The Story of Yudhisthira
Once upon a time a very noble and skilled man named Yudhisthira was told that after so much bravery he finally deserved to go to paradise with his brothers. So the gods told them the directions that they needed to follow in order to reach the gates of Indra’s heaven, their final destination, where they would find peace and joy. So off they went through the mountains on their pilgrimage towards paradise. The path was very long and painful, it never seemed to end. They didn’t have enough to eat and drink, the nights were cold and the days were hot, and one by one they died, leaving Yudhisthira alone.
One day he was very tired, resting under a tree, when a thin and ugly dog approached. From that day on, the dog followed Yudhisthira everywhere he went. Together, they passed through edgy rocks, hot sand, painful thorns and deep mud. When there was food, both of them ate, when there was nothing to eat, both of them starved. Finally, after a long time, they saw the chariot of Indra and they ran towards the flying machine.
“Oh, you finally arrived! I have been waiting for you for so long! It’s a pleasure to have you here in my chariot, let’s fly to my heaven!” said Indra. “But… the dog can’t come, look at it, it’s old and thin, it’s not worthy of my heaven."
Yudhisthira thought for a while and said, “I’m sorry, if the dog can’t come with me, I will go back now. I thank you for your invitation, but I cannot leave this animal, as it was my faithful companion during this journey.”
As he prepared to turn around and go back instead of entering in Indra’s chariot, the little dog jumped from his arms and transformed into his real shape. The dog was the God Dharma, testing Yudhisthira.
“Now you can come, this was your final test and you showed that you deserve to come with me,” said Indra, opening the doors of his chariots to Yudhisthira. And off he went to heaven.
Read more at Suite101: Stories From the Mahabharata: The Philosophy Behind the Final Journey of Yudhisthira http://eastern-philosophy.suite101.com/article.cfm/tales_of_the_mahabharata#ixzz0mu1Sv4fk
