to thy (step) mother![1]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
- ↑ 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.
[2]
