वैशम्पायन उवाच स्थिते मुहूर्त पार्थे तु धर्मराजे युधिष्ठिरे। आजग्मुस्तत्र कौरव्य देवाः शक्रपुरोगमाः॥
King Yudhishthira the just, the son of Pritha, and not waited there for more than a imoment when, O you of Kuru's race all the celestials headed by Indra caine there.
स च विग्रहवान् धर्मो राजानं प्रसमीक्षितुम्। तत्राजगाम यत्रासौ कुरुराजो युधिष्ठिरः॥
The God of Righteousness, in his embodied forin, also came to that place where the Kuru king was for seeing that monarch.
तेषु भासुरदेहेषु पुण्याभिजनकर्मसु। समागतेषु देवेषु व्यगमत् तत् तमो नृप॥
Upon the coming of those celestials of resplendent bodies and sanctified and noble deeds, the darkness that had covered that region immediately disappeared.
नादृश्यन्त च तास्तत्र यातनाः पापकर्मिणाम्। नदी वैतरणी चैव कूटशाल्मलिना सह॥ लोहकुम्भ्यः शिलाश्चैव नादृश्यन्त भयानकाः। विकृतानि शरीराणि यानि तत्र समन्ततः॥ ददर्श राजा कौरव्यस्तान्यदृश्यानि चाभवन्।
The tortures undergone by beings of sinful deeds were no longer seen. The river Vaitarani, the thorny Shalmali the iron jars, and the boulders of rock, so terrible to look at also vanished from sight. The various repulsive corpses also , which the Kuru king has seen, disappeared at the same time.
ततो वायुः सुखस्पर्शः पुण्यगन्धवहः शुचिः॥ ववौ देवसमीपस्थः शीतलोऽतीव भारत।
Then a breeze delicious and fraught with pleasant smell, perfectly pure, and delightfully cool, O Bharata, began to blow on that spot on account of the presence of the celestials.
मरुतः सह शक्रेण वसवश्वाश्विनौ सह॥ साध्या रुद्रास्तथाऽऽदित्या ये चान्येऽपि दिवौकसः। सर्वे तत्र समाजग्मुः सिद्धाश्च परमर्षयः॥ यत्र राजा महातेजा धर्मपुत्रः स्थितोऽभवत्।
The Maruts, with Indra, the Vasus with the twin Ashvins, the Saddhyas, the Rudras, the Adityas and the other dwellers of Heaven as also the Siddhas, and the Great Rishis, all came there where Dharma's royal son of great energy was.
ततः शक्रः सुरपतिः श्रिया परमया युतः॥ युधिष्ठिरमुवाचेदं सान्त्वपूर्वमिदं वचः। युधिष्ठिर महाबाहो लोकाश्चाप्यक्षयास्तव॥ एह्येहि पुरुषव्याघ्र कृतमेतावता विभो।
Then Shakra, the lord of the celestials, gifted with blazing prosperity, addressed Yudhishthira and consoling him, come, said, O Yudhishthira of mighty arms, come, come O king! These illusions have ended, O powerful one.
सिद्धिः प्राप्ता महाबाहो लोकाश्चाप्यक्षयास्तव॥ न च मन्युस्त्वया कार्यः शृणु चेदं वचो मम।
You have acquired success O mighty-armed one, and have attained to eternal happy regions. You should not give way to anger. Listen to these words of mine.
अवश्यं नरकस्तात द्रष्टव्यः सर्वराजभिः॥ शुभानामशुभानां च द्वौ राशी पुरुषर्षभ।
Hell, O son, should, forsooth, be seen by every king. There is enough of good and bad, O king.
यः पूर्वं सुकृतं भुङ्क्त पश्चानिरयमेव सः॥ पूर्वं नरकभाग् यस्तु पश्चात् स्वर्गमुपैति सः।
He who enjoys first the fruits of his good deeds must afterwards suffer Hell. He on the other hand, who first endures Hell, must afterwards enjoy the celestial region.
भूयिष्ठं पापकर्मा यः स पूर्वं स्वर्गमश्नुते॥ तेन त्वमेवं गमितो मया श्रेयोऽर्थिना नृप।
He whose sinful deeds are many enjoys the celestial region first. It is for this, o king, that desirous of doing you good, I caused you to be sent for having a view of Hell.
व्याजेन हि त्वया द्रोण उपचीर्णः सुतं प्रति॥ व्याजेनैव ततो राजन् दर्शितो नरकस्तव।
You had by a pretence, deceived Drona about his son. You have, therefore been shown Hell by an act of decention.
