Chapter 312

Vaisampayana continued,–“Then agreeable to the words of the Yaksha thePandavas rose up; and in a moment their hunger and thirst left them.Thereupon Yudhishthira said, ‘I ask thee that art incapable of beingvanquished and that standest on one leg in the tank, what god art thou,for I cannot take thee for a Yaksha! Art thou the foremost of the Vasus,or of the Rudras, or of the chief of the Maruts? Or art thou the lordhimself of the celestials, wielder of the thunder-bolt! Each of these mybrothers is capable of fighting as hundred thousand warriors, and I seenot the warrior that can slay them all! I see also that their senses haverefreshed, as if they have sweetly awaked from slumber. Art thou a friendof ours, or even our father himself? At this the Yaksha replied,-‘Ochild, I am even thy father, the Lord of justice, possessed of greatprowess! Know, bull of the Bharata race, that I came hither desirous ofbeholding thee! Fame, truth, self-restraint, purity, candour, modesty,steadiness, charity, austerities and Brahmacharya, these are my body! Andabstention from injury, impartiality, peace, penances, sanctity, andfreedom from malice are the doors (through which I am accessible). Thouart always dear to me! By good luck thou art devoted to the five;[119]and by good luck also thou hast conquered the six.[120] Of the six, twoappear in the first part of life; two in the middle part thereof; and theremaining two at the end, in order to make men repair to the next world.I am, good betide thee, the lord of justice! I came hither to test thymerit. I am well-pleased to witness thy harmlessness; and, O sinless one,I will confer boons on thee. Do thou, O foremost of kings, ask of meboons. I shall surely confer them, O sinless one! Those that revere me,never come by distress!’ Yudhishthira said,–‘A deer was carrying awaythe Brahmana’s fire-sticks. Therefore, the first boon that I shall ask,is, may that Brahmana’s adorations to Agni be not interrupted!’ TheYaksha said,–‘O Kunti’s son endued with splendour, it was I who forexamining thee, was carrying away, in the guise of a deer, thatBrahmana’s fire-sticks!”

Vaisampayana continued,–“Thereupon that worshipful one said,–‘I givethee this boon! Good betide thee! O thou that are like unto an immortal,ask thou a fresh boon! Yudhishthira said,–‘We have spent these twelveyears in the forest; and the thirteenth year is come. May no onerecognise us, as we spend this year somewhere.’

Vaisampayana continued,-‘Thereat that worshipful one replied,–‘I givethis boon unto thee!’ And then reassuring Kunti’s son having truth forprowess, he also said, ‘Even if, O Bharata, ye range this (entire) earthin your proper forms none in the three worlds shall recognise you. Yeperpetuators of the Kuru race, through my grace, ye will spend thisthirteenth year, secretly and unrecognised, in Virata’s kingdom! Andevery one of you will be able at will to assume any form he likes! Do yenow present the Brahmana with his fire-sticks. It was only to test youthat I carried them away in the form of a deer! O amiable Yudhishthira,do thou ask for another boon that thou mayst like! I will confer it onthee. O foremost of men, I have not yet been satisfied by granting boonsto thee! Do thou my son, accept a third boon that is great andincomparable! Thou, O king, art born of me, and Vidura of portion ormine!” Thereat Yudhishthira said,–‘It is enough that I have beheld theewith my senses, eternal God of gods as thou art! O father, whatever boonthou wilt confer on me I shall surely accept gladly! May I, O lord,always conquer covetousness and folly and anger, and may my mind be everdevoted to charity, truth, and ascetic austerities! The Lord of justicesaid,–‘Even by nature, O Pandava, hast thou been endued with thesequalities, for thou art the Lord of justice himself! Do thou again attainwhat thou asked for!”

Vaisampayana continued,–“Having said these words, the worshipful Lord ofjustice, who is the object of contemplation of all the worlds, vanishedtherefrom; and the high-souled Pandavas after they had slept sweetly wereunited with one another. And their fatigue dispelled, those heroesreturned to the hermitage, and gave back that Brahmana his firesticks.That man who pursueth this illustrious and fame-enhancing story of therevival (of the Pandavas) and the meeting of father and son (Dharma andYudhishthira), obtaineth perfect tranquillity of mind, and sons andgrandsons, and also a life extending over a hundred years! And the mindof that man that layeth this story to heart, never delighteth inunrighteousness, or in disunion among friends, or misappropriation ofother person’s property, or staining other people’s wives, or in foulthoughts!