On his last journey Yudhishthira was led to heaven by Indra, king of gods. He found the place beautiful and full of pomp and grandeur.
But he did not see any sign of his brothers and Draupadi there.
Instead, he saw Duryodhana sitting in royal splendour; in true sense.
Aghast, he turned his face away.
The pious souls of Vidura, Bhishma, Karna, Shikhandin and four of his brothers along with Droupadi did not find place in heaven. Duryodhana did.
Treachery, jealousy, hatred and wickedness, combined together in deadly concoction, have heaven as their last resort. Yudhishthira mumbled to himself.
Where are my brothers? Yudhishthira thundered aloud.
In response, angels took him to a place that was dark and gloomy. Dead bodies lay strewn one over the other on the floor. Battered heads, dismembered hands, chopped-off fingers made the place sordid. Blood trailed along. Worms and maggots crawled around. An overwhelming stench enveloped the place.
From a distant corner, a hum swelled and reached Yudhishthira.
Reaching there, he saw his brothers, Droupadi and Karna lying coiled abjectly and called out to him piteously in chorus.
Do you want to turn back from this horrible place? The messenger asked. It’s hell. He informed.
Where? Yudhishthira asked in reply.
To heaven. The messenger said.
I welcome this place where nobility suffers the torture of hell. Heaven is for the fake. Yudhishthira said calmly and stayed back with his fraternal relatives, rejecting heaven.