यथैव त्वं तथा भीमस्तथा पार्थो यमौ तथा॥ द्रौपदी च तथा कृष्णा व्याजेन नरकं गताः।
Like yourself, Bhima and Arjuna and Draupadi, have all been shown the place of sinners by an act of deception.
आगच्छ नरशार्दूल मुक्तास्ते चैव कल्मषात्॥ स्वपक्ष्याश्चैव ये तुभ्यं पार्थिवा निहता रणे। सर्वे स्वर्गमनुप्राप्तास्तान् पश्य भरतर्षभ॥
Come, o king, all of them have been purged of their sins. All those kings who had sided you and who have been killed in battle, have all acquired the celestial region. Come and see them, O foremost one of Bharata's race.
कर्णश्चैव महेष्वासः सर्वशस्त्रभृतां वरः। स गतः परमां सिद्धिं यदर्थं परितप्यसे॥
Karna the powerful bowman, that foremost of all wielders of weapons, for whom you are grieving, has also acquired high success.
तं पश्य पुरुषव्याघ्रमादित्यतनयं विभो। स्वस्थानस्थं महाबाहो जहि शोकं नरर्षभ॥
See, O powerful one, that foremost of men, viz., the son of the Sum. He is in that place which is his own, O mighty-armed one. Kill this grief of yours, O king.
भ्रातूंश्चान्यांस्तथा पश्य स्वपक्ष्यांश्चैव पार्थिवान्। स्वं स्वं स्थानमनुप्राप्तान् व्येतु ते मानसो ज्वरः॥
Look at your brother and others, those kings, that is who had taken your side. They have all attained to their respective places. Let the fever of your heart be removed.
कृच्छ्रे पूर्वं चानुभूय इतःप्रभृति कौरव। विहरस्व मया सार्धं गतशोको निरामयः॥
Having suffered a little misery first, from this time, O son of Kuru's race, do you sport with me in happiness, horn of grief and all ailments.
कर्मणां तात पुण्यानां जितानां तपसा स्वयम्। दानानां च महाबाहो फलं प्राप्नुहि पार्थिव॥
O mighty-armed one, do you now enjoy. O king the rewards of all your virtuous deeds, of those regions which you have acquired yourself by your penances, and of all your gifts.
अद्य त्वां देवगन्धर्वा दिव्याश्चाप्सरसो दिवि। उपसेवन्तु कल्याण्यं विरजोऽम्बरभूषणाः॥
Let celestials and Gandharvas, and celestial Apsara, dressed in pure robes and beautiful ornaments, wait upon and serve you for your happiness.
राजसूयजिताँल्लोकानश्वमेधाभिवर्धितान्। प्राप्नुहि त्वं महाबाहो तपसश्च महाफलम्॥
Do you, O mighty-armed one, enjoy now those happy regions which you have acquired through the Rajasuya-Sacrifice performed by you have been increased by the sacrificial scimitar employed by you. May you enjoy the great fruit of your penance.
उपर्युपरि राज्ञां हि तव लोका युधिष्ठिर। हरिश्चन्द्रसमाः पार्थ येषु त्वं विहरिष्यसि॥
Your region, O Yudhishthira, are above, far above, those of kings. They are equal to those of Harishchandra, O son of Pritha. Come and sport there in bliss!
मान्धाता यत्र राजर्षिर्यत्र राजा भगीरथः। दौष्यन्तियत्र भरतस्तत्र त्वं विहरिष्यसि॥
Sharing the blissful region acquired by the royal sage Mandhatri, king Bhagiratha, Dushyanta's son Bharata, you will sport there in bliss.
एषा देवनदी पुण्या पार्थ त्रैलोक्यपावनी। आकाशगङ्गा राजेन्द्र तत्राप्लुत्य गमिष्यसि॥
Here is the celestial river, sacred and sanctifying the there worlds. It is called celestial Ganga, Plunging into it, you will go to your own regions.
अत्र स्नातस्य भावस्ते मानुषो विगमिष्यति। गतशोका निरायासो मुक्तवैरो भविष्यसि॥
Having bathed in this river, you will be divested of your human nature. Indeed, your grief dispelled, your ailments conquered, you will be freed from all enmities.
