Pandavs death mystery and law of karma. Topic no - 6
- 7 years ago
Mahaprasthanika Parva (Sanskrit: महाप्रस्थानिक पर्व), or the Book of the Great Journey, is the seventeenth of eighteen books of the Indian epic Mahabharata. It has three chapters.[1][2] It is the shortest book in the Epic.[3]\r
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Mahaprasthanika Parva recites the journey of the Pandavas across India and finally their ascent towards Himalayas, as they climb their way to heaven on Mount Sumeru. As they leave their kingdom, a dog befriends them and joins their long journey. On their way, Draupadi dies first. Four of the Pandava brothers also die midway. Only Yudhishthira reaches Mount Sumeru. Their conversations, and reasons for not reaching heaven are described in Mahaprasthanika Parva\r
King Yudhishthira crowns Parikshit as the king of Hastinapur, in care of Yuyutsu. In Indraprastha, Yadava prince Vajra is crowned as the king. Then they start their journey of India and the Himalayas.\r
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As the Pandavas leave, a dog befriends them and they take him along for the journey. The Pandavas first go south, reaching the salt sea.[2] At the coast of the salt sea, deity Agni appears and asks Arjuna to return his bow. Agni says that this bow was given to him by the gods to fight the evil on earth. Now, that purpose has been served and so Arjuna should return the bow back to the gods. Arjuna returns his bow. They turn southwest visiting sites along the way. Thereafter, they head west to see Dwaraka. They see it submerged under the sea, as described by Arjuna in Mausala Parva. The sight of a beautiful city submerged and dead, makes them depressed. They turn north, stop at Rishikesh, then cross the Himalayas.[2]\r
God Indra offers Yudhishthira to jump into his chariot to enter heaven, but without the dog. Yudhishthira refuses because he claims he cannot betray and abandon his friend, the dog.\r
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As they cross the Himalayas, Draupadi is the first person to die. Bhima asks Yudhishthira why Draupadi died early and couldnt continue the journey to heaven. Yudhishthira claims that Draupadi suffered from the vice of partiality, in her affections for Arjuna. The remaining Pandavas continue their journey. Next, Sahadeva dies on the way. Yudhishthira explains Sahadeva like his other brothers was virtuous in every respect, except he suffered from the vice of pride and vanity, thought none was equal to him in wisdom. The brothers continue on their way to Mount Meru. Nakula dies next. Yudhishthira explains that Nakula also suffered from the vice of pride and vanity, thinking he was the most handsome person in the world. Arjuna is the next person to die without completing the journey. Yudhishthira explains to Bhima, Arjuna too suffered from the vice of pride and vanity, thinking he was the most skilled, most powerful warrior in the world. Yudhishthira, Bhima and the dog continue forward.[1]\r
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Bhima tires and falls down. He asks his elder brother why he, Bhima, is unable to complete the journey to heaven. Yudhishthira explains his brothers vice of gluttony, who used to eat too much without thinking about the hunger of others.[6]\r
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Yudhishthira and the dog continue their journey. In Chapter 3 of Mahaprasthanika Parva, as the dog and Yudhishthira continue their walk up Mount Meru,[1] Indra appears with his chariot, suggesting he doesnt need to walk all the way, he can jump in and together they can go to heaven. Yudhishthira refuses, says he could not go to heaven with Indra without his brothers and Draupadi. Indra tells Yudhishthira, all of them after their death, entered heaven. Yudhishthira asks if his friend, the dog, can jump into the chariot first. Indra replies dogs cannot enter his chariot, only Yudhishthira can. Yudhishthira refuses to leave the dog. He claims the dog is his friend, and for him to betray his friend during his lifes journey would be a great sin. Indra urges him to consider his own happiness, abandon the dog and hop into the chariot. Yudhishthira refuses to go into the chariot, explaining he cannot abandon the dog who is his companion, for his own happiness, while he is alive. The dog, watching Yudhishthiras commitment for his friend, transforms and reappears as deity Dharma. The deity Dharma then praises Yudhishthira for his virtues. Yudhishthira enters heaven on Indras chariot.\r
