The episode popularly known as Yaksha Prashna is a very fascinating incident in the great Indian epic, Mahabharata. It consists of a beautiful dialogue between Yudhishthira, the eldest of the Pandava brothers and a Yaksha, a type of spirit in Indian mythology. The questions and Yudhishthira’s answers are gems of wisdom and philosophy that delve deep into the philosophy of life. Here is the story of the Yaksha Prashna from the Mahabharata.
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Yaksha Prashna – Story Of The Yaksha
The Pandavas lost their kingdom to the Kauravas after the game of dice, and as per the conditions were banished to the forest for 13 years. After 12 years of exile, the Pandavas were to live the 13th year incognito, and if they were found out they would have to start all over again and spend 13 more years in exile.
The incident of the Yaksha Prashna occurs towards the end of the 12th year when the Pandavas were discussing their plans for the incognito exile in the 13th year.
Yaksha Prashna – Pandavas And The Brahmin
The Pandavas met a Brahmin in the forest who told them that a deer had taken away his, “Arani,” (two wooden blocks used to create fire for Vedic rituals). The Brahmin bemoaned the fact that he was not able to undertake the prescribed rituals for a Brahmin without the “Arani.”
Yaksha Prashna – In Search of A Deer
The Pandavas decided to help him and set out in search of the deer. They found the footprints of the deer and started following them, deep into the forest. They walked on and on, but there was no trace of the deer. They had walked a lot and were exhausted by their efforts.
Yaksha Prashna – Yudhishthira’s Thirst
Yudhishthira felt thirsty and needed to quench his thirst with water. All of them were tired and decided to halt and rest for some time, under the shade of a tree, while one of them would go in search of water. They would resume their pursuit of the deer after that. Nakul, the son of Madri, was deputed to go in search of water, while the others waited for him.
Yaksha Prashna – Nakul And The Crane
Nakul took leave of his brothers and went in search of water. Deep inside the forest, he soon came upon a lake which possessed a surreal beauty, the like of which he had never seen. The water in the lake was crystal clear. The water was a heavenly sight to Nakul who could feel the dryness of his parched throat, and also the anticipation of his brothers who waited eagerly for him to return with water.
The lake was calm and enveloped in silence. There were no signs of life, except for the presence of a crane that stood in the centre of the lake. The sight of the water spurred Nakul on, and he bent down to fill his palms with water to quench his thirst.
“Stop Nakul, you cannot drink this water without satisfactorily answering my questions,” the voice came from the crane. Driven by thirst, Nakul was in no mood to heed the crane, he collected the water in his palms.
“If you drink the water without answering my questions, it will turn into poison and you shall die immediately,” pronounced the crane emphatically.
When you are in the grip of acute thirst, and water is at an arm’s distance, nothing can stop you. It was the same with Nakul, and he let the water soothe his dry lips and parched throat. But the pleasure was short-lived, as he fell down dead, as prophesied by the crane.
Yaksha Prashna – Death By The Lake
Nakul had been gone for a long time, his brothers were worried, so Sahadeva, his twin brother, set out in search of him. He too reached the lake and found Nakul dead by the side of the lake. Driven by thirst, he thought of quenching his thirst before attending to his dead brother. The crane gave him the same warning that it had issued to Nakul. But Sahadeva too ignored the warning and fell down dead, after drinking the water.
Arjuna and Bhima followed their brothers in succession and met the same fate. So, Nakul, Sahadev, Arjuna, and Bhima, all lay dead by the side of the lake.
Yaksha Prashna – Yudhishthira’s Confronts The Yaksha
When none of his brothers returned, Yudhishthira was worried and set out in search of them. He too soon reached the lake and was shocked by the sight of his dead brothers.
The Crane, who was still present in the placid waters of the lake, greeted Yudhisthira with the same monologue that it had with the other Pandava brothers.
Yudhishthira was of course of different mettle. He soon realized what had happened to his brothers. He reasoned that the only way to know about the fate of his brothers was by answering the questions of the crane. He agreed to answer the questions for which the crane wanted answers.
Upon Yudhishthira’s agreement to answer its questions, the crane took on the form of a Yaksha and started directing its questions to Yudhishthira. It is said that the Yaksha asked 125 questions that encompassed a variety of subjects including philosophy, metaphysics, religion, and more. Yudhishthira satisfactorily and patiently answered each one of the Yakshas questions ( Yaksha Prashna). The Yaksha was pleased with Yudhishthira’s demeanour and the perfect answers that he gave.
The Yaksha then asked Yudhishthira to choose one of his brothers, to bring back to life. Yudhishthira chose Nakula. He thought that this way both Kunti and Madri would have one son who was alive. The Yaksha was impressed by the choice that Yudhishthira made and his sense of righteousness. The Yaksha then assumed its true form. It was none other than Yama Dharmaraya, the God of Death, who also happened to be Yudhishthira’s father. He explained to his son that it was he who was the deer, he who was the crane, and he who was the Yaksha. He had taken on these forms to test Yudhishthira.
Yama, the God of death, then brought all the other Pandava brothers to life and blessed them. He assured them that they would complete the 13th year of their exile without being discovered. He then vanished from sight. The Pandavas drank the water from the lake, and satiated, they went on their way, where another adventure awaited them.
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