What happened to the 5 Pandavas and Draupadi after the Mahabharata war

The war of Mahabharata, also known as the Kurukshetra Yuddh, was fought between the Kauravas and the Pandavas, two brother clans that were fighting for control of the Kingdom. And while the Pandavas only wished for their rightful share, the Kauravas wished to rule with an iron fist, without any divisions, under the leadership of Duryodhan. And soon, it became a battle of Dharma and Adharma, and with the guidance of Lord Krishna, the Pandavas defeated the Kauravas.

After the war and the fall of Duryodhan, the Pandavas ruled Hastinapur to the best of their abilities. They were righteous, well-mannered, and the kingdom flourished. And when Yudhishthir was crowned the king of Hastinapur, he ruled with the rules and Dharma as told by Lord Krishna. After years of ruling the Kingdom of Hastinapur, the Pandava brothers decided to step down and crown Parikshit, the son of Abhimanyu and grandson of Arjun, as the rightful heir. And then began their journey, the ‘Mahaprasthan’ where they treaded into the Himalayas in their last days. Here we mention what happened to the 5 Pandavas and Draupadi on their journey.

When the Pandavas and Draupadi left for their journey to the Himalayas, to attain Moksha and renounce the world, one by one all of them fell, except one. And Draupadi was the first to fall on the journey.
Yudhishthir explained that she fell because she was always attracted to Arjun only, and her attachment to just one of the 5 brothers she was married to, became her flaw. And due to this, she could not complete her journey to heaven. (Image generated with Canva AI)

Sahdev, the youngest of the Pandavas, was the next to fall. Yudhishthir said that Sahdev fell because of his pride in his knowledge. It is believed that Sahdev thought of himself as the most wise and wisdomful of all, and fell because of his smug nature which was his biggest flaw. And so the subtle arrogance he lived with became the reason for his fall.

(Image generated with Canva AI)

Nakul is described as the most flawless of the Pandavas, and was known for his beauty and his physical appearance. And Yudhishthir says that the reason for Nakul falling down the way was not because being physically fit was a flaw, but being arrogant of his looks and your nature made him attached to his looks, and led to his downfall on the path to liberation.(Image generated with Canva AI)

Bhim, the most powerful and strong of all the Pandava brothers also fell down the way and even though he was the greatest warrior of all, he could not save himself during the distress. And for Bhim, Yudhishthir explained that Bhim was overly attached to food and strength, and even though he was a great protector, his love for food and physical prowess showed his material attachment. His gluttony thus led to his biggest flaw. (Image generated with Canva AI)

Arjun,the last and the greatest warrior of all, also could not make it to heaven and slipped and fell down. And to his falling, Yudhishthir thought to himself that Arjun’s flaw was his pride in his archery skills and his vow to protect the Yadav clan. And although he had promised to save them, he had failed to do anything about their destruction. And thus his pride and inability to keep his word became his downfall.

(Image generated with Canva AI)

Yudhishthir, the eldest and the most righteous of the Pandavas, was the only one remaining, who did not fall to the ground on his way to heaven. And as he continued walking toward the heavens, proving that he had lived a life free of mortal flaws, he was taken by Indra’s men to Devlok to enjoy the luxuries of the afterlife.And so Yudhisthir went to heaven, the only one of the 5 Pandavas, and spent his days there in meditation, crushing the seeds of hate in his heart. (Image generated with Canva AI)

According to popular lore, there was also a dog who went with Yudhishthir to Indralok! It is said that when Indra's men came to recieve Yudhishthir, there was a dog that they spotted who had also completed the journey. And Yudhishthir remarked that when all his brothers and wife fell down on the journey to heaven, and the dog completed it, he too should get a place with him for he completed the ardous journey on his possible merits and karma.