Short Stories from Mahabharata: 18- Last Journey

After ruling for 36 years, close to the onset of the Kaliyug and after Krishna had left the earth; Pandavas decided to start their last journey to heaven, while on this journey they befriended a dog. So the five Pandavas with Draupadi started climbing up the Sumeru parvat, which would lead them to swarg loka . While on this journey, they fell one by one and died on their way, except for the eldest Pandu and the dog. Draupadi was the first to fall and die, because she was imperfect and preferred Arjuna over his other husbands. Next was Sehwag, Nakul, Arjun and then Bhim- their reasons was their smugness about intelligence, good looks and arrogance about being the best archer. Bhim fell as he was a glutton. It was only Yudhisthira and the dog who reached the top of the sumeru mountain, and are greeted by lord Indra's chariot to take them to swarg.


Indra wanted to take Yudhisthira to heaven in the human form as he was the most pious among Pandavas and he was the one who had never strayed from the path of Dharma. Yudhisthira refuses to enter the chariot without his brothers and Draupadi. Indra assures him that he will meet with them in heaven as they have already reached heaven. Yudhisthira then asks the Dog to enter the chariot. But Indra objects to it. He indicates that the presence of a dog will defile heaven. It is considered that a mere glance of a dog deprives the sacraments of their consecration. But Yudhisthira is adamant; to him the dog appears as one who has been devoted, loyal in the time of loss of his brothers and Draupadi. He was faithful and loving in the hour of entire solitude. Finally, Yudhisthira decides to not to go with Indra and decides to stay with the Dog. That's when the dog is allowed in Swarg who later turns out to be the Yama, who came to test out Yudhishtir and his competence to be in swarga.

On reaching to the Swarg, Yudhisthir realised that, his own brothers and wife are not their; rather he was surprised to find Duryodhan and other Kauravas there. Yudhisthira was very disheartened and wanted to see his family immediately. On his request he was taken to nark (hell); where he finally met with his brothers and wife. Yudhisthira loyally meet his brothers, but the sight and sound of gore and blood horrified him. Though initially he was tempted to flee, he mastered himself and remained after hearing the voices of his beloved brothers and Draupadi calling out to him, asking him to stay with them in their misery. Yudhisthira decided to remain, ordering the divine charioteer to return. Eventually this turned out to be another illusion to test him and also to enable him to atone for his sin of telling a white lie, which killed Dronacharya.

He asked his father Yama why was that Pandavas were in hell while Kauravas enjoyed heavenly pleasures he was told that Kauravas died as warriors on the war field and that this atoned them of all their past sins and made them worthy of heaven. This story is a moral that no one can escape from bondage without balancing their Karma.