness, Yudhishthira asked the celestial messenger: “How far shall we proceed along a path like this? You need to tell me where those brothers of mine are. I desire also to know what region is this of the gods?”

Hearing these words of Yudhishthira, the celestial messenger stopped in his course and replied: “Thus far is your way. The denizens of Heaven commanded me that having come thus far, I am to stop. If you are tired, you may return with me.”

Yudhishthira, however, was exceedingly disconsolate and stupefied by the foul odour. Resolved to return,  he retraced his steps. Afflicted by sorrow and grief, he turned back. Just at that moment he heard piteous lamentations all around: “O son of Dharma! O royal sage! Please stay a moment for favouring us. At your approach, a delightful breeze has begun to blow, bearing the sweet scent of your person. Great has been our relief at this. Beholding you, great has been our happiness. Let that happiness last longer through your stay here, for a few moments more. Remain here, for even a short while. As long as you are here, torments cease to afflict us.” These and many similar words, uttered in piteous voices by persons in pain, the king heard in that region, wafted to his ears from every side.

Hearing those words of beings in woe, Yudhishthira of compassionate heart exclaimed aloud: “Alas! how painful!” And the king stood still. The speeches of those woe-begone and afflicted persons seemed to him to be uttered in voices that he had heard before although he could not recognize them on that occasion.

Unable to recognize voices, Yudhishthira, enquired: “Who are you? Why do you stay here?”

Thus addressed, they answered him from all sides, saying: “I am Karna! I am Bhimasena! I am Arjuna! I am Nakula! I am Sahadeva! I am Dhrishtadyumna! I am Draupadi! We are the sons of Draupadi!” Thus did those voices speak.

Hearing those exclamations, uttered in voices of pain suitable to that place, Yudhishthira asked himself: “What perverse destiny is this? What are those sinful acts which were committed by those high-souled beings, Karna and the sons of Draupadi, and the princess of Panchala, so that their residence has been assigned in this region of fetid smell and great woe? I am not aware of any transgression that can be attributed to these persons of righteous deeds. What is that act by doing which Dhritarashtra’ s son, Suyodhana, with all his sinful followers, has become invested with such prosperity? Endued with prosperity like that of the great Indra himself, he is highly adored. What is that act through the consequence of which these high-souled ones have fallen into Hell? All of them were conversant with every duty, were heroes, were devoted to truth and the Vedas; were observant of Kshatriya practices; were righteous in their acts; were performers of sacrifices; and givers of large presents unto Brahmanas. Am I asleep or awake? Am I conscious or unconscious? Or, is all this a mental delusion due to disorders of the brain?”

Overwhelmed by sorrow and grief, and with his senses agitated by anxiety, Yudhishthira indulged in such reflections for a long time. He then gave way to great wrath. Indeed, he then censured the Gods, as also Dharma himself. Afflicted by the very foul odour, he addressed the celestial messenger, saying: “Return to the presence of those whose messenger you are. Tell them that I shall not go back to where they are, but shall stay even here, since, in consequence of my companionship, these afflicted brothers of mine have become comforted.” Thus addressed by Yudhishthira, the celestial messenger returned to the place where the chief of the Gods was. He represented unto him the acts of Yudhishthira. He informed Indra of all that Dharma’s son had said.

Yudhishthira had not stayed there for more than a moment when all the Gods with Indra at their head came to that spot. The God of Dharma in his embodied form also came to that place where the Kuru king was, to see that monarch. Upon the advent of those deities of resplendent bodies and sanctified and noble deeds, the darkness that had overwhelmed that region immediately disappeared. The torments undergone by beings of sinful deeds were no longer seen. The river Vaitarani, the thorny Shalmali, the iron jars, and the boulders of rock, so terrible to behold, also vanished from sight. The diverse repulsive corpses also, which Yudhishthira had seen, disappeared at the same time. Then a breeze, delicious and fraught with pleasant perfumes, perfectly pure and delightfully cool, began to blow on that spot in consequence of the presence of the gods. The Maruts, with Indra, the Vasus with the twin Ashvinis, the Sadhyas, the Rudras, the Adityas, and the other denizens of Heaven, as also the Siddhas and the great Rishis, all came there where Yudhishthira of great energy was.

