Mahabharata — Svargarohana Parva, Shloka 13
स्वर्गे दुर्योधनदर्शनम् | Duryodhana Seen in Heaven
Triviṣṭapa
एष दुर्योधनो राजा पूज्यते त्रिदशै: सह । सद्धिश्व॒ राजप्रवरैर्य इमे स्वर्गवासिन:
vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca | eṣa duryodhano rājā pūjyate tridaśaiḥ saha | siddhaiś ca rājapravaraiḥ ye ime svargavāsinaḥ ||
毗舍摩波耶那说道：“看哪，杜尤陀那王——在天界，他与诸天同受尊崇；又为住于彼天宫的悉地者与诸王之最胜者所礼敬。”
वैशग्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the Mahābhārata’s nuanced moral vision: heavenly reward can follow from one’s ordained role and the manner of death (especially for a kṣatriya in battle), even when the person’s life includes serious adharma. It cautions against simplistic moral accounting and points to karma as complex and multi-causal.
In the Svargārohaṇa episode, the narrator indicates that Duryodhana is seen in Svarga receiving honor among divine and exalted beings. This becomes part of Yudhiṣṭhira’s testing and the epic’s final reflection on justice, merit, and the surprising outcomes of destiny.