I had many questions after watching the re-telecast of Mahabharata on TV recently. I am sure many like me, were too young the first time it came on television. This epic tale has so many characters and each character has a different story to tell. I wished; the TV series covered the aftermath too of the Kurukshetra war as your so engrossed, episode after episode, that I just felt the end of it still left me with so many questions. Knowing the end of Kauravas, I was curious to know what happened to Pandavas?
We know Mahabharata, narrated by Vyasa and written by Lord Ganesha, is the longest epic poem with 18 parvas/ books. From the eleventh Parva/ book, the story after the war is covered.
The people who survived the Mahabharata war are Krishna, Pandavas, Yuyutsu, Satyaki, Kritavarma, Ashwattama, Kripacharya, and Vrishaketu.
Gandhari who was in grief of her sons, blamed Krishna for the war and deaths. She cursed him that Yadavas from his kingdom too will kill each other and women will bear similar pain of grief like women of Bharata race did. Krishna who knew this would happen, accepted the curse. Yudhishthira on orders of Dhritarashtra, does funeral rights of all the people who died in the war.
It is during this time that Kunti reveals to Pandavas that Karna was their eldest brother. Hearing this Yudhishthira’s pain knew no bounds. He cried knowing that they were responsible for the death of their eldest brother and is left heartbroken. He decided to renounce the kingdom. He is later on consoled by his brothers and Krishna, who ask him to visit Bhishma, who was still lying on the bed of arrows. Yudhishthira on knowing the duties of a king by Bhishma, rules the kingdom peacefully and righteously.
After living 15yrs in the Kingdom, Dhritarashtra, who was often mocked by Bhima for being responsible for the death of his own sons, decides to leave the palace. He along with his wife, Gandhari, Kunti, Sanjaya, and Vidur leave for forest. It is believed that he along with others died in a forest fire and attained moksha.
After 36 years of the Mahabharata war, it was time for the curse of Gandhari on Krishna to take its turn.
Dwarka which was known for its prosperity and peace abiding people, had now turned into men killing each other. Krishna saw how the people of his Kingdom had turned deceitful, insulting each other, and drinking alcohol. Krishna knew his time to leave the earth had come. It was during this time, Jara, a hunter, accidentally kills Krishna, by aiming at him thinking he was a deer. Knowing what he had done, he touched Krishna’s feet and asked for forgiveness. Krishna tells him that it had to happen, and it is not his fault and thus, leaves the world.
Knowing about Krishna, Arjuna reached Dwarka to help its people. Dwarka was now left with only old men, women, children, and Krishna’s 16000 wives. He asks them to accompany him, to Indraprastha, where they will be protected and can live peacefully. As they all leave, Dwarka sinks into the sea. On their way to Indraprastha, they are attacked by robbers who try to take away wealth and women with them. Arjuna, who had defeated great warriors in Kurukshetra with his celestial weapons, now failed to protect many, as his weapons disobey his orders. He returned to Indraprastha with people spared by robbers. He now doubted his abilities and went to Vyasa. Vyasa told him that, like Krishna, Pandavas purpose on earth is now fulfilled and now they too should renounce the Kingdom. Arjuna returns to Kingdom and narrates everything to Yudhishthira.
Crowning Parikshit, king of Hastinapur and, Yadava Prince Vraja, king of Indraprastha, Pandavas begin their journey to the Himalayas. On their way, a dog befriends them and joins them on their journey to heaven. As they begin to climb Mount Sumeru, Draupadi dies. Bhima asks Yudhishthira, why Draupadi died and could not accompany them to heaven. Yudhishthira explains that Draupadi loved Arjuna more than other Pandavas and this partiality towards him made her leave them first. Then Sahadev dies. To this Yudhishthira says that, the pride in Sahadev, that no other person is as intelligent as he is killed him second. Then Nakula dies and Yudhistira explained to Bhima that Nakula too was killed for his pride as he thought, no one else equalled him in looks and that he always thought that he was the most handsome man. As they continue their journey, Arjuna too dies. To this Yudhishthira explains that his overconfidence on his skills and his belief that there was no other warrior like him, killed him. As Bhima, Yudhistira and the dog continue their journey to heaven, Bhima starts feeling weak and knows that it is his turn next after Arjuna. He asks Yudhishthira, why he can’t continue the journey to heaven with him. To this Yudhishthira replies that Bhima ate way too much, without thinking about others’ hunger and he always boasted about his strength. And thus, Bhima too dies, with Yudhishthira and the dog continuing their journey.
As they continue to walk, Lord Indra appears and asks Yudhishthira to accompany him to heaven. Yudhishthira asks Lord Indra to take the dog along with him. Lord Indra refuses and asks him to abandon the dog and accompany him to heaven. But Yudhishthira was adamant and said he cannot abandon the dog which was with him throughout his journey and that he too will not go to heaven instead. Hearing this, the dog transforms itself into deity Dharma and praises Yudhishthira for his loyalty. Thus, all of them proceed towards heaven. They meet Narada on their way who tells them that the righteous Kings Yudhishthira is the only one reaching heaven in a human body.
Upon reaching heaven, Yudhishthira finds there people who had sinned on earth and on visiting hell finds his brothers and Draupadi. He questions the deities on what was the purpose of their good deeds, if one has to go to hell and not heaven and demands to stay in hell with people he loves rather than heaven. On hearing this Deity Dharma appears and tells him that this was a test for him, and he had to face this as he had half lied to his guru Dronacharya about his son Ashwattama’s death during the war. He praises Yudhishthira for choosing dharma and asks him to go to heaven, where he meets Lord Krishna, Duryodhana, and all his brothers along with Karna and Draupadi.
Brief note on what happened to other survivors of Kurukshetra :
Yuyutsu was the son born to Dhritarashtra and Gandhari’s maid. Before the birth of Kauravas, Gandhari and Dhritarashtra had many failed attempts to bear children. Fearing that they would not bear any child, Dhritarashtra had a son from Gandhari’s maid Sughada, named Yuyutsu. Yuyutsu was born on the same day as the Kauravas. Though he was half-brother to Duryodhana, he fought the war for Pandavas against Kauravas knowing that it was the right thing to do.
Satyaki and Kritavarma, both were great Yadava warriors. Satyaki fought for Pandavas and Kritavarma for Kauravas in Kurukshetra. Both who survived the war, died 36 years later due to the curse of Krishna given by Gandhari that the Yadavas too will be destroyed completely like people of her race.
Ashwattama who after killing Upapandavas (Pandavas children born to Draupadi) took shelter at Sage Vyasa’s hermitage, was later found by the Pandavas and they attempted to kill him. Ashwattama and Arjuna both fire the Brahmashirastra weapon towards each other. Vyasa realizing this weapon can destroy the earth asked them to take back the weapon before colliding. Arjuna could but not Ashwattama who dint know how to do it. So he directed it towards Uttara’s (Abhimanyu’s wife) womb in order to stop the Pandavas lineage. Krishna revived the life in Uttara’s womb but in anger cursed Ashwattama and took away the gemstone on his forehead. He cursed him that he will live an immortal life of pain and suffering.
Kripacharya was a chiranjeevi like Ashwattama and survived the great war. He later spent his life being teacher to Parikshit, grandson of Arjuna and son to Abhimanyu.
Vrishaketu, son of Karna, was also a great warrior. After surviving the war, he was made king of Anga Kingdom.
