EPISODES FROM MAHABHARATA YAKSHA PRASHNA - IThe episode known as Yaksha Prashna in Mahabharata relates to the exchange of questions and answers between Yama in the guise of a Yaksha who poses 126 difficult questions to Yudhishthira who gives the most fitting answers to those questions. The background to this episode is something like this. One day during their incognito vanavasa, Yudhishthira felt very thirsty and there was no water in sight to quench his thirst. Sahadeva, the youngest of the Pandavas climbed up a tree and spotted a lake at a distance. When he reached the lake to bring water for Yudhushthira, he heard a voice which said Beware! dont touch the water before you answer my questions. Without heeding the warning Sahadeva started collecting water from the lake. No sooner had he touched the water than he fell down dead on the shore of the lake. Seeing Sahadeva not returning, Nakula went after him. He too met the same fate as also his elder brothers Arjuna and Bhima. Finally Yudhishthira went to the lake and he was shocked by seeing all his brothers dead. The Yaksha revealed to him his terrible form and warned him that he should answer his questions before helping himself to the water in the lake. Yudhishthira gave him fitting replies and Yaksha was pleased. Then Yaksha said that he would bring back to life one of his brothers. Yudhisshthira wanted Nakula to be brought back to life. The Yaksha asked him why he was asking Nakula, the son of Madri, to be brought to life instead of Bhima or Arjuna who were his own brothers being Kuntis children. Yudhisshthira replied that he had two mothers Kunti and Madri, both being wives of his father. He, Kunti Devis son, was alive. Therefore it was only just and equitable that Nakula, the eldest son of Madri should also be alive. Yaksha who was none other than Yama, the god of death, was very pleased by Yudhishthiras reply and brought back to life all the brothers of Yudhishthira. Given below are the Yakshas questions with Yudhishthiras answers from the great epic of Mahabharata with a simple translation in English. 26|| Who makes the Sun rise? Who travel with him? Who leads him to set? In whom is he firmly anchored? 27|| It is Brahman which makes the Sun rise. Devas travel with him. Dharma leads him to set and he is firmly anchored in Truth. 28|| How does one become a srotriya (one well-versed in vedic lore)? How does one attain greatness? By what means one gets help? O King! By what means one becomes intelligent? 29|| One becomes a srotriya by the study of the Vedas, achieves greatness by penance (tapas), gets help from his own intelligence and becomes intelligent by serving elderly men (of wisdom) 30|| What is the divinity in brahmanas? What is the dharma of good people which they follow? What is the humanly trait in them? What is it in them which are like that of the bad people? 31||Swadhyaaya (study of Vedic lore) is the divinity in Brahmanas. Penance (tapas) is the good trait in them and human-like trait is death. Denigrating others is a trait like that of bad people. 32|| What is the divinity in Kshatriyas? What is the dharma of good people which they follow? What is the human-like trait in them? What is it in them which is like that of the bad people? 33||Bow and arrows is the divinity in Kshatriyas. Sacrificial rites are like that of good people. Human-like trait in them is fear. Abandoning one (who takes refuge) is like the trait of bad people. 34||What is Sama in a sacrifice? What is Yajus in a sacrifice? What does the sacrifice invoke? What is it that it does not transgress? 35|| Prana is the sama in a sacrifice. Mind is the Yajus in it. It is Rik which the sacrifice invokes and it is also Rik which it (sacrifice) does not transgress. ||What is the best thing for the tiller of the soil? What is the best thing for the one who sows? What is the best thing for those who want a stable life? What is the best thing for those who give birth? Rain is the best thing for the tiller. Seed is the best thing for those who sow. Cows are the best for those who want a stable life. A son is the best thing for those who give birth. He enjoys all sense objects, is intelligent, is honoured by people, is accepted by all and breaths like a normal human being. But he does not live (there is no life in him, he is as good as dead). Who is he? One who does not offer nourishment (bali, food) to these five - the gods, the guests, the servants, the forbears and the self - is as good as dead; he is a living dead person. What is weightier than the Earth? Which is taller than the sky? What Is speedier than air? What is more abundant than grass? Mother is weightier than Earth. Father is taller than the sky. Mind is speedier than air and worries are more abundant than grass. Which does not close the eyes while sleeping? What does not move after being born? Which has no heart? What grows (swells) very quickly? Fish does not close the eyes while sleeping. Egg does not move after being laid (before the chicks come out after it hatches). The stone has no heart. The river swells with speed. Who is the friend of one away from home (travelling)? Who is the friend while staying at home? Who is the friend when one is sick? Who is the friend when one is dying? Companion (co-traveller) is the friend while travelling. Wife is the friend while at home. Physician is the friend when sick. Charity (Dana) is the friend of one on his death bed. Who is the guest for all beings? Which is the ancient (or eternal) dharma? Which is nectar, O King? What pervades all this world? Agni is the guest for all beings. That which leads to immortality is the ancient (eternal) dharma. Nectar is cows milk. The whole of this world is pervaded by air. who moves about alone? Who is born again after being born? What is the remedy for biting cold? Which is the greatest of fields (where corn grows)? The Sun moves on its path alone. The moon is born again after waning. Fire is the remedy for biting cold. The Earth is the greatest field. Which is the one substratum for dharma? Which is the one substratum for fame? Which is the substratum for things leading to heaven? Which is substratum for happiness? Generosity is the substratum for dharma. Charity (daana, gifting) is the substratum of fame. Truth is the substratum of all things which lead to heaven. Good conduct (Virtue) is the substratum of happiness. Which is the soul of man? Who is his God-given friend? What is his means of livelihood? What is his ultimate refuge? Son is the soul (atma) of man. Wife is the god-given friend. Clouds are the means of livelihood. Charity (dana, gifting) is his ultimate refuge.

