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"Hearing these words of Narada, the righteous-souled king, saluting the deities and all the royal sages there present, said,
Happy or miserable, whatever the region be that is now my brothers, I desire to proceed to. I do not wish to go anywhere else.

"Hearing this speech of the king, the chief of the deities, Purandara, said these words fraught with noble sense: Do thou live in
this place, O king of kings, which thou hast won by thy meritorious deeds. Why dost thou still cherish human affections? Thou
hast attained to great success, the like of which no other man has ever been able to attain. Thy brothers, O delighter of the
Kurus, have succeeded in winning regions of felicity. Human affections still touch thee. This is Heaven. Behold these celestial
Rishis and Siddhas who have attained to the region of the gods.

"Gifted with great intelligence, Yudhishthira answered the chief of the deities once more, saying, O conqueror of Daityas, I
venture not to dwell anywhere separated from them. I desire to go there, where my brothers have gone. I wish to go there
where that foremost of women, Draupadi, of ample proportions and darkish complexion and endued with great intelligence and
righteous of conduct, has gone."

The end of Mahaprasthanika-parva

The Mahabharata
of
Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa

BOOK 18
Svargarohanika-parva

Om! Having bowed down into Narayana, and to Nara, the foremost of men, as also to the goddess Sarasvati, should the word
"Jaya" be uttered.

Janamejaya said, "Having attained to Heaven, what regions were respectively attained by my grandsires of old, viz., the
Pandavas and the sons of Dhritarashtra? I desire to hear this. I think that thou art conversant with everything, having been
taught by the great Rishi Vyasa of wonderful feats.

Vaishampayana said, "Listen now to what thy grandsires, Yudhishthira and others, did after having attained to Heaven, that
place of the deities. Arrived at Heaven, king Yudhishthira the just, 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. And 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 desire 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 Pancala, Draupadi of faultless
features, our wife, was dragged into the midst of the assembly before all our seniors. Ye 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, O king of kings. While residing in Heaven, all enmities cease. O mighty-armed
Yudhishthira, 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.

"O son, thou shouldst not bear in mind the woes inflicted on thee on account of the match at dice. It behoveth thee not to
remember the afflictions of Draupadi. It behoveth thee not to remember the other woes which were yours in consequence of the
acts of your kinsmen,the woes, viz., that were due to battle or to other situations. Do thou meet Duryodhana now according to
the ordinances of polite intercourse. This is Heaven, O lord of men. 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 reserved for heroes be Duryodhanas, that unrighteous and sinful wight, 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 wight 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, O Brahmana? I do not see them here, O Narada. I
desire to see, O Narada, Virata and Drupada and the other great Kshatriyas headed by Dhrishtaketu, as also Shikhandi, the
Pancala prince, the sons of Draupadi, and Abhimanyu, irresistible in battle.

"Yudhishthira said, Ye deities, I do not see here Radhas 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 do you
know, ye gods, 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, ye gods, 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, Do thou offer oblations of water unto Karna. Since hearing
those words of my mother, I am burning with grief. I grieve also incessantly at this, ye gods, 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, Shakra himself would have been unable to vanquish
in battle. Wherever may that child of Surya be, I desire to see him. Alas, 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
Pancala, whose conduct was always righteous. I wish not to stay here. I tell you the truth. Ye foremost ones among the deities,
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 thou longest to be there, go then, O son, without delay. At the command of the chief of the deities, we are
ready to do what is agreeable to thee.

Vaishampayana continued: Having said so, the gods then ordered the celestial messenger, O scorcher of foes, saying, Do thou
show unto Yudhishthira his friends and kinsmen. Then the royal son of Kunti and the celestial messenger proceeded together,
O foremost of kings, 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 and trodden by men of sinful
deeds. It was enveloped in thick darkness, and 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 and 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. And 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

"Hearing these words of Narada, the righteous-souled king, saluting the deities and all the royal sages there present, said,

Happy or miserable, whatever the region be that is now my brothers, I desire to proceed to. I do not wish to go anywhere else.

"Hearing this speech of the king, the chief of the deities, Purandara, said these words fraught with noble sense: Do thou live in

this place, O king of kings, which thou hast won by thy meritorious deeds. Why dost thou still cherish human affections? Thou

hast attained to great success, the like of which no other man has ever been able to attain. Thy brothers, O delighter of the

Kurus, have succeeded in winning regions of felicity. Human affections still touch thee. This is Heaven. Behold these celestial

Rishis and Siddhas who have attained to the region of the gods.

"Gifted with great intelligence, Yudhishthira answered the chief of the deities once more, saying, O conqueror of Daityas, I

venture not to dwell anywhere separated from them. I desire to go there, where my brothers have gone. I wish to go there

where that foremost of women, Draupadi, of ample proportions and darkish complexion and endued with great intelligence and

righteous of conduct, has gone."

The end of Mahaprasthanika-parva

The Mahabharata

of

Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa

BOOK 18

Svargarohanika-parva

Om! Having bowed down into Narayana, and to Nara, the foremost of men, as also to the goddess Sarasvati, should the word

"Jaya" be uttered.

Janamejaya said, "Having attained to Heaven, what regions were respectively attained by my grandsires of old, viz., the

Pandavas and the sons of Dhritarashtra? I desire to hear this. I think that thou art conversant with everything, having been

taught by the great Rishi Vyasa of wonderful feats.

Vaishampayana said, "Listen now to what thy grandsires, Yudhishthira and others, did after having attained to Heaven, that

place of the deities. Arrived at Heaven, king Yudhishthira the just, 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. And 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 desire 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 Pancala, Draupadi of faultless

features, our wife, was dragged into the midst of the assembly before all our seniors. Ye 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, O king of kings. While residing in Heaven, all enmities cease. O mighty-armed

Yudhishthira, 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.

"O son, thou shouldst not bear in mind the woes inflicted on thee on account of the match at dice. It behoveth thee not to

remember the afflictions of Draupadi. It behoveth thee not to remember the other woes which were yours in consequence of the

acts of your kinsmen,the woes, viz., that were due to battle or to other situations. Do thou meet Duryodhana now according to

the ordinances of polite intercourse. This is Heaven, O lord of men. 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 reserved for heroes be Duryodhanas, that unrighteous and sinful wight, 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 wight 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, O Brahmana? I do not see them here, O Narada. I

desire to see, O Narada, Virata and Drupada and the other great Kshatriyas headed by Dhrishtaketu, as also Shikhandi, the

Pancala prince, the sons of Draupadi, and Abhimanyu, irresistible in battle.

"Yudhishthira said, Ye deities, I do not see here Radhas 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 do you

know, ye gods, 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, ye gods, 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, Do thou offer oblations of water unto Karna. Since hearing

those words of my mother, I am burning with grief. I grieve also incessantly at this, ye gods, 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, Shakra himself would have been unable to vanquish

in battle. Wherever may that child of Surya be, I desire to see him. Alas, 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

Pancala, whose conduct was always righteous. I wish not to stay here. I tell you the truth. Ye foremost ones among the deities,

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 thou longest to be there, go then, O son, without delay. At the command of the chief of the deities, we are

ready to do what is agreeable to thee.

Vaishampayana continued: Having said so, the gods then ordered the celestial messenger, O scorcher of foes, saying, Do thou

show unto Yudhishthira his friends and kinsmen. Then the royal son of Kunti and the celestial messenger proceeded together,

O foremost of kings, 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 and trodden by men of sinful

deeds. It was enveloped in thick darkness, and 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 and 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. And 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