SECTION XXXIII
"Vaisampayana said. 'Then those foremost of men divested of wrath and
jealousy, and cleansed of every sin, met with one another, agreeably to
those high and auspicious ordinances that have been laid down by
regenerate Rishis. All of them were happy of hearts and looked like gods
moving in Heaven. Son met with sire or mother, wives with husbands,
brother with brother, and friend with friend, O king. The Pandavas, full
of joy, met with the mighty bowman Karna as also with the son of
Subhadra, and the children of Draupadi. With happy hearts the sons of
Pandu approached Karna, O monarch, and became reconciled with him. All
those warriors, O chief of Bharata's race, meeting with one another
through the grace of the great ascetic, became reconciled with one
another. Casting off all unfriendliness, they became established on amity
and peace. It was even thus that all those foremost of men, viz., the
Kauravas and other kings became united with the Kurus rid other kinsmen
of theirs as also with their children. The whole of that night they
passed in great happiness. Indeed, the Kshatriya warriors, in consequence
of the happiness they felt, regarded that place as Heaven itself. There
was no grief, no fear, no suspicion, no discontent, no reproach in that
region, as those warriors, O monarch, met with one another on that night.
Meeting with their sires and brothers and husbands and sons, the ladies
cast off all grief and felt great raptures of delight. Having sported
with one another thus for one night, those heroes and those ladies,
embracing one another and taking one another's leave returned to the
places they had come from. Indeed, that foremost of ascetics dismissed
that concourse of warriors. Within the twinkling of an eye that large
crowd disappeared in the very sight of all those (living) persons. Those
high-souled persons, plunging into the sacred river Bhagirathi proceeded,
with their cars and standards, to their respective abodes. Some went to
the regions of the gods, some to the region of Brahman, some to the
region of Varuna, and some to the region of Kuvera. Some among those
kings proceeded to the region of Surya. Amongst the Rakshasas and
Pisachas some proceeded to the country of Uttara-Kurus. Others, moving in
delightful attitudes, went in the company of the deities. Even thus did
all those high-souled persons disappear with their vehicles and animals
and with all their followers. After all of them had gone away, the great
sage, who was standing in the waters of the sacred stream viz., Vyasa of
great righteousness and energy, that benefactor of the Kurus, then
addressed those Kshatriya ladies who had become widows, and said these
words, 'Let those amongst these foremost of women that are desirous of
attaining to the regions acquired by their husbands cast away all sloth
and quickly plunge into the sacred Bhagirathi.--Hearing these words of
his, those foremost ladies, placing faith in them, took the permission of
their father-in-law, and then plunged into the waters of the Bhagirathi.
Freed from human bodies, those chaste ladies then proceeded, O king, with
their husbands to the regions acquired by the latter. Even thus, those
ladies of virtuous conduct, devoted to their husbands entering, the
waters of the Bhagirathi, became freed from their mortal tenements and
attained to the companionship of their husbands in the regions acquired
by them. Endued with celestial forms, and adorned with celestial
ornaments, and wearing celestial vestments and garlands, they proceeded
to those regions where their husbands had found their abodes. Possessed
of excellent behaviour and many virtues, their anxieties all dispelled,
they were seen to ride on excellent cars, and endued with every
accomplishment they found those regions of happiness which were theirs by
right. Devoted to the duties of piety, Vyasa, at that time, becoming a
giver of boons, granted unto all the men there assembled the fruition of
the wishes they respectively cherished. People of diverse realms, hearing
of this meeting between the hallowed dead and living human beings, became
highly delighted. That man who duly listens to this narrative meets with
everything that is dear to him. Indeed, he obtains all agreeable objects
both here and hereafter. That man of learning and science, that foremost
of righteous persons, who recites this narrative for the hearing of
others acquires great fame here and an auspicious end hereafter, as also
a union with kinsmen and all desirable objects. Such a man has not to
undergo painful labour for his sustenance, and meets with all sorts of
auspicious objects in life. Even these are the rewards reaped by a person
who, endued with devotion to Vedic studies and with penances, recites
this narrative in the hearing of others. Those persons who possessed of
good conduct, devoted to self-restraint, cleansed of all sins by the
gifts they make, endued with sincerity, having tranquil souls, freed from
falsehood and the desire of injuring others, adorned with faith, belief
in the scriptures, and intelligence, listen to this wonderful parvan,
surely attain to the highest goal hereafter."
