Mahabharata Vol. 3 (Penguin Translated Texts) (74 page)

‘The yaksha asked, “Which is the single sacrificial chant? What
is the sacrificial formula? What do sacrifices need? And what can sacrifices not transgress?”

‘Yudhishthira replied, “The breath of life
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is the single sacrificial chant. The mind is the sacrificial formula. Sacrifices need speech. Sacrifices cannot transgress speech.”

‘The yaksha asked, “What is the best among those that descend? What is supreme among those that are sown? What is the best among those that stand? What is supreme among those that speak?”

‘Yudhishthira replied, “Rain is best among those that descend. Seeds are supreme among those that are sown. Cows are best among those that stand. Sons are supreme among those that speak.”
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‘The yaksha asked, “Who experiences the objects of the senses, is intelligent, is worshipped by all the beings in the world and breathes, but is not alive?”

‘Yudhishthira replied, “A person who does not render offerings to the five—gods, guests, servants, ancestors and himself—breathes, but is not alive.”

‘The yaksha asked, “What is heavier than the earth? What is higher than the sky? What is swifter than the wind? What is more numerous than men?”

‘Yudhishthira replied, “The mother is heavier than the earth. The father is higher than the sky. The mind is swifter than the wind. Worries are more numerous than men.”
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‘The yaksha asked, “What does not close its eyes while asleep? What does not move when it is born? What has no heart? What grows through speeding?”

‘Yudhishthira replied, “A fish does not close its eyes while asleep. An egg does not move when it is born. A stone has no heart. A river grows through speeding.”

‘The yaksha asked, “Who is a friend to one who is travelling? Who is a friend at home? Who is a friend to one who is sick? Who is a friend to one who is about to die?”

‘Yudhishthira replied, “A caravan is a friend to a traveller. A wife is a friend at home. A physician is a friend to one who is sick. Charity is a friend to one who is about to die.”

‘The yaksha asked, “What travels alone? What is born again after birth? What is a cure for cold? What is the greatest field?”

‘Yudhishthira replied, “The sun travels alone. The moon is born again after birth. Fire is the cure for cold. The earth is the greatest field.”

‘The yaksha asked, “In a single word, what is dharma? In a single word, what is fame? In a single word, what is heaven? In a single word, what is happiness?”

‘Yudhishthira replied, “In a single word, dexterity is dharma. In a single word, generosity is fame. In a single word, truth is heaven. In a single word, conduct is happiness.”

‘The yaksha asked, ‘What is a man’s self? What is the friend given by destiny? What is the support of his life? What is the best refuge?”

‘Yudhishthira replied, “A son is a man’s self. The wife is the friend given by destiny. Rains are the support of his life. Generosity is the best refuge.”

‘The yaksha asked, “What is supreme among objects that are lauded? What is supreme among riches? What is the supreme gain? What is supreme happiness?”

‘Yudhishthira replied, “Dexterity is supreme among objects that are lauded. Knowledge of the sacred texts is supreme among riches. Health is the supreme gain. Satisfaction is supreme happiness.”

‘The yaksha asked, “What is supreme dharma in this world? What dharma always leads to fruits? What does not grieve when it is controlled? What alliance never breaks?”

‘Yudhishthira replied, “Non-violence is supreme dharma. The dharma of the three
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always leads to fruits. The mind does not
grieve when it is controlled. An alliance with the righteous never breaks.”

‘The yaksha asked, “If abandoned, what makes one pleasant? If abandoned, what does not lead to sorrow? If abandoned, what ensures prosperity? If abandoned, what makes one happy?”

‘Yudhishthira replied, “The abandoning of pride makes one pleasant. The abandoning of anger does not lead to sorrow. The abandoning of desire ensures prosperity. The abandoning of desire makes one happy.”

‘The yaksha asked, “When is a man dead? When is a kingdom dead? When is a funeral ceremony dead? When is a sacrifice dead?”

‘Yudhishthira replied, “A poor man is dead. A kingdom without a king is dead. A funeral ceremony performed without a learned brahmana is dead. A sacrifice without dakshina is dead.”

‘The yaksha asked, “What is the right direction? What is spoken of as water? O Partha! What is food and what is poison? What is the right time for a funeral ceremony? Then you can drink and take.”
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‘Yudhishthira replied, “The virtuous are the right direction. The sky is water. The cow is food. A request is poison. A brahmana is the best time for a funeral sacrifice.
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O yaksha! What do you think?”

