Yaksha Prashnam – Sri Mahabharath
Chapter – 1 – Introduction
Yaksha Prashna is one of the significant
conversations that took place between Lord Yama and King Yudhishtira in the glorious
epic Sri Mahabharath. Lord Yama asks a hundred and twenty-six questions to King
Yudhishtra was replied with the appropriate answers suitable to the circumstances
in a brilliant manner. It was during the
exile from the Kingdom of Hastinapura/Vanavasa of Pandava, a sage requested
them to bring a deer, and thus these five Pandavas arrived in a dense wood following
the footprints of a deer. Yudhishtira was felt extremely thirsty; hence
Sahadeva climbed over a tree and looked around in search of a watercourse.
Soon, he found a pond not too far the wood, immediately Sahadeva left to fetch
water for his brother. Sahadeva tried to fetch the water from the pond, heard a
voice “I am a pelican living in the watercourse so long, therefore this pond
is the property of my clan. If you collect water from this pond without my
permission, you will meet your death.” Sahadeva did not pay attention to the bird;
he drank water soon fallen unconscious. The four brothers waited for the return
of Sahadeva and got anxious about his delay. Yudhishtira asked his brother Nakula
to go and check on Sahadeva, soon he also faced the same destiny, further
Arjuna and Bheema also met the same fate. Finally, Yudhishtira arrived on the
watercourse in search of his brothers, found the four brothers fallen
unconscious on the river bank.
Yudhishtira was tired of hunger, took a
handful of water from the pond, soon he could hear the voice instructed
Yudhishtira not to drink the water without its permission otherwise he would
face the same fate of his four brothers, the voice introduced it as a Yaksha,
further ordered Yudhishtira answer to his questions, if the answers are
appropriate he can carry the water with him or drink them. Thus, the Yaksha
begins to ask questions to Yudhishtira who prepares to answer them and
Yudhishtira answered all those questions of Yaksha brilliantly, without any
doubts. This conversation between Yudhishtira and Yaksha reveals the
farsightedness, brilliance, and virtues of King Yudhishtira. There were hundred
and twenty-six questions were asked was answered appropriately by
Yudhishtira. One of the marvelous
questions begins with “what is most surprising?” King Yudhishtira brilliantly answers
to this question as “The ignorance of the Jeeva after witnessing the death of
several people before its eyes, believes that it has no death. The Jeeva is
completely drenched in the Maya, hence it is not aware of the fleeting nature
of life on Earth.” Yaksha and Yudhishtira’s conversation continues, Yaksha got
satisfied with the answers of Yudhishtira and Yaksha informed that he can claim
to restore the life of one brother, Yudhishtira requested to bring back the
life of Nakula. Yaksha was immensely surprised to hear from Yudhishtira, Yaskha
spoke “why did you ask to restore the life of Nakula? You have not asked for
the life of Bheema who possesses the prowess of thousands of elephants, you have
not asked for the life of Arjuna who is an eminent archer.” Yudhishtira replied
“Oh! Yaksha, I sincerely follow Dharma, I have immense faith in Dharma, whoever
protects it would get protected at any circumstances, and moreover whoever
destroys Dharma would never escape from its hands. I have two mothers, Devi Kunthi
and Devi Madhri, these two mothers are beloved to me. I am the son of Devi
Kunthi, and I am alive, unfortunately, Devi Madhri’s two sons had lost their
lives. Therefore it is apt Nakula who is the elder son of Devi Madhri’s life
should be restored.”
The person who is prominent in
Sakalashasthra/all the Shastras and scriptures could answer any questions
without any difficultly, but it is very difficult to make out which is Dharma
and Adharma during the critical hours in life. King Yudhishtira who has
great knowledge in all the Shastras, was well-known for his Dharmanishta, the
knowledge oneness-in-all, self-sacrifice, and Virakthi. In fact, Yudhishtira who
was exiled from the Kingdom of Hastinapura could have asked for the life of
powerful Bheema or excellent archer Arjun, he did not think a moment to ask the
Yaksha to restore the life of Nakula, it proves the righteousness of King
Yudhishtira. At the end of the conversation, Yama who was disguised as Yaksha
wanted to test the uprightness and virtues of the Yudhishtira, was highly
satisfied with the truthfulness of him, and restored the lives of four brothers
and blessed them. Therefore the conversation between Yaksha and King
Yudhishtira is one of the most significant parts of the great epic Sri Mahabharath.
