Unit 13
A story: Yudhishthira answers the Yaksha
On a certain day, when the Pandavas were out hunting in the forest, they got a little thirsty and
tired. At that time, a Brahmana came running to them and said, “Can you please help me? I lost
some sacred grasses to a male deer accidentally and and the buck ran away into the forest with
the grass.”
Yudhishthira asks his brothers to go in different directions to search for the deer but in vain. At
some point, they are exhausted and thirsty. Yudhishthira asks Nakula to go and look for water.
After looking for a while, Nakula comes to a pond. As he is about to drink from the pond, a
voice says, “Don’t drink from this water before you answer my questions.” Nakula ignores it,
drinks the water, and falls dead.
When Nakula doesn’t return, Yudhishthira sends Sahadeva to look for him. As Sahadeva comes
near the pond, a voice says, “Wait! Do not drink from this water before answering my
questions.” Sahadeva says, “Let me quench my thirst first. Then I shall answer your questions.”
He drinks the water and falls dead. Now Yudhishthira senses that the two brothers are in danger,
and he asks Bhima and Arjuna to look for them. However, both Kshatriyas suffer the same fate.
When even Bhima and Arjuna don’t return, Yudhishthira goes in search of them. Eventually, he
comes to the pond and sees his brothers lying there, dead. He asks the pond, “Water! Are you the
culprit? Are you the one who took my brothers’ lives? Take mine too!” A voice says, “Stop! Do
not drink the water before answering my questions.” Yudhishthira asks, “Who are you? Where
are you? Show yourself.”
A Yaksha appears and says, “This pond belongs to me. Your brothers died because they drank
from its water before answering my questions. Do you wish to suffer the same fate?”
Yudhishthira said, “I do not wish to take what does not belong to me. Ask me your questions,
and I’ll answer them as best as I can.”
Question: What is more important than the earth itself?
Yudhishthira: One’s mother.
Question: What is higher than heaven?
Yudhishthira: One’s father.
Question: What is swifter than the wind?
Yudhishthira: The mind.
Question: More numerous than the blades of grass?
Yudhishthira: The thoughts in the mind.
Question: What is the most praiseworthy thing of all?
Yudhishthira: Skill.
Question: The most valuable possession?
Yudhishthira: Knowledge.
Question: The greatest treasure?
Yudhishthira: Health.
Question: The greatest happiness?
Yudhishthira: Contentment.
Question: What must be renounced to make a man agreeable?
Yudhishthira: Pride.
Question: What must be renounced to make a man wealthy?
Yudhishthira: Desire.
Question: And what can be renounced without regret?
Yudhishthira: Anger.
Question: What is real knowledge?
Yudhishthira: The knowledge of god.
Question: What is mercy?
Yudhishthira: When one desires the happiness of all creatures.
Question: What disease has no cure?
Yudhishthira: Covetousness.
Question: What is pride?
Yudhishthira: When a man thinks that he’s the one who is the doer of life.
Question: What is grief?
Yudhishthira: Only ignorance.
Question: How does a man become patient?
Yudhishthira: By subduing his senses.
Question: What is wickedness?
Yudhishthira: Speaking ill of others.
Question: And how do you find bliss in the next world?
Yudhishthira: By being virtuous in this one.
Question: What is truly amazing in this world?
Yudhishthira: The most amazing thing is, though humans are mortal, everybody goes about
their life as if they are going to be here forever.
Question: Who is he, Yudhishthira, who has every kind of wealth?
Yudhishthira: Only he to whom joy and sorrow, fortune and misfortune, past and future are all
the same.
Yaksha: Yudhishthira, you are the wisest man in the world and the most righteous one too. I
grant you a boon. Ask me for the life of any one of your brothers.
Yudhishthira (after pondering for a while): Give me Nakula.
Yaksha: I am surprised. I know Bhima is dearest to you among all your brothers. You depend on
Arjuna to win the war that’s coming. Yet, you choose Nakula’s life over others. Why?
Yudhishthira: I have two mothers – Kunti and Madri. I, the son of Kunti, am alive. Surely, a son
of Madri should also live.
Yaksha: Ah! You are a great soul indeed. Yudhishthira! I will never look upon another like you
in all time. I grant you not just Nakula’s life, but the life of all your brothers.
The Yaksha revived all the brothers.
Answer the following questions.
1. Name the five Pandava brothers.
2. Who did Yudhisthira send first to look for water?
3. When did Yudhisthira sense that Nakula and Sahadev are in danger?
4. In what condition did Yudhisthira find his brothers?
5. What exactly did Yaksha want?
6. Was Yaksha happy with Yudhisthira’s response? How do you know?
7. Why did Yudhishthira choose Nakul?
8. How did the story end?
Match the following.
A B
sacred satisfaction
exhausted holy
quench lack of knowledge
contentment morally right or justifiable
covetousness satisfy by drinking
ignorance restored to life
righteous tired
revived show great desire to possess what’s not yours
Complete the table below.
NOUN ADJECTIVE
Skill
Knowledge
Health
Contentment
Pride
Anger
Covetousness
Ignorance
wickedness