‘The yaksha said, “O scorcher of enemies! You have answered all my questions correctly. Tell me. Who is a man? Which man possesses all riches?”

‘Yudhishthira replied, “The reputation of good deeds touches heaven and earth. As long as that reputation remains, one is said to be a man. One to whom the pleasant and the unpleasant, happiness and unhappiness and the past and the future are equal, is a man who possesses all riches.”

‘The yaksha said, “O king! You have explained who is a man
and which man possesses all riches. Therefore one of your brothers, whichever one you wish, will live.”

Yudhishthira replied, “O yaksha! Nakula is dark, with red eyes, mighty arms and a broad chest. He is as tall as a shala tree. He will live.”

‘The yaksha said, “You love Bhimasena and you depend on Arjuna. O king! Why do you then wish Nakula, who is your stepbrother, to be alive? Bhima has strength equal to ten thousand elephants. Why do you discard him and wish Nakula to live? People say that Bhimasena is your beloved. Out of what sentiments do you wish your stepbrother to live? All the Pandavas depend on the strength of Arjuna’s arms. But you discard him and wish Nakula to live.”

‘Yudhishthira replied, “Non-violence is supreme dharma. It is my view that this is the supreme objective. I am attracted to non-violence. O yaksha! Nakula shall live. Men know of me as a king who always follows dharma. I will not deviate from my own dharma. O yaksha! Let Nakula live. Madri is like Kunti and I see no difference between the two. I wish the same for both my mothers. O yaksha! Let Nakula live.”

‘The yaksha replied, “O bull among the Bharata lineage! Since you think that non-violence is superior to artha and kama, all of your brothers will be restored to life.”’

Vaishampayana said, ‘At the yaksha’s words, the Pandavas stood up. All their hunger and thirst disappeared in an instant.

‘Yudhishthira said, “Unvanquished, you are standing on one leg in the lake. I am asking you. Which god are you. I do not think that you are a yaksha. Are you one of the Vasus or one of the Rudras? Are you the foremost among the Maruts? Are you the wielder of the vajra, the lord of the thirty gods? Each of my brothers is capable of fighting hundreds and thousands. I do not see a means whereby all of them
can be killed. I see that their senses have been restored and they have awakened pleasantly. Are you our well-wisher or are you our father?”

‘The yaksha replied, “O son! O one whose valour is mild! I am your father Dharma. O bull among the Bharata lineage! Know that I arrived with a desire to see you. Fame, truth, self-control, purity, uprightness, humility, steadfastness, charity, austerities and brahmacharya are my body. Know that non-violence, impartiality, peacefulness, austerities, purity and lack of envy are gates towards me. You have always been dear to me. It is fortunate that you are devoted to the five.
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It is fortunate that you have conquered the six states.
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Two occur early, two in the middle and two at the end, leading to the hereafter. I am Dharma. O fortunate one! I came here to test you and am satisfied with your non-violence. O unblemished one! I will grant you a boon. O Indra among kings! Ask for a boon. O unblemished one! I will grant it to you. Men who are devoted to me never suffer from misfortune.”

‘Yudhishthira said, “The deer ran away with his
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kindling. May his fires not be destroyed. That is the first boon I ask for.”

‘Dharma replied, “O lord! O Kounteya! In order to test you, I robbed the brahmana of his kindling in the form of a deer.”’

Vaishampayana said, ‘The illustrious one granted him that boon. Then he asked the fortunate one, who was like an immortal, to ask for another boon.

‘Yudhishthira said, “The twelve years of dwelling in the forest have passed and the thirteenth has arrived. Wherever we may live, may people not be able to recognize us.”’

Vaishampayana said, ‘The illustrious one granted him that boon. He again comforted Kounteya, for whom truth was his valour. “O descendant of the Bharata lineage! Even if you travel the earth in your own forms, no one in the three worlds will be able to recognize
you. O extender of the Kuru lineage! Through my favours, you will spend the thirteenth year, hidden and undetected, in the city of Virata. Whatever form each of you desires to assume in your mind, that will be the disguise you will adopt according to your wishes. Return the kindling to the brahmana, because I stole it in the form of a deer to test you. O son! Ask for a third boon that is great and unmatched. O king! You have been born from me and Vidura has also been born from a part of me.” Yudhishthira replied, “O eternal god of the gods! It is sufficient that I have set my eyes on your person. O father! I will happily accept whatever boon you are satisfied to grant me. O lord! May I always be able to conquer avarice, delusion and anger. May my mind always be inclined towards generosity, austerity and truth.” Dharma said, “O Pandava! You are naturally endowed with all the qualities. You are dharma yourself. But you will obtain what you ask for.” Having said this, the illustrious Dharma, who sustains the worlds, disappeared. The intelligent Pandavas were reunited and slept happily. Freed from exhaustion, all the brave ones returned to the hermitage and gave the kindling to the ascetic brahmana. A self-controlled man who restrains his senses and reads this great account of the restoration and meeting of the father and the son,
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an account that extends fame, lives for a hundred years with sons and grandsons. Men who know of this good account are never inclined towards adharma and are not separated from their well-wishers. They do not steal the possessions of others or violate other people’s wives. They never find pleasure in vile sentiments.’