एवं ब्रुवति देवेन्द्रे कौरवेन्द्रे युधिष्ठिरम्। धर्मो विग्रहवान् साक्षादुवाच सुतमात्मनः॥ भो भो राजन् महाप्राज्ञ प्रीतोऽस्मि तव पुत्रका मद्भक्त्या सत्यवाक्यैश्च क्षमया च दमेन च॥
While, O Kuru king, the chief of the celestials was saying so to Yudhishthira, the god of Righteousness, in his embodied form, then addressed his own son and said, O king, I am highly pleased, O you of great wisdom, with you, O son, by your devotion to me by your truthfulness of speech, and forgiveness, and self-control.
एषा तृतीया जिज्ञासा तव राजन् कृता मया। न शक्यसे चालयितुं स्वभावात् पार्थ हेतुतः॥
This indeed, is the third test, O king, to which I put you. You are incapable, O son of Pritha, of being swerved from your nature or reason.
पूर्वं परीक्षितो हि त्वं प्रश्चाद् द्वैतवने मया। अरणीसहितस्यार्थे तच्च निस्तीर्णवानसि॥
Before this, I had examined you in the Dvaita forest by my questions, when your brothers with Draupadi had fallen down.
सोदर्येषु विनष्टेषु द्रौपद्या तत्र भारत। श्वरूपधारिणा तत्र पुनस्त्वं मे परीक्षितः॥
Assuming the shape of a dog, I examined you once more, O son when your brothers with Draupadi had fallen down.
इदं तृतीयं भ्रातृणामर्थे यत् स्थातुमिच्छसि। विशुद्धोऽसि महाभाग सुखी विगतकल्मषः॥
This has been your third test; you have expressed your wish to stay at Hell for the sake of your brothers. You have become cleaned, O highly blessed one. Purified of sin, you happy.
न च ते भ्रातरः पार्थ नरकारे विशाम्पते। मायैषा देवराजेन महेन्द्रेण प्रयोजिता॥
O son of Pritha, your brothers, O king, were not such as to deserve Hell. All this has been an illusion created by the king of the celestials.
अवश्यं नरकास्तात द्रष्टव्याः सर्वराजभिः। ततस्त्वया प्राप्तमिदं मुहूर्तं दुःखमुत्तमम्॥
Forsooth, all kings, O son, must once see Hell. Hence have you for a little while been subjected to this great sorrow.
न सव्यसाची भीमो वा यमौ वा पुरुषर्षभौ। कर्णो वा सत्यवाक् शूरो नरकार्दाश्चिरं नृप॥
O king, neither Arjuna, nor Bhima, nor any of those foremost of men, viz., the twins for Karna, ever truthful in speech and endued with great courage, could be deserving of Hell for a long time.
न कृष्णा राजपुत्री च नरकारे कथंचन। एह्येहि भरतश्रेष्ठ पश्य गङ्गां त्रिलोकगाम्॥
The Princes Krishna too, O Yudhishthira, could not be deserving of that place of sinners, Come, come, O foremost of the Bharatas see Ganga, who spreads her current over the three worlds.
एवमुक्तः स राजर्षिस्तव पूर्वपितामहः। जगाम सह धर्मेण सर्वेश्च त्रिदिवालयैः॥
Thus addressed the royal sage, viz., your grandsire, proceeded with Dharma and all the other celestials.
गङ्गा देवनदी पुण्यां पावनीमृषिसंस्तुताम्। अवगाह्य ततो राजा तनुं तत्याज मानुषीम्॥
Having bathed in the celestial river Ganga, acred and purifying and ever worshipped by the Rishis, he renounced his human body.
ततो दिव्यवपुर्भूत्वा धर्मराजो युधिष्ठिरः। निर्वैरो गतसंतापो जले तस्मिन् समाप्लुतः॥
Assuming then a celestial form, king Yudhishthira the jut, on account of that bath, became divested of all his enmities and grief.
ततो ययौ वृतो देवैः कुरुराजो युधिष्ठिरः। धर्येण सहितो धीमान् स्तूयमानो महर्षिभिः॥
Surrounded by the celestials the Kuru king Yudhishthira then went away from that place. He was accompanied by Dharma, and the great Rishis uttered his praises.
यत्र ते पुरुषव्याघ्राः शूरा विगतमन्यवः। पाण्डवा धार्तराष्ट्राश्च स्वानि स्थानानि भेजिरे॥
Indeed, he reached that place where those foremost of men, those heroes, viz., the Pandavas and the Dhartarashtras, freed from (human) wrath, were enjoying each his respective position.