“He also beheld the princess of Pancala, decked in garlands of lotuses.  Having attained to Heaven, she was sitting there, endued with a form possessed of solar splendour.  King Yudhishthira suddenly wished to question her.  Then the illustrious Indra, the chief of the gods, spoke to him, This one is Sree herself.  It was for your sake that she took birth, as the daughter of Drupada, among human beings, issuing not from any mothers womb, O Yudhishthira, endued with agreeable perfume and capable of delighting the whole world.  For your pleasure, she was created by the wielder of the trident.  She was born in the race of Drupada and was enjoyed by you all.  These five highly blessed Gandharvas endued with the effulgence of fire, and possessed of great energy, were, O king, the sons of Draupadi and yourself.

“Behold Dhritarashtra, the king of the Gandharvas, possessed of great wisdom.  Know that this one was the eldest brother of thy sire.  This one is thy eldest brother, the son of Kunti, endued with effulgence of fire.  The son of Surya, thy eldest brother, the foremost of men, even this one was known as the son of Radha.  He moves in the company of Surya.  Behold this foremost of Beings.  Among the tribes of the Saddhyas, the gods, the Viswedevas, and the Maruts, behold, O king of kings, the mighty car-warriors of the Vrishnis and the Andhakas, viz., those heroes having Satyaki for their first, and those mighty ones among the Bhojas.  Behold the son of Subhadra, invincible in battle, now staying with Soma.  Even he is the mighty bowman Abhimanyu, now endued with the gentle effulgence of the great luminary of the night.  Here is the mighty bowman Pandu, now united with Kunti and Madri.  Thy sire frequently comes to me on his excellent car.  Behold the royal Bhishma, the son of Santanu, now in the midst of the Vasus.  Know that this one by the side of Brihaspati is thy preceptor Drona.  These and other kings, O son of Pandu, who had warred on thy side now walk with the Gandharvas or Yakshas or other sacred beings.  Some have attained to the status of Guhyakas, O king.  Having cast off their bodies, they have conquered Heaven by the merit they had acquired through word, thought and deed.

5

Janamejaya said, “Bhishma and Drona, those two high-souled persons, king Dhritarashtra, and Virata and Drupada, and Sankha and Uttara.  Dhrishtaketu and Jayatsena and king Satyajit, the sons of Duryodhana, and Shakuni the son of Subala, Karnas sons of great prowess, king Jayadratha, Ghatotkaca and others whom thou hast not mentioned, the other heroic kings of blazing formstell me for what period they remained in Heaven.  O foremost of regenerate persons, was theirs an eternal place in Heaven?  What was the end attained to by those foremost of men when their acts came to an end?  I desire to hear this, O foremost of regenerate persons, and therefore have I asked thee.  Through thy blazing penances thou seest all things.