We are now in Chapter 18, the final chapter in Maha Bharatha. I skipped several chapters since I did not find any significant conversations in them.
The final sections of Maha Bharata are
about the departure of Dhridhrashtra with Gandhari and Kunti to the forest and
their death in a forest fire, the fight among the citizens of Dwaraka and their
annihilation, the departure of Krishna and Balarama and the ascent of the
Pandavas to “heaven”. In one episode, Arjuna requests Bhima to forgive
Dhridhrashtra and give him whatever he needs to perform ceremonies for the dead
before he goes on Vanaprastha, because “it is noble to forgive other’s faults
and remember the good deeds”. (न
समरन्त्य अपराद्धानि समरन्ति सुकृतानि च)
When Dhridhrashtra goes on Vanaprastha
with Gandhari, Kunti decides to go to the forest with them. Yudhishtra and his
brothers request their mother to stay back. She refuses and her last words to
her sons are: “Let your intellect stay with virtue; and let your mind think
high (noble)” (धर्मे
ते धीयतां बुद्धिर मनस ते महद
अस्तु च)
On hearing the destruction of the Vrishni race, Yudhishtra says
that it is all because of Time, the destroyer. It is interesting that the
Sanskrit word for time is kaala and it also means death. Throughout Maha
Bharata, Time, Fate and influence of Karma are given as responsible for every
event, including the war itself.
When, it is the turn for the Pandavas and Draupadi to ascend
to heaven, first Arjuna falls down on the way. When Bhima asks how this can
happen, Yudhsishtra says that Arjuna’s pride and his inability to keep his
promise caused his fall. Sahadeva falls because of his boasting about his
knowledge and Nakula because he was proud of his physical beauty. Bhima falls
because of his self-centeredness (and his temper?) (“not attending to the needs
of others while eating”). Yudhishtra says that Draupadi falls down because of
her partiality to one of the brothers (Arjuna, of course). Only Yudhishtra and
a dog which follows them remain.
Indra comes in person to take Yudhishtra to Heaven. But,
Yudhishtra refuses to go without his brothers and Draupadi. Indra says that
they have all gone to heaven casting off their human bodies, but “You shall go
there with this body of thine”. Yudhishtra wants the dog to go with him.
Yudhishtra refuses to leave the dog behind saying that “it will not be virtuous
to cast off one who has been devoted to me”. Indra asks him again to let go of
the dog. Yudhishtra replies: “It is sinful to abandon one who has been
faithful and devoted. I will not let him go so that I can have my happiness. I
will not give up someone who is afraid, who is devoted to me, one who is a
destitute and is seeking my protection. Nor will I abandon someone who is
afflicted, and one incapable of protecting himself”. At this point, the dog transforms into his
true self – Dharma himself, Yudhishtra’s father and is very well pleased.
After entering heaven in his human form, a rare privilege,
Yudhishtra insists on joining his brothers and Draupadi. He first sees
Duryodhana living in splendor and is outraged. He asks his companions how such
an evil person attain to heaven and says that he does not want to stay at a
place where Duryodhana lives but to where his brothers are. Narada tells him:
“In Heaven, all enmities cease. Besides, since Duryodhana fought according to
his Varna Dharma and died in a battle, he attained Heaven”. Narada asks
Yudhishtra to forgive and forget.
Yudhishtra does not see his brothers or other noble souls
and warriors and wonders why. “Heaven is where all of them are; not this” says
Yudhishtra. Therefore, the gods take Yudhishtra to where all of them are. But,
the path is full of darkness and obstacles, stench and filth. Yudhishtra asks:
“What is this place anyway? How long do we have to go through this path? Where
are my brothers?” The celestial messenger stopped and told Yudhishtra: “This is
how far I am authorized to accompany you. Now, you are on your own. Of course,
you can return back with me”. Yudhishtra was confused and stupefied and was
ready to go back. Just then, he started hearing the voices of all his brothers,
including that of Karna and of Draupadi, wailing in agony and requesting him to
stay a little longer so that their suffering is bearable.
Yudhistra wonders how can this be – that Dhuryodhana and his
accomplices are enjoying in comfort and all the noble and sinless ones are
suffering. He even wonders: “Is this real? Am I dreaming? Is this my delusion?
Or is it due to some disorder of my brain?” He gets angry and curses all the
gods and even curses Dharma, his father. He asks the celestial messenger to go
back to “his” gods and tell them that Yudhishtra wishes to stay with his
brothers, Draupadi, Karna and Dhrishtadhyumna and others and give them comfort. The messenger duly does what he was told to do and
informs Indra of what had happened.
Immediately, Indra arrives accompanied by Dharma, all the
devas, and rishis. The place changes from a desolate, bleak, dark “hell” into a
divine abode full of light and splendor.
Indra addresses
Yudhishtra: “You have attained success and your period of illusion is over. The
Heaven is yours. Do not yield to anger. Life is full of good and bad. He who
enjoys the results of his virtuous deeds must endure hell later. Those who
endure hell first must experience heaven afterwards. Those who have committed
many sinful acts go to Heaven first before they fall into hell. I wanted you to
see hell also and that is why I sent you there first. You had committed a sin
too by deceiving Drona during the battle. That is why all of you were shown
hell by an act of my deception. All of you have been cleansed of your sins. The
Heaven is yours. All of your people have attained to heaven. Come and see
them”. And, Indra points out Karna, Arjuna, Bhima, Nakula, Sahadeva and his
ancestors.
The concept of good acts (Virtue, punya), reward of Heaven
for virtuous acts and of sinful acts (papa), for which the reward will be Hell
are recurrent themes in Maha Bharata and they come out clearly in this section.
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