Chapter 311

Vaisampayana said, “Yudhishthira saw his brothers, each possessed of theglory of Indra himself, lying dead like the Regents of the world droppedfrom their spheres at the end of the Yuga. And beholding Arjuna lyingdead, with his bow and arrows dropped on the ground, and also Bhimasenaand the twins motionless and deprived of life, the king breathed a hotand long sigh, and was bathed in tears of grief. And beholding hisbrothers lying dead, the mighty armed son of Dharma with heart racked inanxiety, began to lament profusely, saying, ‘Thou hadst, O mighty-armedVrikodara, vowed, saying,–I shall with mace smash the thighs ofDuryodhana in battle! O enhancer of the glory of the Kurus, in thy death,O mighty-armed and high-souled one, all that hath become fruitless now!The promises of men may be ineffectual; but why have the words of thegods uttered in respect of thee been thus fruitless? O Dhananjaya, whilethou wert in thy mother’s lying-in-room, the gods had said,–O Kunti,this thy son shall not be inferior to him of a thousand eyes! And in thenorthern Paripatra mountains, all beings had sung, saying,–Theprosperity (of this race), robbed by foes will be recovered by this onewithout delay. No one will be able to vanquish him in battle, while therewill be none whom he will not be able to vanquish. Why then hath thatJishnu endued with great strength been subject to death? Oh, why doththat Dhananjaya, relying on whom we had hitherto endured all this misery,lie on the ground blighting[108] all my hopes! Why have those heroes,those mighty sons of Kunti, Bhimasena and Dhananjaya, came under thepower of the enemy,–those who themselves always slew their foes, andwhom no weapons could resist! Surely, this vile heart of mine must bemade of adamant, since, beholding these twins lying today on the groundit doth not split! Ye bulls among men, versed in holy writ and acquaintedwith the properties of time and place, and endued with ascetic merit, yewho duly performed all sacred rites, why lie ye down, without performingacts deserving of you? Alas, why lie ye insensible on the earth, withyour bodies unwounded, ye unvanquished ones, and with your vowsuntouched?’ And beholding his brothers sweetly sleeping there as (theyusually did) on mountain slopes, the high souled king, overwhelmed withgrief and bathed in sweat, came to a distressful condition. Andsaying,–It is even so–that virtuous lord of men, immersed in an oceanof grief anxiously proceeded to ascertain the cause (of thatcatastrophe). And that mighty-armed and high-souled one, acquainted withthe divisions of time and place, could not settle his course of action.Having thus bewailed much in this strain, the virtuous Yudhishthira, theson of Dharma or Tapu, restrained his soul and began to reflect in hismind as to who had slain those heroes. ‘There are no strokes of weaponsupon these, nor is any one’s foot-print here. The being must be mighty Iween, by whom my brothers have been slain. Earnestly shall I ponder overthis, or, let me first drink of the water, and then know all. It may bethat the habitually crooked-minded Duryodhana hath caused this water tobe secretly placed here by the king of the Gandharvas. What man of sensecan trust wicked wight of evil passions with whom good and evil arealike? Or, perhaps, this may be an act of that wicked-souled one throughsecret messengers of his.’ And it was thus that that highly intelligentone gave way to diverse reflections. He did not believe that water tohave been tainted with poison, for though dead no corpse-like pallor wason them. ‘The colour on the faces of these my brothers hath not faded!’And it was thus that Yudhishthira thought. And the king continued, ‘Eachof these foremost of men was like unto a mighty cataract. Who, therefore,save Yama himself who in due time bringeth about the end of all things,could have baffled them thus.’ And having concluded this for certain, hebegan to perform his ablutions in that lake. And while he descended intoit, he heard these words from the sky, uttered by the Yaksha,–‘I am acrane, living on tiny fish. It is by me that thy younger brothers havebeen brought under the sway of the lord of departed spirits. If, thou, Oprince, answer not the questions put by me, even thou shalt number thefifth corpse. Do not, O child, act rashly! This lake hath already been inmy possession. Having answered my questions first, do thou, O Kunti’sson, drink and carry away (as much as thou requirest)!’ Hearing thesewords, Yudhishthira said, ‘Art thou the foremost of the Rudras, or of theVasus, or of the Marutas? I ask, what god art thou? This could not havebeen done by a bird! Who is it that hath overthrown the four mightymountains, viz., the Himavat, the Paripatra, the Vindhya, and the Malaya?Great is the feat done by thee, thou foremost of strong persons! Thosewhom neither gods, nor Gandharvas nor Asuras, nor Rakshasas could endurein mighty conflict, have been slain by thee! Therefore, exceedinglywonderful is the deed done by thee! I do not know what thy business maybe, nor do I know thy purpose. Therefore, great is the curiosity and fearalso that have taken possession of me? My mind is greatly agitated, andas my head also is aching, I ask thee, therefore, O worshipful one, whoart thou that stayest here?’ Hearing these words the Yaksha said, ‘I am,good betide thee, a Yaksha, and not an amphibious bird. It is by me thatall these brothers of thine, endued with mighty prowess, have been slain!’

