Putradarshana Parva — Gandhari sees her sons

Vaishampayana said Then those foremost of men, shorn of anger and jealousy and purged of every sin, met with another, according to those high and auspicious ordinances which have been laid down by regenerate Rishis. All of them were happy of hearts and looked like celestials moving in celestial regions.

Son met with father or mother, wives with husbands, brother with brother, and friend with friend, O king.

The Pandavas full of joy, inet with the powerful bowman Karna as also with the son of Subhadra, and the children of Draupadi.

With pleased hearts the son of Pandu approached Karna, O king, and became reconciled with him.

All those warriors, O chief of Bharata's race, meeting with one another through the favour of the great ascetic, became reconciled with one another.

Renouncing all unfriendliness, they became established on amity and peace. It was thus that all those foremost of men, viz., the Kauravas and other kinsmen of theirs as also with their children. They passed in great happiness the whole of that night.

Indeed, the Kshatriya warriors, on account of the happiness they experienced, considered that place as Heaven itself. There was no grief, no fear, ne suspicion, no discontent, no reproach in that region, as those warriors, O king, met with one another on that night, Meeting with their sires and brothers and husbands and sars. the Indias ........ grief and felt great joy. Having sported with one another thus for one night, those heroes and those ladies, embracing one another taking one another's leave, came back to the places they had come from. Indeed, that foremost of ascetics dismissed that collection of warriors.

Within the twinkling of an eye that large crowd disappeared in the very sight of all those persons. Those great 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 Kubera. Some among those kings went to the region of Surya.

Amongst the Rakshasas and Pishachas, some proceeded to the country of the UttaraKurus. Others, moving delightfully, went in the company of the celestials.

Thus did all those great persons disappear with their vehicles and animals and with all their followers. After all of them had departed, the great sage, who was standing in the waters of the sacred rivers, viz., Vyasa of great virtue and energy, that benefactor of the Kurus, then addressed those Kshatriya ladies who had become windows, and said these words, 'Let those amongst these foremost of women who are desirous of attaining to the regions acquired by their husbands cast away all idleness 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 went, O king, with their husbands to the regions acquired by the latter.

Thus, those ladies of various conduct, devoted to their husbands, entering the waters of the Bhagirathi, became freed from their mortal bodies and attained to the companionship of their husbands in the regions acquired by them.

Possessed of celestiai forms, and adorned with celestial ornaments, and wearing celestial garments and garlands hey proceeded to those regions where their husbands were living.

Endued with excellent conduct and many virtues, their anxieties all removed, they were seen to ride on excellent cars, and gifted with every accomplishment, they found those regions of felicity which were theirs by right.

Devoted to the duties of piety, Vyasa, at that time, becoming a giver of boons, granted to all the men there collected the fruition of the desires they respectively cherished.

People of various kingdoms hearing of this meeting between the hallowed dead and living human beings, became highly pleased.

That man who duly listens to this discourse meets with everything that is dear to him. Indeed, he obtains all agreeable objects both in this world and in the next.

That man of learning and science that foremost of pious persons, who recites this narrative for the hearing of others wins great fame here and an auspicious end hereafter, as also a union with kinsmen and all desirable objects. Such a man has not to work hard for his maintenance and meets with all sorts of auspicious objects in life. These are the rewards reaped by a person who gifted with devotion to Vedic studies and with penances, recites this narrative in the hearing of others.

Those persons who endued with good conduct, devoted to self-control, purged 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 book, surely attain to the highest end hereafter.