Shloka 42
स्वर्गारोहणपर्व — तृतीयोऽध्यायः
Indra and Dharma’s Consolation; Celestial Gaṅgā Purification
ततो दिव्यवपुर्भूत्वा धर्मराजो युधिष्िर: । निर्वेरो गतसंतापो जले तस्मिन् समाप्लुत:
tato divyavapurbhūtvā dharmarājo yudhiṣṭhiraḥ | nirvero gatasantāpo jale tasmin samāplutaḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana sprach: „Darauf nahm König Yudhiṣṭhira, der Herr des Dharma, eine göttliche Gestalt an. Frei von Feindschaft und von allem Schmerz erlöst, tauchte er in jenes Wasser ein; und beim Bad fielen die Glut der Trauer und der Nachhall des Streits von ihm ab.“
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames liberation as an inner ethical purification: when dharma is fulfilled, the mind becomes nirvera (free of enmity) and gatasantāpa (released from burning grief). The ‘divine body’ symbolizes a transformed state where resentment and suffering no longer bind the person.
As the ascent narrative progresses, Yudhiṣṭhira undergoes a transition into a divine form and bathes in a sacred water. This immersion marks the removal of remaining sorrow and hostility, preparing him for the final heavenly resolution.