Why Pandavas were sent to Heavens, not to vaikunta?

Why Pandavas were sent to Heavens, not to vaikunta?

First know the rule of higher worlds:

hen one performs many punya karma, and some bad karma too, they are given some period in hells and many years in heavenly planets.  After heavens, they come back to another material planet like earth to continue their journey. 

Kshatriyas rules are that they will attain heavens if they are killed in war by another soldier and to the hells if they had some sinful acts also.

They can choose whether to go to hells or heavens first.

s per the Mahabharatha, Yuthistra went to heaven with his own body. His brothers went to hells for very short time as well as for heavens for many years for their dharmic way of life.

Why did they get short term hell?

Because they made some tricks to kill kauravas, particularly to kill  Asvathama, the son of dhronacharya.

There are many such thrilling details in the last chapter of Mahabharatha called Swarga Arogana parva that explains the visit of Pandavas and kauravas to heavens.

Remember, Vyasa did not name it as VAIKUNTA AROGANA PARVA, he named it as SWARGA AROGANA PARVA.

So, pandavas and Kauravas went to short term hells and many times to heavens. Yuthishtra got only heaven.

However, he was shown the hells where his brothers faced short term stay.

Puranas have many alterations in the later period. The Mahabharatha is the Original record about the Bharatha war and the participants in it.  Bhagavatham is the later versions and the puranas are not comparable with Ithikas that are actual incidents.

So, I boldly advise the devotees to omit the parts of bhagavatham that seem contrary to the same incident in Mahabharatha. 

Mahabharatha is more bonadfide than Bhagavatham and both were written by Vyasa deva.  Because Mahabharatha is an ITHIKAS that means “THIS HAPPENED”.  Bhagavatham was modified here and there as it was spoken through mouth for many generations.