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Taken
from: Adventures in English
unit
two: 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.