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Taken from: Flax-golden tales
unit
2: Ancient Tales
Yudhishthira’s Wisdom
Source: The Mahabharata
(Shanta R. Rao’s adaptation)
Another
time, it so happened that the Pandava brothers, in
pursuit of a deer in the forest, wandered far from their dwelling place. The sun was hot overhead and they grew
thirsty. The deer had vanished, and now,
footsore and weary, they came at last to a stop, knowing that their search was
in vain. Their mouths were parched; they
scanned the earth in all directions for some sign of water. But seeing none, they trudged wearily onward
until at last Yudhishthira,
unable to go any further, sank down under a tree to rest and sent Sahadeva in search of water. The youth went readily enough, but when he
did not return for a long time, Yudhishthira grew
concerned. He sent Nakula
to see what had happened. Nakula obeyed—but he too, like Sahadeva,
did not return. Then one by one, Yudhishthira sent his remaining brothers after the others
but when they all went and none returned, he grew very anxious, not knowing
what evil fate had overtaken them. At
last, he decided to go and see for himself.
Following their footsteps, he walked on for a distance until he came to
a pool in a clearing. Its clear, still waters reflected
the blue sky, while the pink, white and blue lotuses that grew in it raised
their smiling heads to the sun. But as
his eyes looked upon the lovely scene, Yudhishthira
saw another sight at which the blood froze in his veins. For there, upon the earth, lay his four
brothers, cold and still, either dead or unconscious. Their eyes were closed, and when he called to
them they would not answer. Sorrow filled the king’s heart, and he fell
on his knees by them and wept bitterly for them, wringing his hands in his
grief and crying out to heaven to take him too, for he could not live without
his brothers.
Unknown to Yudhishthira,
his brothers had failed a strange test at this forest pool. The first to come was Sahadeva. Full of joy at seeing water, he knelt upon
the bank and bent down to quench his thirst.
Suddenly, a voice broke through the silence of the grove. “Stop, Sahadeva!”
said the voice, “Do not drink, for this is an enchanted pool.” Startled, Sahadeva
looked about him, but he could see no one.
He turned to the water. It looked
cool and inviting. He was very thirsty. As he paused, undecided, the voice rang out
again.
“I am a Yaksha,”
it said, “and this enchanted pool belongs to me. No one may drink of its water until he has
answered my questions.”
Sahadeva rose up
and waited.
He could still see nobody. He seemed to be alone except for the birds
chirping in the trees and the dragonflies zooming over the water.
“It must be my fancy,” Sahadeva
thought. “The hot sun makes my
imagination work.”
He decided to ignore the voice of the
invisible speaker. He was too tired and
thirsty to wait. He made a cup of his
hands and kneeling down, began to drink.
But hardly had the water touched his lips, when he felt himself struck
down. Sahadeva’s
senses reeled. The world went dark and
he fell down unconscious.
When Nakula
arrived shortly afterwards, he was grieved and surprised to see his brother in
this condition. But so great was his own
thirst that he did not wait. He rushed
to the water’s edge to drink. But as he
stooped, he too heard the Yaksha’s warning
voice. However, he too paid no
attention. He drank and instantly he too was struck down and rendered unconscious. When Bhima came to
the spot, the same fate overtook him, though he was strong and mighty and sent
a shower of arrows in all directions in search of the hidden enemy. Arjuna fared no
better.
For a long time Yudhishthira wept on the bank. Then feeling his thirst overpower him, he
dragged himself to the edge of the water.
But as he bent down, Yudhishthira heard the Yaksha’s warning voice.
“Who are you?” he called and looked around. “Ask your questions; I shall answer them as
well as I can.”
The voice continued: “I am a Yaksha, Yudhishthira, and it is well for you that you heeded my
warning. Now listen to my questions.
“What makes the sun shine?”
“The power of God!” Yudhishthira answered.
“What is man’s surest weapon against danger?” Yudhish-thira quickly replied,
“Courage! Courage is his surest weapon
in danger.”
“What gives more to man than even the earth
does? What feeds him and sustains him
and makes him strong?” the Yaksha persisted. Yudhishthira did
not hesitate. “A
mother, surely. It is only a
mother who gives a man life, feeds him and sustains
him. A mother is more than the earth.”
“When does a man become loved by his
fellows?” asked the Yaksha, and Yudhishthira
responded, “When he gives up pride.” “What is that
which makes a man happy when he has lost it?” the Yaksha
went on. “Anger,” said Yudhishthira with certainty, for he knew that when a man
gives up anger, he is full of peace. The
Yaksha continued.
“What can a man give up and immediately become rich?”
“Desire,” answered Yudhishthira. “It is only the man without desires who is
really rich. Even if a man has a
thousand possessions he will be poor if he is not satisfied.”
So it went on, until at last the Yaksha said, “I am well pleased with your answers, and I
shall restore to you one of your brothers.
Choose who it shall be.”
Yudhishthira
looked at the unconscious forms of his brothers. It was hard for him to decide. But he spoke at last.
“Kind Yaksha,” he
said, “restore to me my brother Nakula.” “And why Nakula?” the Yaksha’s voice asked.
“Is not Bhima more useful to you? Will you not benefit from his great strength
in the war that will surely come? And Arjuna—why do you not choose Arjuna? Is he not dearer to you than
all? Is he not the most handsome,
the most skilled among them all in the use of arms? Why then do you choose Nakula?”
Then Yudhishthira
answered: “Listen, Yaksha,”
he said. “Righteousness and truth are a
man’s only weapon and protection. The
strength of Bhima and the skill of Arjuna would be of no use to me if I acted unrighteously. Indeed I would be unrighteous if I looked to my own benefit
and begged for Bhima’s life or Arjuna’s
in preference to Nakula’s. For Nakula is Madri’s son, and Bhima and Arjuna, like me, are Kunti’s
children. Of Kunti’s
children I at least live. But if Nakula and Sahadeva should both
die, then Madri’s line would end. Therefore, Yaksha,
it is right that Nakula’s life should be restored
rather than Bhima’s or Arjuna’s.”
When he had said this, in that very moment
there appeared before Yudhishthira a shining, crowned
person whom he knew at once to be a god.
The divine personage was none other than Yama, the God of Justice and Death, Yudhishthira’s
heavenly father. Yama embraced Yudhishthira and told him that he had come to help the Pandavas in their hour of need. He told him how pleased he was with Yudhishthira’s noble conduct and wisdom. He restored to life not just one of the
brothers, but all of them.
Yudhishthira knelt
at his heavenly father’s feet and his heart overflowed with gratitude. Yama blessed him and promised that he and his
brothers would be protected by heaven in their
hardships.
“No harm shall come to you,” he said. “Neither will you be discovered while you
live in hiding during the last and thirteenth year of exile.”
He advised Yudhishthira
to go with his brothers and Draupadi to Matsya, where the good king Virata
ruled, and to live there in disguise.
There they would be safe from their enemies while they awaited the end
of their long period of exile.
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