Shloka 29
Adhyāya 3: Indra’s Invitation and Yudhiṣṭhira’s Refusal to Abandon the Dog
Svargārohaṇa Test
“अपने यश, तेज और सदाचाररूप सम्पत्तिसे तीनों लोकोंको आवृत करके अपने भौतिक शरीरसे स्वर्गलोकमें आनेका सौभाग्य पाण्डुनन्दन युधिष्ठिरकके सिवा और किसी राजाको प्राप्त हुआ हो, ऐसा हमने कभी नहीं सुना है ।। तेजांसि यानि दृष्टानि भूमिछेन त्वया विभो । वेश्मानि भुवि देवानां पश्यामूनि सहस्रश:
Vaiśampāyana uvāca: apane yaśa, teja aura sadācāra-rūpa sampatti se trīṇi lokāni āvṛtya sva-bhautika-śarīreṇa svargaloke āgantuṁ saubhāgyaṁ Pāṇḍu-nandana Yudhiṣṭhiraṁ vinā anyasya kasyacid rājñaḥ prāptaṁ syāt—iti vayaṁ kadācana na śuśruma. tejāṁsi yāni dṛṣṭāni bhūmi-sthena tvayā vibho, veśmāni bhuvi devānāṁ paśya amūni sahasraśaḥ.
Vaiśampāyana berkata: Kami tidak pernah mendengar tentang mana-mana raja selain Yudhiṣṭhira, putera Pāṇḍu, yang—setelah meliputi tiga alam dengan kekayaan kemasyhuran, sinar keagungan, dan kebajikan—dikurniai tuah yang amat jarang: mencapai syurga dengan tubuh jasmaninya sendiri. Wahai yang perkasa, lihatlah kini, tidak terbilang banyaknya, cahaya-cahaya yang engkau lihat ketika masih di bumi—itulah kediaman-kediaman surgawi para dewa di sepanjang jalan ini.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse elevates dharmic kingship: enduring fame and true splendor arise from sadācāra (righteous conduct). Such ethical excellence is portrayed as so potent that it culminates in the extraordinary reward of attaining heaven with the physical body—an emblem of unmatched merit and integrity.
As Yudhiṣṭhira proceeds on the final journey, the narrator (Vaiśampāyana) highlights the uniqueness of his ascent: no other king is known to have reached heaven bodily through the power of fame, tejas, and virtue. Yudhiṣṭhira is then directed to behold the countless luminous celestial dwellings of the gods appearing along the way.