Story Of Pandavas Death In Mahabharat

Mahabharata did not end with the victory of Pandavas and the defeat or the death of Kauravas. This epic consisted the death of Pandavas who in spite of winning the 18 day war against their cousins failed to live happy lives. After the great war of Kurukshetra, the Pandavas defeated the Kauravas and ruled over the kingdom for the next 36 years. There is as much to learn from the end of this culturally rich epic. Lord Krishna along with the Pandavas lived to win the war but was not able to survive the curse of a mother who lost all her hundred sons in the battlefield. In the fire of Gandhari's anguish, Krishna and the entire Yadava clan was burnt. To know the full story of the destruction of the Yadava clan, watch the video linked in the comments below. Krishna's death wasn't the end. It was actually the beginning of the end. Krishna's death was a major blow to Arjuna. In spite of having everything he had ever desired, he had now lost interest in his life. His troubled state of mind took him to Rishi Vyasa. Vyasa Muni suggested that he renounce everything and move to the Himalayas. After discussing the plan with his brothers and making Parikshit the king of Hastinapur, he began his journey with his brothers and his wife Draupadi. It is important to mention here that Parikshit was the grandson of Arjuna and the son of Abhimanyu and his wife Uttara. To know the story of King Parikshit and how his rule brought the dawn of Kalyuga, watch the video linked in the comments below. The Pandavas along with Draupadi began ascending Mount Sumeru. It is believed that the pinnacle of this mythical mountain are the doors to the heaven. Yudhishthir believed that since all the six of them had been wronged their entire life and despite that stuck to the path of fairness and justice, they would be able to enter heaven in their mortal form. With this belief, they set out for their final journey. During the course of his journey, Arjuna met Agnideva who asked him to return the bow that was given to him to fight evil forces. After returning the bow and having a look at the submerged city of Dwaraka, they started moving towards their final destination. They were accompanied by a stray dog throughout their journey to the Himalayas. The brothers who had remained inseparable throughout their entire lives had to bow in front of the concept of life and death. As they began to climb the mountain, at the top of which is considered the existence of Swarga, they realized just how wrong they were in their assumptions. After a long hike to the mountains, Draupadi falls down dead, much to the perplexities of Bhima. Yudhishthir, who by now had realized his folly, explains that the reason she died was that she was disproportionately in love with Arjuna, when in fact she was supposed to love her five husbands equally. To know the full story of Draupadi, watch the video linked in the comments below. Sahadev falls next. Yudhishthir explains to Bhima again that their youngest brother Sahadev, though quiet, was Similarly, Nakul, who was the next to fall and die, was vain about his looks and his sense of vanity, which was too a sin. As the three eldest Pandavas continue their trek up to Sumeru, Arjuna falls. Yudhishthir explains that the reason why Arjuna wasn't going to enter the heavens in his mortal form was because he was too proud of his skills as an archer. Bhima falls next. As he is dying, he asks what his sin was. Yudhishthir smiles and points out that his entire life, Bhima never cared about another's hunger. It was his gluttony that finally cost him his privilege of entering the heavenly realm in his human form. Ultimately, Yudhishthir continues his trek all by his lonesome self, just with a dog who had started following them right at the start of their journey. He reaches the pinnacle of Mount Sumeru and, sure enough, is greeted by Indra, the king of gods. Indra invites him to his chariot, but Yudhishthir, being the righteous man he was, refuses to enter when Indra stopped him from taking the dog along. The dog, who had accompanied Yudhishthir all along, was none other than the god of death, Yama. At this point, the dog reveals his true avatar as Dharma, the divine father of Yudhishthir. The lord of death, impressed by his righteousness, at once opened the gates of heaven for him. On reaching Svargalok, or the heaven, he met Duryodhana and all the other Gauravas there. He also noticed that the Pandavas were not there. Yudhishthir was both surprised and angry that the adharmis, who were the sole reason for the death and destruction of so many, should have been accepted into heaven. He asks for the whereabouts of his brothers and wife and is told that they were, in fact, in hell. Yudhishthir demands to see them and is therefore taken to hell where he sees them in pain, serving their time in Naraklok for the wrongs they did during their respective lifetimes. Angry at the thought that the Gauravas were enjoying their time in heaven, despite having sinned far more than the Pandavas, Yudhishthir demands to know the reason. On being asked about the Gauravas, Yama replied that they were in heaven because they died by virtue of dying on the battlefield while performing their duties. The Pandavas, on the other hand, had to pay for their sins in the netherworlds before ascending to the heavens and enjoying the same privileges as the others. Lord Yama also acquainted Yudhishthir of his own sins. The Lord further told Yudhishthir that he must undergo the torture of going through hell as well as he had committed the sin of deceiving his own teacher, Dronacharya, during the course of the war. Knowing that he would not be able to defeat the great master by fair means, he had lied that Ashwatthama, his son, had died on the battlefield. In actuality, an elephant by the name of Ashwatthama had fallen at the same time. This fake news broke Drona's will, ultimately leading to his death. A humble Yudhishthira fell at the Lord's feet, asking forgiveness for all his sins. Yama then revealed to Yudhishthir that his sin had been washed off and so also for his brothers in Draupadi and that he could take his place in heaven alongside his loved ones. Yama then asked him to rise up and also explained to him that all his sins were washed because of the good he had done and that he, along with his brothers and wife, were welcome to join heaven. Yama further added that every human being has to serve his time in hell in accordance with his sin committed before moving to heaven. The tale of how the Pandavas met their ends clears the concept of dharma and karma in our minds. It is true that nobody can escape from the final judgment. Pandavas, in spite of winning in the battlefield, bore punishments for all the wrong they did during their lifetime.