ry king. Of both good and bad there is abundance, O chief
of men. He who enjoys first the fruits of his good acts must afterwards
endure Hell. He, on the other hand, who first endures Hell, must
afterwards enjoy Heaven. He whose sinful acts are many enjoys Heaven
first. It is for this, O king, that desirous of doing thee good, I caused
thee to be sent for having a view of Hell. Thou hadst, by a pretence,
deceived Drona in the matter of his son. Thou hast, in consequence
thereof, been shown Hell by an act of deception. After the manner of
thyself, Bhima and Arjuna, and Draupadi, have all been shown the place of
sinners by an act of deception. Come, O chief of men, all of them have
been cleansed of their sins. All those kings who had aided thee and who
have been slain in battle, have all attained to Heaven. Come and behold
them, O foremost one of Bharata's race.
"'"Karna, the mighty bowman, that foremost of all wielders of weapons for
whom thou art grieving, has also attained to high success. Behold, O
puissant one, that foremost of men, viz., the son of Surya. He is in that
place which is his own, O mighty-armed one. Kill this grief of thine, O
chief of men. Behold thy brothers and others, those kings, that is, who
had espoused thy side. They have all attained to their respective places
(of felicity). Let the fever of thy heart be dispelled. Having endured a
little misery first, from this time, O son of Kuru's race, do thou sport
with me in happiness, divested of grief and all thy ailments dispelled. O
mighty-armed one, do thou now enjoy, O king, the rewards of all thy deeds
of righteousness of those regions which thou hast acquired thyself by thy
penances and of all thy gifts. Let deities and Gandharvas, and celestial
Apsaras, decked in pure robes and excellent ornaments, wait upon and
serve thee for thy happiness. Do thou, O mighty-armed one, enjoy now
those regions (of felicity) which have become thine through the Rajasuya
sacrifice performed by thee and whose felicities have been enhanced by
the sacrificial scimitar employed by thee. Let the high fruits of thy
penances be enjoyed by thee. Thy regions, O Yudhishthira, are above
those of kings. They are equal to those of Hariscandra, O son of Pritha.
Come, and sport there in bliss. There where the royal sage Mandhatri is,
there where king Bhagiratha is, there where Dushmanta's son Bharata is,
there wilt thou sport in bliss. Here is the celestial river, sacred and
sanct
|