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Is That You or Are You You by Chris Zabriskie is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (\r
Source: \r
Artist:
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Mahaprasthanika Parva recites the journey of the Pandavas across India and finally their ascent towards Himalayas, as they climb their way to heaven on Mount Sumeru. As they leave their kingdom, a dog befriends them and joins their long journey. On their way, Draupadi dies first. Four of the Pandava brothers also die midway. Only Yudhishthira reaches Mount Sumeru. Their conversations, and reasons for not reaching heaven are described in Mahaprasthanika Parva\r
King Yudhishthira crowns Parikshit as the king of Hastinapur, in care of Yuyutsu. In Indraprastha, Yadava prince Vajra is crowned as the king. Then they start their journey of India and the Himalayas.\r
\r
As the Pandavas leave, a dog befriends them and they take him along for the journey. The Pandavas first go south, reaching the salt sea.[2] At the coast of the salt sea, deity Agni appears and asks Arjuna to return his bow. Agni says that this bow was given to him by the gods to fight the evil on earth. Now, that purpose has been served and so Arjuna should return the bow back to the gods. Arjuna returns his bow. They turn southwest visiting sites along the way. Thereafter, they head west to see Dwaraka. They see it submerged under the sea, as described by Arjuna in Mausala Parva. The sight of a beautiful city submerged and dead, makes them depressed. They turn north, stop at Rishikesh, then cross the Himalayas.[2]\r
God Indra offers Yudhishthira to jump into his chariot to enter heaven, but without the dog. Yudhishthira refuses because he claims he cannot betray and abandon his friend, the dog.\r
\r
As they cross the Himalayas, Draupadi is the first person to die. Bhima asks Yudhishthira why Draupadi died early and couldnt continue the journey to heaven. Yudhishthira claims that Draupadi suffered from the vice of partiality, in her affections for Arjuna. The remaining Pandavas continue their journey. Next, Sahadeva dies on the way. Yudhishthira explains Sahadeva like his other brothers was virtuous in every respect, except he suffered from the vice of pride and vanity, thought none was equal to him in wisdom. The brothers continue on their way to Mount Meru. Nakula dies next. Yudhishthira explains that Nakula also suffered from the vice of pride and vanity, thinking he was the most handsome person in the world. Arjuna is the next person to die without completing the journey. Yudhishthira explains to Bhima, Arjuna too suffered from the vice of pride and vanity, thinking he was the most skilled, most powerful warrior in the world. Yudhishthira, Bhima and the dog continue forward.[1]\r
\r
Bhima tires and falls down. He asks his elder brother why he, Bhima, is unable to complete the journey to heaven. Yudhishthira explains his brothers vice of gluttony, who used to eat too much without thinking about the hunger of others.[6]\r
\r
Yudhishthira and the dog continue their journey. In Chapter 3 of Mahaprasthanika Parva, as the dog and Yudhishthira continue their walk up Mount Meru,[1] Indra appears with his chariot, suggesting he doesnt need to walk all the way, he can jump in and together they can go to heaven. Yudhishthira refuses, says he could not go to heaven with Indra without his brothers and Draupadi. Indra tells Yudhishthira, all of them after their death, entered heaven. Yudhishthira asks if his friend, the dog, can jump into the chariot first. Indra replies dogs cannot enter his chariot, only Yudhishthira can. Yudhishthira refuses to leave the dog. He claims the dog is his friend, and for him to betray his friend during his lifes journey would be a great sin. Indra urges him to consider his own happiness, abandon the dog and hop into the chariot. Yudhishthira refuses to go into the chariot, explaining he cannot abandon the dog who is his companion, for his own happiness, while he is alive. The dog, watching Yudhishthiras commitment for his friend, transforms and reappears as deity Dharma. The deity Dharma then praises Yudhishthira for his virtues. Yudhishthira enters heaven on Indras chariot.\r
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\r
Is That You or Are You You by Chris Zabriskie is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (\r
Source: \r
Artist: