The Heavenly Goal
Seated on a golden throne entirely covered with sparkling jewels, he was talking together with the numerous kings who, due to their strict observance of religious principles, had always been respected on Earth. Yudhisthira couldn’t believe his eyes.
“How can that envious and ungodly being sit in the midst of those holy monarchs? On Earth he has caused only immense suffering and his selfishness has exterminated an entire generation of Kshatriyas. He deserves the worst of hells, not the joys of the heavenly planets.”
“Give up all animosity against Duryodhana,” Indra replied. “He paid with death his debt to the gods and now, thanks to the blessings of Balarama and Gandhari and the holy place of Samanta-panchaka where he left his body, according to divine laws he fully deserved Svarga.”
But Yudhisthira refused to stay in a place where Duryodhana was present and his brothers were not there, and begged Indra to take him wherever they were. He was accompanied along a road.
He walked for a long time, until he came to a dark, smelly place full of insects and hideous people shouting and threatening. In that hell he saw Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula, Sahadeva and many other friends and acquaintances whom on Earth he had esteemed and loved. He was incredulous: how could it be that virtuous and dharma-observing people suffered in that hell while the demonic Duryodhana sat on a throne of jewels in Amaravati? But actually he didn’t care, he preferred to stay with his brothers.
An hour passed.
Suddenly, throwing light into that dark place, Indra appeared and called them.
“You have been the most righteous men on Earth,” he said, “And most of all you have been fortunate enough to enjoy the personal company of the Supreme Lord Himself; therefore you deserve even more than the planets I can offer you. Yet you are living in this hell. Nevertheless, there is an explanation for all this. Kshatriyas, however righteous they are, must kill and be in contact with material riches; for this reason even the holiest must purify themselves by passing, for a certain period of time, through the experience of hellish pains. Each of you has committed some error, some impurity that you have so atoned for. But now that you have purified yourselves from all sin, you can come with me to Amaravati.”
The Pandavas lived for a long time on the celestial planets in the company of Devas and Rishis whose hearts were completely free from all stain. They remained in this material universe and did not follow Lord Krishna into His world just because they had other missions to fulfill. But those are other stories.
This is a section of the book “Maha-bharata, Vol. 2”.
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