स्वर्गारोहणिक पर्व — देवताओं का आगमन और युधिष्ठिर के आचरण की प्रशंसा; युधिष्ठिर आकाशगंगा में स्नान कर दिव्य देह धारण करते हैं और देवताओं सहित अपने भाइयों तथा स्वजनों के लोक को जाते हैं

King Yudhishthira the just, the son of Pritha, and not waited there for more than a imoment when, O you of Kuru's race all the celestials headed by Indra caine there.

The God of Righteousness, in his embodied forin, also came to that place where the Kuru king was for seeing that monarch.

Upon the coming of those celestials of resplendent bodies and sanctified and noble deeds, the darkness that had covered that region immediately disappeared.

The tortures undergone by beings of sinful deeds were no longer seen. The river Vaitarani, the thorny Shalmali the iron jars, and the boulders of rock, so terrible to look at also vanished from sight. The various repulsive corpses also , which the Kuru king has seen, disappeared at the same time.

Then a breeze delicious and fraught with pleasant smell, perfectly pure, and delightfully cool, O Bharata, began to blow on that spot on account of the presence of the celestials.

The Maruts, with Indra, the Vasus with the twin Ashvins, the Saddhyas, the Rudras, the Adityas and the other dwellers of Heaven as also the Siddhas, and the Great Rishis, all came there where Dharma's royal son of great energy was.

Then Shakra, the lord of the celestials, gifted with blazing prosperity, addressed Yudhishthira and consoling him, come, said, O Yudhishthira of mighty arms, come, come O king! These illusions have ended, O powerful one.

You have acquired success O mighty-armed one, and have attained to eternal happy regions. You should not give way to anger. Listen to these words of mine.

Hell, O son, should, forsooth, be seen by every king. There is enough of good and bad, O king.

He who enjoys first the fruits of his good deeds must afterwards suffer Hell. He on the other hand, who first endures Hell, must afterwards enjoy the celestial region.

He whose sinful deeds are many enjoys the celestial region first. It is for this, o king, that desirous of doing you good, I caused you to be sent for having a view of Hell.

You had by a pretence, deceived Drona about his son. You have, therefore been shown Hell by an act of decention.

Like yourself, Bhima and Arjuna and Draupadi, have all been shown the place of sinners by an act of deception.

Come, o king, all of them have been purged of their sins. All those kings who had sided you and who have been killed in battle, have all acquired the celestial region. Come and see them, O foremost one of Bharata's race.

Karna the powerful bowman, that foremost of all wielders of weapons, for whom you are grieving, has also acquired high success.

See, O powerful one, that foremost of men, viz., the son of the Sum. He is in that place which is his own, O mighty-armed one. Kill this grief of yours, O king.

Look at your brother and others, those kings, that is who had taken your side. They have all attained to their respective places. Let the fever of your heart be removed.

Having suffered a little misery first, from this time, O son of Kuru's race, do you sport with me in happiness, horn of grief and all ailments.

O mighty-armed one, do you now enjoy. O king the rewards of all your virtuous deeds, of those regions which you have acquired yourself by your penances, and of all your gifts.

Let celestials and Gandharvas, and celestial Apsara, dressed in pure robes and beautiful ornaments, wait upon and serve you for your happiness.

Do you, O mighty-armed one, enjoy now those happy regions which you have acquired through the Rajasuya-Sacrifice performed by you have been increased by the sacrificial scimitar employed by you. May you enjoy the great fruit of your penance.

Your region, O Yudhishthira, are above, far above, those of kings. They are equal to those of Harishchandra, O son of Pritha. Come and sport there in bliss!

Sharing the blissful region acquired by the royal sage Mandhatri, king Bhagiratha, Dushyanta's son Bharata, you will sport there in bliss.

Here is the celestial river, sacred and sanctifying the there worlds. It is called celestial Ganga, Plunging into it, you will go to your own regions.

Having bathed in this river, you will be divested of your human nature. Indeed, your grief dispelled, your ailments conquered, you will be freed from all enmities.

While, O Kuru king, the chief of the celestials was saying so to Yudhishthira, the god of Righteousness, in his embodied form, then addressed his own son and said, O king, I am highly pleased, O you of great wisdom, with you, O son, by your devotion to me by your truthfulness of speech, and forgiveness, and self-control.

This indeed, is the third test, O king, to which I put you. You are incapable, O son of Pritha, of being swerved from your nature or reason.

Before this, I had examined you in the Dvaita forest by my questions, when your brothers with Draupadi had fallen down.

Assuming the shape of a dog, I examined you once more, O son when your brothers with Draupadi had fallen down.

This has been your third test; you have expressed your wish to stay at Hell for the sake of your brothers. You have become cleaned, O highly blessed one. Purified of sin, you happy.

O son of Pritha, your brothers, O king, were not such as to deserve Hell. All this has been an illusion created by the king of the celestials.

Forsooth, all kings, O son, must once see Hell. Hence have you for a little while been subjected to this great sorrow.

O king, neither Arjuna, nor Bhima, nor any of those foremost of men, viz., the twins for Karna, ever truthful in speech and endued with great courage, could be deserving of Hell for a long time.

The Princes Krishna too, O Yudhishthira, could not be deserving of that place of sinners, Come, come, O foremost of the Bharatas see Ganga, who spreads her current over the three worlds.

Thus addressed the royal sage, viz., your grandsire, proceeded with Dharma and all the other celestials.

Having bathed in the celestial river Ganga, acred and purifying and ever worshipped by the Rishis, he renounced his human body.

Assuming then a celestial form, king Yudhishthira the jut, on account of that bath, became divested of all his enmities and grief.

Surrounded by the celestials the Kuru king Yudhishthira then went away from that place. He was accompanied by Dharma, and the great Rishis uttered his praises.

Indeed, he reached that place where those foremost of men, those heroes, viz., the Pandavas and the Dhartarashtras, freed from (human) wrath, were enjoying each his respective position.