These went, "bent on abandonment of worldly things;

their hearts yearning for union with the Infinite." In their journey they reach the sea, and there Arjuna cast away his bow and quiver. At last they came in sight of Mount Meru, and Draupadi "lost hold of her high hope, and faltering fell upon the earth." One by one the others fall, until only Yudhishthira, Bhima, and the dog are left. Bhima cannot understand why such pure beings should die: his brother informs him that Draupadi's fall was the result of her excessive affection for Arjuna; that Sahadeva's death was the result of pride in his own knowledge; that Nakula's personal vanity was his ruin, and that Arjuna's fault was a boastful confidence in his power to destroy his foes. Bhima now falls, and is told that the reason of his death is his selfishness, pride, and too great love of enjoyment. Yudhishthira, left alone with the dog, is walking on:

"When, with a sudden sound that rang through earth and heaven, the mighty god
Came towards him in a chariot, and he cried, Ascend, O resolute prince.'
Then did the king look back upon his fallen brothers, and addressed
These words unto the Thousand-eyed in anguish; 'Let my brothers here
Come with me. Without them, O god of gods, I could not wish to enter
E'en heaven! and yonder tender princess Draupadi, the faithful wife,
Worthy of endless bliss, let her come too. In mercy hear my prayer.'"

Indra informs him that the spirits of Draupadi and his brothers are already in heaven, but that he alone is permitted to enter in bodily form. The king asks that the dog may accompany him. But as this is refused, he declines to go alone. Indra says, "You have abandoned your brothers; why not forsake the dog?" Yudhishthira replies, "I had no power to bring them back to

life: how can there be abandonment of those who no longer live?" It now appears that the dog was no other than his father Dharma in disguise; who, assuming his proper form, enters with him.

On reaching heaven, though Duryodhana and his cousins are already in bliss, as he does not see Arjuna and the rest, Yudhishthira declines to remain there without them. An angel accompanies him to hell, where he hears their voices calling upon him for help. He therefore bids the angel depart, as he prefers to suffer in hell with his brethren rather than to remain in heaven without them. As soon as his resolution is taken, the scene suddenly changes, and it appears that this was simply a trial of his faith. He bathes in the heavenly Ganges, and in heaven, with " Draupadi and his brothers, finds the rest and happiness that were unattainable on earth."

Footnotes

^411:* This account of the Mahabharata is taken in an abbreviated form almost entirely from Lecture XIII. of Monier Williams's "Indian Wisdom."