Mythos

Mythos

Thursday 12 January 2017

Death of the Pandavas!

After thirty six years, the five Pandava brothers and their wife Draupadi, who ruled Hastinapur, decided to renounce the world. They were also accompained by a dog. They believed that since they had established a righteous kingdom on Earth they had earned enough equity to enter Swarga effortlessly with their mortal bodies.

To reach the abode of the Devas, they decided to climb the Meru. Unfortunately, on the way, they slipped and died one by one.

The first one to die was Draupadi, imperfect because she preferred Arjuna over her other husbands. Then, It was Sahadeva, imperfect because he was smug about his knowledge, followed by Nakula, imperfect because he was arrogant about his good looks. Then fell Arjuna, imperect because he was always jealous of the other archers, and then fell Bhima, imperfect because he was a glutton. Only the eldest Pandava, Yudishtira was left. He and the dog continue their journey. And suddenly Indra appears with his Chariot, suggesting he does not have to walk all the way and that he can jump in and together they can go to Heaven. At first Yudishtira refuses to go saying that he could not go to heaven without his brother and wife. Indra replies saying that they are already in Heaven. Yudishtira then asks if the dog can come along on the chariot. But Indra refused to let the dog also in. Yudishtira refuses to leave the dog behind as he is his friend and, and for him to betray his friend during his life journey would be considered a great sin. The dog watching Yudishtira's commitment for his friend transforms himself into deity Dharma. The deity then praises Yudishtira for his virtues. Yudishtira then enters heaven on he chariot.




There he found to his horror all the Kauravas and no sign of his brothers. "Why?"he asked. Yama explained, "Because the died Kauravas died as Warriors are supposed to on the battle field. This earned them so much merit that it wiped out their debt.

Yudishtira demanded to know where his brothers and his wife were. He was taken below the earth to a dark and terrible place full of misery and torture. It was Naraka. Yama explained."They are experiencing the reactions  their actions."

Yudishtira refused to leave Naraka as he was abondoning his brothers and his wife in the hour of pain. Yama smiled and said," This is Temporary, Once the debt has been repaid, they will join the Kauravas in Swarga. You too had to experience Naraka for the one and only white lie you spoke in your lifetime." [Mahabharata]

1 comment:

  1. I have obviously heard the story of Mahabharata from when i was a kid, but this part is something that i truly do not remember.

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