Then Indra, the lord of the Gods, endued with blazing prosperity, addressed Yudhishthira and comforting him, said: “O Yudhishthira! Come! These illusions have ended. Success has been attained by you, and eternal regions of felicity have become yours. You should not yield to wrath. Listen to these words of mine. Hell should without doubt be beheld by every king. Of both good and bad there is abundance. He who enjoys first the fruits of his good acts must afterwards endure Hell. He, on the other hand, who first endures Hell, must afterwards enjoy Heaven. He whose sinful acts are many enjoys Heaven first. It is for this that desirous of doing you good, I caused you to be sent for having a view of Hell. You had, by a pretense, deceived Drona in the matter of his son. You have in consequence thereof, been shown Hell by an act of deception. After the manner of yourself, Bhima, Arjuna, and Draupadi, have all been shown the place of sinners by an act of deception. Come! All of them have been cleansed of their sins. All those kings who had aided you and who have been slain in battle, have all attained to Heaven. Come and behold them! Karna, the mighty bowman, for whom you are grieving, has also attained to high success. Behold that foremost of men, the son of Surya. He is in that place which is his own. Kill this grief of yours. Behold your brothers and others, those kings, who had espoused your side. They have all attained to their respective places of felicity. Let the fever of your heart be dispelled. Having endured a little misery first, from this time do you sport with me in happiness, divested of grief and all your ailments dispelled. You now enjoy, O king! the rewards of all your deeds of righteousness of those regions which you have acquired yourself by your penances and of all your gifts. Let Gods and Gandharvas, and celestial Apsaras, decked in pure robes and excellent ornaments, wait upon and serve you for your happiness. You enjoy now those regions of felicity which have become yours through the Rajasuya sacrifice performed by you and whose felicities have been enhanced by the sacrificial scimitar employed by you. Let the high fruits of your penances be enjoyed by you. Your regions, Yudhishthira! are above, those of kings. They are equal to those of Harischandra. Come and sport there in bliss. There where the royal sage Mandhatri is, there where king Bhagiratha is, there where Duhshanta’s son Bharata is, there will you sport in bliss. Here is the celestial river, sacred and sanctifying the three worlds. It is called Heavenly Ganga. Plunging into it, you will go to your own regions. Having bathed in this stream, you will be divested of your human nature. Indeed, your grief dispelled, your ailments conquered, you will be freed from all enmities.”

While the chief of the Gods was saying so unto Yudhishthira, the God of Dharma, in his embodied form, then addressed his own son and said: “O king! I am greatly pleased with you, son! by your devotion to me, by your truthfulness of speech, forgiveness, and self-restraint. This, indeed, is the third test to which I put you. You are incapable of being swerved from your nature or reason. Before this, I had examined you in the Dvaita woods by my questions, when you had come to that lake for recovering a couple of fire sticks. You stood it well. Assuming the shape of a dog, I examined you once more when your brothers with Draupadi had fallen down. This has been your third test; you have expressed your wish to stay at Hell for the sake of your brothers. You have become cleansed. Purified of sin, be happy. Your brothers were not such as to deserve Hell. All this has been an illusion created by the chief of the gods. Without doubt, all kings must once behold Hell. Hence have you for a little while been subjected to this great affliction. Neither Arjuna, nor Bhima, nor any of those foremost of men, the twins, nor Karna, ever truthful in speech and possessed of great courage, could be deserving of Hell for a long time. The princess Draupadi too could not be deserving of that place of sinners. Come! Behold Ganga who spreads her current over the three worlds.”

Thus addressed, that royal sage proceeded with Dharma and all the other gods.