Vaisampayana continued, ‘Hearing these accursed words couched in harshsyllabus,[109] Yudhishthira, O king, approaching the Yaksha who hadspoken then, stood there. And that bull among the Bharatas then beheldthat Yaksha of unusual eyes and huge body tall like a palmyra-palm andlooking like fire or the Sun, and irresistible and gigantic like amountain, staying on a tree, and uttering a loud roar deep as that of theclouds. And the Yaksha said, ‘These thy brothers, O king, repeatedlyforbidden by me, would forcibly take away water. It is for this that theyhave been slain by me! He that wisheth to live, should not, O king, drinkthis water! O son of Pritha, act not rashly! This lake hath already beenin my possession. Do thou, O son of Kunti, first answer my questions, andthen take away as much as thou likest!’ Yudhishthira said, ‘I do not, OYaksha, covet, what is already in thy possession! O bull among malebeings, virtuous persons never approve that one should applaud his ownself (without boasting, I shall, therefore, answer thy questions,according to my intelligence). Do thou ask me!’ The Yaksha then said,’What is it that maketh the Sun rise? Who keeps him company? Who causethhim to set? And in whom is he established?’ Yudhishthira answered,’Brahma maketh the Sun rise: the gods keep him company: Dharma causethhim to set: and he is established in truth.'[110] The Yaksha asked, ‘Bywhat doth one become learned? By what doth he attain what is very great?How can one have a second? And, O king, how can one acquireintelligence?’ Yudhishthira answered, ‘It is by the (study of the) Srutisthat a person becometh learned; it is by ascetic austerities that oneacquireth what is very great: it is by intelligence that a personacquireth a second and it is by serving the old that one becomethwise.'[111] The Yaksha asked, ‘What constituteth the divinity of theBrahmanas? What even is their practice that is like that of the pious?What also is the human attribute of the Brahmanas? And what practice oftheirs is like that of the impious?’ Yudhishthira answered, ‘The study ofthe Vedas constitutes their divinity: their asceticism constitutesbehaviour that is like that of the pious; their liability to death istheir human attribute and slander is their impiety.’ The Yaksha asked,’What institutes the divinity of the Kshatriyas? What even is theirpractice that is like that of the pious? What is their human attribute?And what practice of theirs is like that of the impious?’ Yudhishthiraanswered, ‘Arrows and weapons are their divinity: celebration ofsacrifices is that act which is like that of the pious: liability to fearis their human attribute; and refusal of protection is that act of theirswhich is like that of the impious.’ The Yaksha asked, ‘What is that whichconstitutes the Sama of the sacrifice? What the Yajus of the sacrifice?What is that which is the refuge of a sacrifice? And what is that whichsacrifice cannot do without?’ Yudhishthira answered, ‘Life is the Sama ofthe sacrifice; the mind is the Yajus of the sacrifice: the Rik is thatwhich is the refuge of the sacrifice; and it is Rik alone which sacrificecannot do without.'[112] The Yaksha asked, ‘What is of the foremost valueto those that cultivate? What is of the foremost value to those that sow?What is of the foremost value to those that wish for prosperity in thisworld? And what is of the foremost value to those that bring forth?’Yudhishthira answered, ‘That which is of the foremost value to those thatcultivate is rain: that of the foremost value to those that sow is seed:that of the foremost value to those that bring forth is offspring.[113]’The Yaksha asked, ‘What person, enjoying all the objects of the senses,endued with intelligence, regarded by the world and liked by all beings,though breathing, doth not offer anything to these five, viz., gods,guests, servants, Pitris, and himself, though endued with breath, is notyet alive.’ The Yaksha asked, ‘What is weightier than the earth itself?What is higher than the heavens?’ What is fleeter than the wind? And whatis more numerous than grass?’ Yudhishthira answered, ‘The mother isweightier than the earth; the father is higher than the heaven; the mindis fleeter than the wind; and our thoughts are more numerous than grass.’The Yaksha asked, ‘What is that which doth not close its eyes whileasleep; What is that which doth not move after birth? What is that whichis without heart? And what is that which swells with its own impetus?’Yudhishthira answered, ‘A fish doth not close its eyes while asleep: anegg doth not move after birth: a stone is without heart: and a riverswelleth with its own impetus.’ The Yaksha asked, ‘Who is the friend ofthe exile? Who is the friend of the householder? Who is the friend of himthat ails? And who is the friend of one about to die?’ Yudhishthiraanswered, ‘The friend of the exile in a distant land is his companion,the friend of the householder is the wife; the friend of him that ails isthe physician: and the friend of him about to die is charity. The Yakshaasked,–‘Who is the guest of all creatures? What is the eternal duty?What, O foremost of kings, is Amrita? And what is this entire Universe?’Yudhishthira answered,–Agni is the guest of all creatures: the milk ofkine is amrita: Homa (therewith) is the eternal duty: and this Universeconsists of air alone.'[114] The Yaksha asked,–‘What is that whichsojourneth alone? What is that which is re-born after its birth? What isthe remedy against cold? And what is the largest field?’ Yudhishthiraanswered,–‘The sun sojourneth alone; the moon takes birth anew: fire isthe remedy against cold: and the Earth is the largest field.’ The Yakshaasked,–‘What is the highest refuge of virtue? What of fame? What ofheaven? And what, of happiness?’ Yudhishthira answered,–‘Liberality isthe highest refuge of virtue: gift, of fame: truth, of heaven: and goodbehaviour, of happiness.’ The Yaksha asked,–‘What is the soul of man?Who is that friend bestowed on man by the gods? What is man’s chiefsupport? And what also is his chief refuge?’ Yudhishthira answered,–‘Theson is a man’s soul: the wife is the friend bestowed on man by the gods;the clouds are his chief support; and gift is his chief refuge.’ TheYaksha asked,–‘What is the best of all laudable things? What is the mostvaluable of all his possessions? What is the best of all gains? And whatis the best of all kinds of happiness?’ Yudhishthira answered,–“The bestof all laudable things is skill; the best of all possessions isknowledge: the best of all gains is health: and contentment is the bestof all kinds of happiness.’ The Yaksha asked,–‘What is the highest dutyin the world? What is that virtue which always beareth fruit? What isthat which if controlled, leadeth not to regret? And who are they withwhom an alliance cannot break?’ Yudhishthira answered,–‘The highest ofduties is to refrain from injury: the rites ordained in the Three (Vedas)always bear fruit: the mind, if controlled, leadeth to no regret: and analliance with the good never breaketh.’ The Yaksha asked,–‘What is thatwhich, if renounced, maketh one agreeable? What is that which, ifrenounced, leadeth to no regret? What is that which, if renounced, makethone wealthy? And what is that which if renounced, maketh one happy?’Yudhishthira answered,–‘Pride, if renounced, maketh one agreeable;wrath, if renounced leadeth to no regret: desire, if renounced, makethone wealthy: and avarice, if renounced, maketh one happy.’ The Yakshaasked,–‘For what doth one give away to Brahmanas? For what to mimes anddancers? For what to servants? And for what to king?’ Yudhishthiraanswered,–‘It is for religious merit that one giveth away to Brahmanas:it is for fame that one giveth away to mimes and dancers: it is forsupporting them that one giveth away to servants: and it is for obtainingrelief from fear that one giveth to kings.’ The Yaksha asked,–‘With whatis the world enveloped? What is that owing to which a thing cannotdiscover itself? For what are friends forsaken? And for what doth onefail to go to heaven?’ Yudhishthira answered,–‘The world is envelopedwith darkness. Darkness doth not permit a thing to show itself. It isfrom avarice that friends are forsaken. And it is connection with theworld for which one faileth to go to heaven.’ The Yaksha asked,–‘Forwhat may one be considered as dead? For what may a kingdom be consideredas dead? For what may a Sraddha be considered as dead? And for what, asacrifice?’ Yudhishthira answered,–‘For want of wealth may a man beregarded as dead. A kingdom for want of a king may be regarded as dead. ASraddha that is performed with the aid of a priest that hath no learningmay be regarded as dead. And a sacrifice in which there are no gifts toBrahmanas is dead.’ The Yaksha asked,–‘What constitutes the way? What,hath been spoken of as water? What, as food? And what, as poison? Tell usalso what is the proper time of a Sraddha, and then drink and take awayas much as thou likest!’ Yudhishthira answered,–‘They that are goodconstitute the way.[115] Space hath been spoken of as water.[116] The cowis food.[117] A request is poison. And a Brahmana is regarded as theproper time of a Sraddha.[118] I do not know what thou mayst think of allthis, O Yaksha?’ The Yaksha asked,–‘What hath been said to be the signof asceticism? And what is true restraint? What constitutes forgiveness.And what is shame?’ Yudhishthira answered,–‘Staying in one’s ownreligion is asceticism: the restraint of the mind is of all restraintsthe true one: forgiveness consists in enduring enmity; and shame, inwithdrawing from all unworthy acts.’ The Yaksha asked,–‘What, O king issaid to be knowledge? What, tranquillity? What constitutes mercy? Andwhat hath been called simplicity?’ Yudhishthira answered,–‘Trueknowledge is that of Divinity. True tranquillity is that of the heart.Mercy consists in wishing happiness to all. And simplicity is equanimityof heart.’ The Yaksha asked,–‘What enemy is invincible? What constitutesan incurable disease for man? What sort of a man is called honest andwhat dishonest?’ Yudhishthira answered,–‘Anger is an invincible enemy.Covetousness constitutes an incurable disease. He is honest that desiresthe weal of all creatures, and he is dishonest who is unmerciful.’ TheYaksha asked,–‘What, O king, is ignorance? And what is pride? What alsois to be understood by idleness? And what hath been spoken of as grief?’Yudhishthira answered,–‘True ignorance consists in not knowing one’sduties. Pride is a consciousness of one’s being himself an actor orsufferer in life. Idleness consists in not discharging one’s duties, andignorance in grief.’ The Yaksha asked,–‘What hath steadiness been saidby the Rishis to be? And what, patience? What also is a real ablution?And what is charity?’ Yudhishthira answered,–‘Steadiness consists inone’s staying in one’s own religion, and true patience consists in thesubjugation of the senses. A true bath consists in washing the mind cleanof all impurities, and charity consists in protecting all creatures.’ TheYaksha asked,–‘What man should be regarded as learned, and who should becalled an atheist? Who also is to be called ignorant? What is calleddesire and what are the sources of desire? And what is envy?’Yudhishthira answered,–‘He is to be called learned who knoweth hisduties. An atheist is he who is ignorant and so also he is ignorant whois an atheist. Desire is due to objects of possession, and envy isnothing else than grief of heart.’ The Yaksha asked,–‘What is pride, andwhat is hypocrisy? What is the grace of the gods, and what iswickedness?’ Yudhishthira answered,–‘Stolid ignorance is pride. Thesetting up of a religious standard is hypocrisy. The grace of the gods isthe fruit of our gifts, and wickedness consists in speaking ill ofothers.’ The Yaksha asked,–‘Virtue, profit, and desire are opposed toone another. How could things thus antagonistic to one another existtogether?’ Yudhishthira answered,–‘When a wife and virtue agree witheach other, then all the three thou hast mentioned may exist together.’The Yaksha asked,–‘O bull of the Bharata race, who is he that iscondemned to everlasting hell? It behoveth thee to soon answer thequestion that I ask!’ Yudhishthira answered,–‘He that summoneth a poorBrahmana promising to make him a gift and then tells him that he hathnothing to give, goeth to everlasting hell. He also must go toeverlasting hell, who imputes falsehood to the Vedas, the scriptures, theBrahmanas, the gods, and the ceremonies in honour of the Pitris, He alsogoeth to everlasting hell who though in possession of wealth, nevergiveth away nor enjoyeth himself from avarice, saying, he hath none.’ TheYaksha asked,–‘By what, O king, birth, behaviour, study, or learningdoth a person become a Brahmana? Tell us with certitude!’ Yudhishthiraanswered,-‘Listen, O Yaksha! It is neither birth, nor study, norlearning, that is the cause of Brahmanahood, without doubt, it isbehaviour that constitutes it. One’s behaviour should always bewell-guarded, especially by a Brahmana. He who maintaineth his conductunimpaired, is never impaired himself. Professors and pupils, in fact,all who study the scriptures, if addicted to wicked habits, are to beregarded as illiterate wretches. He only is learned who performeth hisreligious duties. He even that hath studied the four Vedas is to beregarded as a wicked wretch scarcely distinguishable from a Sudra (if hisconduct be not correct). He only who performeth the Agnihotra and hathhis senses under control, is called a Brahmana!’ The Yaksha asked,–‘Whatdoth one gain that speaketh agreeable words? What doth he gain thatalways acteth with judgment? What doth he gain that hath many friends?And what he, that is devoted to virtue?’–Yudhishthira answered,–‘Hethat speaketh agreeable words becometh agreeable to all. He that actethwith judgment obtaineth whatever he seeketh. He that hath many friendsliveth happily. And he that is devoted to virtue obtaineth a happy state(in the next world).’ The Yaksha asked,–‘Who is truly happy? What ismost wonderful? What is the path? And what is the news? Answer these fourquestions of mine and let thy dead brothers revive.’ Yudhishthiraanswered,–‘O amphibious creature, a man who cooketh in his own house, onthe fifth or the sixth part of the day, with scanty vegetables, but whois not in debt and who stirreth not from home, is truly happy. Day afterday countless creatures are going to the abode of Yama, yet those thatremain behind believe themselves to be immortal. What can be morewonderful than this? Argument leads to no certain conclusion, the Srutisare different from one another; there is not even one Rishi whose opinioncan be accepted by all; the truth about religion and duty is hid incaves: therefore, that alone is the path along which the great have trod.This world full of ignorance is like a pan. The sun is fire, the days andnights are fuel. The months and the seasons constitute the wooden ladle.Time is the cook that is cooking all creatures in that pan (with suchaids); this is the news.’ The Yaksha asked,–‘Thou hast, O represser offoes, truly answered all my questions! Tell us now who is truly a man,and what man truly possesseth every kind of wealth.’ Yudhishthiraanswered,–‘The report of one’s good action reacheth heaven and spreadethover the earth. As long as that report lasteth, so long is a person towhom the agreeable and the disagreeable, weal and woe, the past and thefuture, are the same, is said to possess every kind of wealth.’ TheYaksha said,–‘Thou hast, O king truly answered who is a man, and whatman possesseth every kind of wealth. Therefore, let one only amongst thybrothers, whom thou mayst wish, get up with life!’ Yudhishthiraanswered,–‘Let this one that is of darkish hue, whose eyes are red, whois tall like a large Sala tree, whose chest is broad and arms long, letthis Nakula, O Yaksha, get up with life! The Yaksha rejoined,-‘ThisBhimasena is dear unto thee, and this Arjuna also is one upon whom all ofyou depend! Why, then, O king dost thou, wish a step-brother to get upwith his life! How canst thou, forsaking Bhima whose strength is equal tothat of ten thousand elephants, wish Nakula to live? People said thatthis Bhima was dear to thee. From what motive then dost thou wish astep-brother to revive? Forsaking Arjuna the might of whose arm isworshipped by all the sons of Pandu, why dost thou wish Nakula torevive?’ Yudhishthira said,–‘If virtue is sacrificed, he thatsacrificeth it, is himself lost. So virtue also cherisheth the cherisher.Therefore taking care that virtue by being sacrificed may not sacrificeus, I never forsake virtue. Abstention from injury is the highest virtue,and is, I ween, even higher than the highest object of attainment. Iendeavour to practise that virtue. Therefore, let Nakula, O Yaksha,revive! Let men know that the king is always virtuous! I will neverdepart from my duty. Let Nakula, therefore, revive! My father had twowives, Kunti and Madri. Let both of them have children. This is what Iwish. As Kunti is to me, so also is Madri. There is no difference betweenthem in my eye. I desire to act equally towards my mothers. Therefore,let Nakula live?’ The Yaksha said,–‘Since abstention from injury isregarded by thee as higher than both profit and pleasure, therefore, letall thy brothers live, O bull of Bharata race!”