The Mahabharata/Book 17: Mahaprasthanika Parva/Section III

Section III.

Vaiçampāyana said,—"Then Cakra, causing the firmament and the Earth to be filled by a loud sound, came to the son of Prithā on a car and asked him to ascend it.1 Beholding his brothers fallen on the Earth, king Yudhishthira the just said unto that deity of a thousand eyes these words:2—'My brothers have all dropped down here! They must go with me. Without them by me I do not wish to go to Heaven, O lord of all the deities!3 The delicate princess (Draupadi) deserving of every comfort, O Purandara, should go with us. It behooveth thee to permit this!'4

"Cakra said,—'Thou shalt behold thy brothers in Heaven. They have reached it before thee! Indeed, thou shalt see all of them there, with Krishnā. Do not yield to grief, O chief of the Bharatas!5 Having cast off their human bodies they have gone there, O chief of Bharata's race! As regards thee, it is ordained that thou shalt go thither in this very body of thine!'6

"Yudhishthira said,—'This dog, O lord of the Past and the Present, is exceedingly devoted to me. He should go with me. My heart is full of compassion for him!'7

"Cakra said,—'Immortality and a condition equal to mine, O king, prosperity extending in all directions, and high success, and all the felicities of Heaven, thou hast won today! Do thou cast off this dog. In this there will be no cruelty.'8

"Yudhishthira said,—'O thou of a thousand eyes, O thou that art of righteous behaviour, it is exceedingly difficult for one that is of righteous behaviour to perpetrate an act that is unrighteous. I do not desire that union with prosperity for which I shall have to cast off one that is devoted to me!'9

"Indra said,—'There is no place in Heaven for persons with dogs. Besides, the (deities called) Krodhavaças take away all the merits of such persons. Reflecting on this act, O king Yudhishthira the just! Do thou abandon this dog. There is no cruelty in this!'10

"Yudhishthira said,—'It has been said that the abandonment of one that is devoted is infinitely sinful. It is equal to the sin that one incurs by slaying a Brāhmana. Hence, O great Indra, I shall not abandon this god today from desire of my happiness!11 Even this is my vow steadily pursued, viz., that I never give up a person that is terrified, nor one that is devoted to me, nor one that seeks my protection, saying, that he is destitute, nor one that is afflicted, nor one that has come to me, nor one that is weak in protecting oneself, nor one that is solicitous of life. I shall never give up such a one till my own life is at an end!'12

"Indra said,—'Whatever gifts, or sacrifices spread out, or libations poured on the sacred fire, are seen by a dog, are taken away by the Krodhavaças. Do thou, therefore, abandon this dog. By abandoning this dog thou wilt attain to the region of the deities.13 Having abandoned thy brothers and Krishnā, thou hast, O hero, acquired a region of felicity by thy own deeds. Why art thou so stupefied? Thou hast renounced everything. Why then dost thou not renounce this dog?'14

"Yudhishthira said,—'That is well known in all the worlds that there is neither friendship nor enmity with those that are dead. When my brothers and Krishnā died, I was unable to revive them. Hence it was that I abandoned them. I did not, however abandon them as long as they were alive.15 To frighten one that has sought protection, the slaying of a woman, the theft of what belongs to a Brāhmana, and injuring a friend, each of these four, O Cakra, is I think equal to the abandonment of one that is devoted!'16

Vaiçampāyana continued,—'Hearing these words of king Yudhishthira the just, (the dog became transformed into) the deity of Righteousness, who, well pleased, said these words unto him in a sweet voice fraught with praise.17

"Dharma said,—'Thou art well born, O king of kings, and possessed of the intelligence and the good conduct of Pāndu! Thou hast compassion for all creatures, O Bhārata, of which this is a bright example!18 Formerly, O son, thou wert once examined by me in the woods of Dwaita, where thy brothers of great prowess met with (an appearance of) death.19 Disregarding both thy brothers Bhima and Arjuna, thou didst wish for the revival of Nakula from thy desire of doing good to thy (step) mother!20 On the present occasion, thinking the dog to be devoted to thee, thou hast renounced the very car of the celestials instead of renouncing him. Hence, O king, there is no one in Heaven that is equal to thee!21 Hence, O Bhārata, regions of inexhaustible felicity are thine! Thou hast won them, O chief of the Bharatas, and thine is a celestial and high goal!'"22

Vaiçampāyana continued,—"Then Dharma, and Cakra, and the Maruts, and the Açwins, and other deities, and the celestial Rishis, causing Yudhishthira to ascend on a car, proceeded to Heaven. Those beings crowned with success and capable of going everywhere at will, rode their respective cars.23-24 King Yudhishthira, that perpetuater of Kuru's race, riding on that car, ascended quickly, causing the entire welkin to blaze with his effulgence.25 Then Nārada, that foremost of all speakers, endued with penances, and conversant with all the worlds, from amidst that concourse of deities, said these words:26—'All those royal sages that are here have their achievements transcended by those of Yudhishthira!27 Covering all the worlds by his fame and splendour and by his wealth of conduct, he has attained to Heaven in his own (human) body! None else than the son of Pāndu has been heard to achieve this!'28 Hearing these words of Nārada, the righteous-souled king, saluting the deities and all the royal sages there present, said,29—'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!'30 Hearing this speech of the king, the chief of the deities, Purandara, said these words fraught with noble sense;31—'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?32 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.33 Human affections still touch thee. This is Heaven. Behold these celestial Rishis and Siddhas who have attained to the region of the gods!'34 Gifted with great intelligence, Yudhishthira answered the chief of the deities once more, saying,35—'O conqueror of Daityas, I venture not to dwell anywhere, separated from them! I desire to go there where my brothers have gone!36 I wish to go there where that foremost of women, Draupadi, of ample proportions and darkish complexion and endued with great intelligence and righteousness of conduct, has gone!'"37

FINIS MAHAPRASTHANIKA PARVA.

• The first line, rendered literally, would run, 'An Arya feels great difficulty in doing an act that is not worthy of an Arya.' Of course, 'Arya' here implies a person of respectable birth and righteous conduct.—T.

• Yudhishthira had sought for Nakula's life because Nakula would be able to offer oblations unto Mādri and her ancestors. Neither Arjuna, nor Bhima, would be of use in that direction.—T.