What is the best of all goodness? What is the best of all wealth? What is the best of all gains? What is the best of all happiness? Generosity is the best of all goodness. Learning is the best of all wealth. Health is the best of all gains and contentment is the best of all happiness. Which is the greatest dharma in this world? Which dharma yields fruit always. Controlling which does not one grieve? With whom a peace treaty does not fail? Ahimsa (non-violence) is the greatest dharma (virtue). The dharmas enshrined in the three Vedas always yield fruit. By controlling the mind one does not grieve. Treaty with the good does not fail. Discarding which one becomes loved by all ? Discarding which one does not grieve? Discarding which one becomes wealthy? Discarding which does one become happy? One who is without vanity is loved by all. One without anger never grieves. One without desires is wealthy and one without greed is happy. What is the purpose of dana (gift, charity) to a brahmana, to dancers (and musicians), to servants and to the King? Dana to a brahmana is for the sake of dharma, to dancers and musicians for the sake of fame, to servants for the sake of proper conduct of affairs and to the king because of fear. By what is this world enveloped? Why does an entity not shine (does not become known)? What is it that causes one to abandon friends? What is it that prevents one from entering heaven? This world is enveloped by ignorance (of the Reality). One does not shine because of darkness. It is greed which prompts one to abandon ones friends. It is attachment (to worldly things) that prevents one from entering heaven. How does a man become (like) dead? When does a kingdom become dead? When does shraaddha performed in memory of forebears is considered as good as dead? When does a sacrifice becomes as good as dead? One who is poor is as good as dead. A country without a king is (like) dead. Shraddha performed without a shrotriya (one who has studied the Vedas) is as good as dead. A sacrifice performed without dakishina is (like) dead. What is quarter (direction)? What is called water? What is food? What is poison? What is the proper time for Shraddha? Answer these questions and then drink or take away water from this lake. Good people are the direction. Sky is water. The cow provides food. Begging is poison. Brahmana is the time for Shraddha. O Yaksha! What do you think about this? What is said to be the mark of tapas?. What is known as control. What is the highest patience? What is called modesty? Always sticking to ones own dharma is penance(tapas). Control of the mind is real control. Enduring pairs of opposites (like heat and cold, happiness and sorrow, honour and dishonour, friendship and enmity etc.) is patience. Refraining from doing improper deeds is modesty. O King, What is called knowledge? What is calmness? What is the highest form of kindness? What is straightforwardness? Realisation of the Self is knowledge. Calmness is the calmness of the mind. Kindness is the desire to see all beings happy. Straightforwardness is equanimity in all circumstances. Which foe is invincible for men? Which is the disease which has no end? Who is a sadhu (good person)? Who is a bad person? Anger is the invincible foe. Greed is the disease without end. A sadhu (good person) is one who does only good to all beings. One who is cruel (to all beings) is a bad person. O King, What is delusion? What is vanity? What is indolence? What is sorrow? Delusion is ignorance of dharma. Vanity is false pride about oneself. Indolence is not fulfilling ones duties according to swadharma and sorrow is ignorance. What is called by Rishis as sthairya (stability, unshakability). What is known as dhairya (courage)? What is the highest type of snana (bathing)? What is dana (charity,gifting)? Firm adherence to ones own dharma is sthairya. Control of the senses is dhairya. Ridding the mind of all impurities is the highest type of snana. Providing protection to beings is Dana. Who is a learned person? Who is an atheist? Who is a fool ? What is desire? What is jealousy? A learned person is one who has knowledge of dharma. An atheist is a fool. What causes samsara (cycle of births and deaths) is desire. Heart-burn is jealously. What is called egotism? What is termed dambha? Which is the highest daivam (grace of God)? What is paishunya Egotism is the height of ignorance (of the self). Dambha is when one falsely poses oneself as a dharmic (virtuous) person. The highest daivam (grace of God) Is the result of daana (charity, gift). Paishunya is tarnishing others

Dharma (virtue), artha (wealth) and kama (desire, specially erotic) are mutually contradictory. How can there be harmony among these which are opposed to one another? When there is harmony between ones dharma and ones wife, there will be harmony between dharma, artha and kama O King, who goes to eternal hell? Please quickly give me an answer to this question of mine.

