Arjuna in the world above

Arjuna received gift of divine weapons from Siva and deities of the four horizons. Indra of the East, who was his own father and the king of heaven, then, invited Arjuna to his abode. The Pandava was expecting Indra’s chariot any moment.

The chariot from heaven

Soon he heard thunder like sound from the sky. He noticed a golden object piercing through the dark clouds. It was a chariot drawn by dark horses which, soon, descended on earth right in front of the Pandava. The man seated in it stepped out and bowed before Arjuna. He introduced himself as Matali, Indra’s charioteer and conveyed the message that he has been sent to take Arjuna back with him.

Arjuna was hesitant to enter a vehicle that carried divine personalities. But, he remembered that his father needed him in the world above. So, the Pandava bade farewell to his host, the mighty Himalaya. He, then, bathed himself afresh and climbed into the heavenly chariot with all reverence due to it.

The journey to the world of the divine was a memorable one. The chariot climbed high above the horizon where the rays of sun never reached. Hundreds of stars, each shining as bright as the sun, lighted the path. When asked, Matali said that they are the people who attained salvation at the end of their life and whom people see as stars from the world below.

In the hall of Indra

Matali took Arjuna to the assembly hall where Indra was seated on a golden chair. The king of gods embraced his son and seated him next to himself on the divine throne. All around were Brahmins chanting Vedic texts. Other gods occupied their own seats. The celestial dames were entertaining the assembly with beautiful dances. The Gandharvas sang and kept rhythm.

More weapons

Arjuna received gift of several more weapons from his father which included the Thunderbolt (Vajra) which was Indra’s own. Then, the divine father made a strange suggestion to Arjuna, that he should learn singing and even dancing from the expert Gandharva by name Chitrasena. It would come handy for the Pandava later.Chitrasena became Arjuna’s companion during his stay in heaven. The Pandava used the opportunity to learn music and dancing from his friend as told.

A tragic affair

One night Arjuna had a visitor in his abode. It was the celestial nymph, Urvasi, dressed to kill. Arjuna was hesitant to admit the divine lady to his place at such an hour. But, Urvasi came in sending side long glances to the handsome Pandava.

She made no secret of her mission. Her heart has been captivated by Arjuna right from the first day she set her eyes on him. She openly solicited love, that was what she came for.

Arjuna spoke with all due respect, but in clear words. “You entertain the residents of heaven, especially my father. I look at you only from that point of view. You are like a mother to me!”
Then, Urvasi revealed a secret. She has been sent by Indra, himself ! He conveyed his message to her through Arjuna’s teacher and friend, Chitrasena. She continued. “I am deeply in love with you. I have come discarding all self respect and shame to ask for your favours. You should not turn your back on a damsel in distress”.

But, Arjuna refused to look at her in any other way than with respect. The pangs of love in Urvasi turned to anger when she was turned down and thereby insulted. She cursed Arjuna. “You shall live as a eunuch and entertain people singing and dancing. Thus, you shall be the object of public ridicule.”

Indra consoles

The king of gods came to know what passed between the two. He consoled Arjuna. “With my blessing the curse will have effect only for one year. Besides, it would turn a blessing during the year you will have to spend in disguise. You will regain your manhood at the end”.

Sage Lomasa

One day sage Lomasa visited heaven. He had attained the highest level of sainthood through long penance. The sage was surprised to find a human seated along with the king of gods and asked Indra about it. How was it that a mere earthly being could sit with him, an honour that was denied even to most others in heaven? Indra introduced Arjuna as his son to the sage and explained the background of his visit. He requested the sage to pay a visit to the Pandavas and give proper guidance to them on the course of action for their remaining years in forest. Lomasa accepted the mission and went to the forest to meet Yudhishthira and his brothers.

Dhritarashtra in agony.

The blind king of Kurus heard about the visit of the sage to the Pandavas and of all the recent exploits of Arjuna. His agony thinking about the impending destruction of his sons in war grew further. He asked his minister, Sanjaya, how he saw the turn of events. Sanjaya could only confirm the fears of the king.

(This chapter, “Arjuna’s journey to the abode of Indra, Indraabhigamana Parvam”, ends here. But, Arjuna’s adventures in heaven continues in another chapter. Vyasa takes that up much later. We cover that next, sticking to the chronology of events.)