After hearing about Krishna’s death, the Pandavas lost interest in the world. Yudhisthira and the Pandavas decided to go to heaven along with Draupadi. Parikshita was appointed the king. Kripa was his guru and Yuyutsu the regent. The five Pandava brothers Yudhishthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula, Sahadeva, and Draupadi started on their journey, with a dog following them.
First they went to Dwarka and saw it engrossed in the sea. Their Agni came and said to Arjuna, "Your Gandhiva and the quivers have served their purpose. I have obtained these from Lord Varuna. Now these should be returned to him." Arjuna worshiped his Gandhiva and quivers and returned then to Agni. Then they proceeded and reached Himvana. On the way Draupadi was the first onewho fallen on the ground and died. On this Bhima asked Yudhishthira, “For what sin has Panchali fallen on the ground?” Yudhishthira replied, “This is the result of her partiality for Arjuna.”
At some distance, Sahadeva fell. Yudhishthria explained that Sahadeva’s sin was his pride, that he was the wisest of all. Next to fall was Nakula and his sin was explained by his elder brother was that Nakula was always conscious of his good looks. When Arjuna fell next, Yudhishthira told Bhima. “Arjuna declared that he would single-handedly kill all his foes in one day and he could not fulfill his boast.”
And it was a turn of Bhima , before he parted with his life he asked his elder brother what sin has he committed . Yudhishthira replied, “In the matter of eating, you were selfish. You never cared if others needed food. You also boasted about your own strength.” So saying, the eldest of the Pandavas continued to walk, leaving his brothers and Panchali behind. He was now followed only by the dog.
When Yudhisthira reached the peak. Indra came to take him to the heavens. Yudhisthira had been granted the privilege of going to the world of gods in his human form. So great was his righteousness. There then arose an argument about the dog that had faithfully followed the Pandava king till the end. Yudhishthira insisted that the dog should also climb into the chariot. It finally turned out that the dog was none other than the god Dharma. The god of justice, who had come to test Yudhishthira, expressed his pleasure at his son’s behaviour. But Indra’s heaven was not quite what Yudhishtira had expected. Duryodhana was there, for one thing, in a place of prominence and honor, surrounded by luxury. And there was Duhsasana, along with the 98 other sons of King Dhritarashtra, and the deceitful Sakuni, all in noble places, partaking of Indra’s glory. Karna was not there, nor Dhritarashtra, nor Drona; there was no one to be seen who had held Yudhishtira’s love and admiration on earth.
He was shocked by this and asked to Narada and he told, “O king! You have reached Heaven where there is no room for such animosities. Besides, Duryodhana has attained this region by virtue of his being noble in the battlefield. However, if you insist, I shall have you taken to those heroes whom you are yearning to meet.” Yudhisthira had told only one lie in his otherwise sinless life. For that he was made to come to the heavens by a way coming from the side of the hell. All his brothers and others had to spend a few hours in hell for their sins.