He goes to eternal hell who, having invited a poor begging brahmana, tells him that there is nothing which he can give to him ( i.e. the brahmana). He goes to eternal hell who dubs as false all Vedas, dharma sastras, brahmanas, devas and sacrifices to forebears.

One who is very rich but neither gives to the needy nor enjoys the wealth himself will go to eternal hell. O King, How does one gain brahminhood, whether by clan in which born, by virtuous conduct, by the study of Vedas or by shrutam (learning acquired by hearing from saints, teachers and elders)? Tell me your considered view on this. O Yaksha, hear me; neither clan nor Vedic studies nor learning confers brahminhood. Undoubtedly, it is only virtuous (good) conduct that confers brahminhood. One, especially a brahmana, should zealously guard his good conduct. One whose conduct does not become weak never becomes weak himself. One whose good conduct is killed is as good as dead. Students, teachers and thinkers in various shastras (scientific disciplines) are fools if their conduct is bad. He who is bent on carrying out his swadharma is the real pundit One who is well-versed in the four Vedas is worse than a Sudra if his conduct is bad. One who performs agnihotra and other karmas enjoined by his swadharma and who has control over his senses is considered a brahmana. What does a person, who talks soft and sweet with concern for others, gain? What does one gain when one embarks on a project only after critical examination of all its pros and cons? What is the gain of one who has many friends? What does a stickler to dharma gain? One whose talk is sweet and sincere is loved by all. The one whose actions are preceded by careful scrutiny, analysis and planning achieves success in his endeavours. One with many friends lives happily. One who follows the path of dharma goes to heaven. Back to who is happy? What is wonder? What is the path? What is the news? Answer all these four questions and let your brothers who are dead come life. O Yaksha, one who cooks vegetables on the fifth or sixth ahas () of the day in ones own house, who is free from debts and who is not away from home is happy. Every day living beings pass into the abode of Yama. But others want to remain here permanently (They perhaps think that their turn will not come). There is no greater wonder than this. Nothing can be established by logical arguments. The Vedas are different from each other. There is no one Rishi whose ideas can be taken as authentic. The truth about dharma is very secret (and difficult to comprehend). Therefore the path one has to follow is the one taken by great souls. The news is: Time is cooking all beings in the huge cauldron of ignorance on the fire of the sun, using days and nights as fuel and stirring the mix with ladles of months and seasons. O Destroyer of enemies! You have correctly answered all my questions. Now describe to me the person who is rich (wealthy) in all respects The fame of good deeds done by one spreads in the earth and the heaven. As long as that fame is alive one is known as a purusha One is considered wealthy in all respects if one maintains equanimity between likes and dislikes, happiness and sorrow as well as what is past and what is yet to come. O King! You have answered the questions regarding purusha and a man who is wealthy in all respects. Therefore let one of your brothers, whom you wish, come back to life. O Yaksha! Let Nakula of dark complexion and red eyes, tall as the sal tree with broad chest and long arms, come back to life. O King! Bhima is dear to you; Arjuna is your refuge; why do you want Nakula, born of the second wife of your father, to be brought back to life. ? Leaving out Bhima who has the strength of ten thousand elephants you want Nakula brought back to life. People say Bhima is very dear to you. In spite of it, what is the emotion which prompts you to ask for the life of a brother born of the sapatni (co-wife) of your mother? Leaving out Arjuna, on the strength of whose arms all the Pandavas rely, you want Nakula to be revived If dharma is destroyed, it will destroy; if it is protected, it will protect. Therefore I never forsake dharma lest it, thus spurned, destroy me. In my opinion kindness is the greatest dharma, virtue, greater than the highest purushartha. I wish to be kind, O Yaksha!, let Nakula live. People know me as a King whose conduct is governed by dharma. I never deviate from swadharma. Let Nakula, therefore, live. Kunti and Madri were the two wives of my father. My mind is determined that both of them should be with a son. For me just as Kunti is mother so is Madri. I do not make any distinction between them. I wish to have them both placed in the same position. Let, therefore, Nakula live. As you have placed aanrusamsyam (non-violence, kindness) above artha (wealth) and kama (desire), let all your brothers come back to life.