SECTION 2
"Yudhishthira said, Ye deities, I do not see here Radhas son of
immeasurable prowess, as also my high-souled brothers, and Yudhamanyu and
Uttamaujas, those great car-warriors that poured their bodies (as
libations) on the fire of battle, those kings and princes that met with
death for my sake in battle. Where are those great car-warriors that
possessed the prowess of tigers? Have those foremost of men acquired this
region? If those great car-warriors have obtained these regions, then
only do you know, ye gods, that I shall reside here with those
high-souled ones. If this auspicious and eternal region has not been
acquired by those kings, then know, ye gods, that without those brothers
and kinsmen of mine, I shall not live here. At the time of performing the
water rites (after the battle), I heard my mother say, Do thou offer
oblations of water unto Karna. Since hearing those words of my mother, I
am burning with grief. I grieve also incessantly at this, ye gods, that
when I marked the resemblance between the feet of my mother and those of
Karna of immeasurable soul, I did not immediately place myself under
orders of that afflicter of hostile ranks. Ourselves joined with Karna,
Shakra himself would have been unable to vanquish in battle. Wherever may
that child of Surya be, I desire to see him. Alas, his relationship with
us being unknown, I caused him to be slain by Arjuna. Bhima also of
terrible prowess and dearer to me than my life-breaths, Arjuna too,
resembling Indra himself, the twins also that resembled the Destroyer
himself in prowess, I desire to behold. I wish to see the princess of
Pancala, whose conduct was always righteous. I wish not to stay here. I
tell you the truth. Ye foremost ones among the deities, what is Heaven to
me if I am dissociated from my brothers? That is Heaven where those
brothers of mine are. This, in my opinion, is not Heaven.
"The gods said, If thou longest to be there, go then, O son, without
delay. At the command of the chief of the deities, we are ready to do
what is agreeable to thee.
Vaishampayana continued: Having said so, the gods then ordered the
celestial messenger, O scorcher of foes, saying, Do thou show unto
Yudhishthira his friends and kinsmen. Then the royal son of Kunti and the
celestial messenger proceeded together, O foremost of kings, to that
place where those chiefs of men (whom Yudhishthira had wished to see)
were. The celestial messenger proceeded first, the king followed him
behind. The path was inauspicious and difficult and trodden by men of
sinful deeds. It was enveloped in thick darkness, and covered with hair
and moss forming its grassy vesture. Polluted with the stench of sinners,
and miry with flesh and blood, it abounded with gadflies and stinging
bees and gnats and was endangered by the inroads of grisly bears. Rotting
corpses lay here and there. Overspread with bones and hair, it was
noisome with worms and insects. It was skirted all along with a blazing
fire. It was infested by crows and other birds and vultures, all having
beaks of iron, as also by evil spirits with long mouths pointed like
needles. And it abounded with inaccessible fastnesses like the Vindhya
mountains. Human corpses were scattered over it, smeared with fat and
blood, with arms and thighs cut off, or with entrails torn out and legs
severed.
"Along that path so disagreeable with the stench of corpses and awful
with other incidents, the righteous-souled king proceeded, filled with
diverse thoughts. He beheld a river full of boiling water and, therefore,
difficult to cross, as also a forest of trees whose leaves were sharp
swords and razors. There were plains full of fine white sand exceedingly
heated, and rocks and stones made of iron. There were many jars of iron
all around, with boiling oil in them. Many a Kuta-salmalika was there,
with sharp thorns and, therefore, exceedingly painful to the touch. The
son of Kunti beheld also the tortures inflicted upon sinful men.
"Beholding that inauspicious region abounding with every sort of
foulness, Yudhishthira asked the celestial messenger, saying, How far
shall we proceed along a path like this? It behoveth thee to tell me
where those brothers of mine are. I desire also to know what region is
this of the gods?
"Hearing these words of king Yudhishthira the just, the celestial
messenger stopped in his course and replied, saying, Thus far is your
way. The denizens of Heaven commanded me that having come thus far, I am
to stop. If thou art tired, O king of kings, thou mayst return with me.
"Yudhishthira, however, was exceedingly disconsolate and stupefied by the
foul odour. Resolved to return, O Bharata, he retraced his steps.
Afflicted by sorrow and grief, the righteous-souled monarch turned back.
Just at that moment he heard piteous lamentations all around, O son of
Dharma, O royal sage, O thou of sacred origin, O son of Pandu, do thou
stay a moment for favouring us. At thy approach, O invincible one, a
delightful breeze hath begun to blow, bearing the sweet scent of thy
person. Great hath been our relief at this. O foremost of kings,
beholding thee, O first of men, great hath been our happiness. O son of
Pritha, let that happiness last longer through thy stay here, for a few
moments more. Do thou remain here, O Bharata, for even a short while. As
long as thou art here, O thou of Kurus race, torments cease to afflict
us. These and many similar words, uttered in piteous voices by persons in
pain, the king heard in that region, wafted to his ears from every side.
"Hearing those words of beings in woe, Yudhishthira of compassionate
heart exclaimed aloud, Alas, how painful! And the king stood still. The
speeches of those woe-begone and afflicted persons seemed to the son of
Pandu to be uttered in voices that he had heard before although he could
not recognise them on that occasion.
"Unable to recognise voices, Dharmas son, Yudhishthira, enquired, saying,
Who are you? Why also do you stay here?
"Thus addressed, they answered him from all sides, saying, I am Karna! I
am Bhimasena! I am Arjuna! I am Nakula! I am Sahadeva! I am
Dhrishtadyumna! I am Draupadi! We are the sons of Draupadi! Even thus, O
king, did those voices speak.
"Hearing those exclamations, O king, uttered in voices of pain suitable
to that place, the royal Yudhishthira asked himself What perverse destiny
is this? What are those sinful acts which were committed by those
high-souled beings, Karna and the sons of Draupadi, and the
slender-waisted princess of Pancala, so that their residence has been
assigned in this region of foetid smell and great woe? I am not aware of
any transgression that can be attributed to these persons of righteous
deeds. What is that act by doing which Dhritarashtras son, king
Suyodhana, with all his sinful followers, has become invested with such
prosperity? Endued with prosperity like that of the great Indra himself,
he is highly adored. What is that act through the consequence of which
these (high-souled ones) have fallen into Hell? All of them were
conversant with every duty, were heroes, were devoted to truth and the
Vedas; were observant of Kshatriya practices; were righteous in their
acts; were performers of sacrifices; and givers of large presents unto
brahmanas. Am I asleep or awake? Am I conscious or unconscious? Or, is
all this a mental delusion due to disorders of the brain?
"Overwhelmed by sorrow and grief, and with his senses agitated by
anxiety, king Yudhishthira indulged in such reflections for a long time.
The royal son of Dharma then gave way to great wrath. Indeed,
Yudhishthira then censured the gods, as also Dharma himself. Afflicted by
the very foul odour, he addressed the celestial messenger, saying, Return
to the presence of those whose messenger thou art. Tell them that I shall
not go back to where they are, but shall stay even here, since, in
consequence of my companionship, these afflicted brothers of mine have
become comforted. Thus addressed by the intelligent son of Pandu, the
celestial messenger returned to the place where the chief of the deities
was, viz., he of a hundred sacrifices. He represented unto him the acts
of Yudhishthira. Indeed, O ruler of men, he informed Indra of all that
Dharmas son had said!