Vaishampayana said, ‘When the Pandavas, for whom truth was their valour, had been granted leave by Dharma, they were ready to spend the thirteenth year in hiding and in disguise. Rigid in
their vows, the intelligent ones seated themselves. Hands joined in salutation, those great-souled and righteous ones spoke to the ascetics, who had lived in the forest out of affection for them. The ones who had lived there, steady in their vows, sought their permission.
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“All of you know everything about how the sons of Dhritarashtra have robbed us of our kingdom through deceit and have injured us in many other ways. Amidst great hardship, we have lived in the forest for twelve years. The thirteenth year, which must be spent undetected, still remains. We must spend that time in concealment and we seek your permission. The enemies who always resent us, the evil-souled Suyodhana and Karna with Soubala,
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will try to create difficulties for us, our citizens and our relatives, should they manage to detect us. Will we again be established in our own kingdom and country, together with all the brahmanas?” Having spoken these words, King Yudhishthira, the pure son of Dharma, was oppressed by grief and with his voice choking with tears, lost his senses. Then all the brahmanas and his brothers comforted him.

‘Dhoumya spoke these words, full of grave import, to the king. “O king! You are learned, self-controlled, true to your promises and in control of your senses. Such men are not confounded when they confront a calamity. In times of difficulty, even the great-souled gods have gone into hiding in many places, with the objective of subjugating their enemies. To accomplish the task of subjugating the strength of his enemies, Indra went to a hermitage in the land of the nishadhas, located on the slopes of a mountain, and hid there.
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To kill the daityas, Vishnu spent a long time in hiding in Aditi’s womb and was then born as Hayashira.
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Disguising himself in the form of a dwarf, the one whose form is that of the brahman, used his valour to rob
Bali of his kingdom.
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You have heard about this. O son! You have heard everything about how brahmarshi Ourva accomplished the objective of the worlds while hidden in a thigh.
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O one learned in dharma! You have heard how Hari hid himself in Shakra’s vajra so that Vritra might be killed. You have heard everything about how Agni entered and concealed himself in the water to accomplish the task of the gods. O son! The supremely energetic Vivasvat lived in hiding in earth and later burnt up all his enemies. Vishnu, terrible in his deeds, lived in Dasharatha’s house and in disguise, killed Dashagriva in battle.
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Thus did the great-souled ones live in disguise. Then they conquered their enemies in battle and you will also triumph in that way.” Yudhishthira was thus comforted by the words of Dhoumya, who knew about dharma, and using his own intelligence and knowledge of the sacred texts, no longer wavered.

‘The mighty-armed and immensely strong Bhimasena, foremost among strong ones, spoke to the king and raised his spirits. “O great king! Look at Gandivadhanva.
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Because of his devotion to dharma and because of his own intelligence, he has not acted foolishly yet. Nakula and Sahadeva, terrible in their valour, are capable of slaying the enemies, but have always been restrained by me. We will not deviate from whatever task you assign to us. You must tell us what we should do and we will swiftly carry it out and vanquish our enemies.” When Bhimasena spoke these words, the brahmanas pronounced supreme benedictions on them. Having bid farewell to the descendants of the Bharata lineage, all of them returned to their own houses. All those who were foremost in knowledge of the Vedas, ascetics and sages, pronounced their blessings in the prescribed way and desired to see them again. The five learned Pandavas arose with Dhoumya. O descendant of the Bharata lineage! The brave ones set out with Krishna. After traversing the distance of a krosha, they
seated themselves at a spot. Those tigers among men were ready to begin their sojourn of concealment. Each of them was separately learned in the sacred texts. But all of them were also skilled in consultations. They were knowledgeable about when it was a time for peace and when it was a time for war. Before departing, they sat down and consulted each other.’