Indra reigns as king of the gods from Svarga atop Mount Meru, commanding the Devas, with Gandharvas and Apsaras serving in his celestial court.
When Indra fled heaven after slaying Vritra, the gods elevated the mortal king Nahusha to the throne of Svarga, where his pride swelled until he demanded Indra's wife Shachi as his own and forced the Seven Sages to carry his palanquin, earning a curse that cast him down as a serpent.
Mount Meru is the cosmic mountain at the center of the universe, home to Brahma in Brahmaloka at its summit, Indra in Svarga on its slopes, and other celestial realms.
The Apsaras, Gandharvas, and the wish-fulfilling Parijata tree all dwell in Svarga, filling Indra's celestial court with divine song, enchanting dance, and flowers that never wilt.
Krishna stormed Svarga and uprooted the Parijata tree to fulfill Satyabhama's wish, battling Indra's forces before carrying the divine tree back to Dvaraka.
Arjuna ascended to Svarga at Indra's summons, where he trained in celestial weapons under his divine father and was tempted by the apsara Urvashi, whose curse he later turned to his advantage during the year of disguise.
After the Pandavas' final journey, Yudhishthira reached Svarga only to find his enemies in paradise and his family in hell. He chose to remain in hell with his loved ones, passing the final test of dharma and earning true heaven.
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