Even though Yudhishthira knew this was heaven, it seemed more
like the first level of hell. In this
beautiful place, his jealous and spiteful cousin, the cause of all
Yudhishthira’s hardships, sat upon a throne in eternal bliss. This could not be right, this could not
possibly be heaven, especially since there was no evidence of his brothers and
wife having resided here.
To this Indra said, “ You can stay here in eternal bliss, just
let go of your ties to earth and you will become perfect, unlike your brothers
who fell short of this accomplishment.”
Yudhishthira replied, “I cannot stay here without my brothers
and wife, especially not with those who have done me wrong down on earth.
Therefore an angel guided him to a forest of which he entered,
though this was no normal forest. The
branches reached out for Yudhishthira like spears, scratching at his arms and
clothing, and the forest floor was covered in what seemed like a thousand
needles that pricked his feet as he walked.
Within this forest is where his family resided, among the piles of
unrecognizable corpses and the fetid smell of putrification. Vultures feasted upon these corpses with
their razor sharp beaks and dark wings, fitting in with the mirk of the forest
perfectly. Beyond the forest was a
desert too hot to touch, but he wouldn’t be going that far because here, amid
the thorns and horror, his family lived in an everlasting torment of fire and
torture, and it would be here he would stay.
He would stay here forever to comfort them in this awful damned place.
He could have turned away, could have left them for the eternal
bliss where his cousin Duryodhana sat upon his long envied throne. However, Yudhishthira was not that man, and
at these words, “Leave me here, I cannot leave my family.” The gods revealed to Yudhishthira that this
was indeed not hell, but an illusion to test him of his love. For passing this test he was allowed to cast
off his earthly body within the waters of the Ganges and he assumed his
celestial body.
With these he entered Swarga and met happily with Krishna, his
brothers, and Draupadi, all of his earthly loved ones. Everyone awaited him here including:
Prativindhya (Yudhishthira’s son), Sutasoma, Shrutakama, Satanika, Shrutasena,
Dhritarashtra, Karna, Abhimanyu, Pandu,
Kunti, Bhishma, Drona, and Dharama. All
of these men were valiant warriors who perished in battle and were able to
enter heaven through their deeds on earth.
Therefore Yudhishthira entered heaven amongst all his family and
friends, wanting for not.
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