Questions/Answers between Lord Dharm Dev and Pandu Putra Yudhisthir
Yakhs Prashn, Dharm Baka Upakhyan: appears in the Mahabharat, in Book of Forest (Aranyaka Parva ~ Vana Parva).
Quick Prelude:
One day while living in exile in the forest, Yudhishthir finds that while attempting to drink water from a lake, all his brothers have been killed. When he went near the lake to fetch some water, he heard a sudden voice, (of Yaksh Devta who is in disguise).
Yaksh Devta said: This Lake belongs to me; I have asked your brothers to answer my questions before drinking the water. But they denied my pledge and drank water and hence they are dead. You too will become a victim if you do not answer my question before drinking this water.
Yudhisthir replied: I have no desire to take what belongs to you.Please ask me the questions; I will try my best to reply to your queries. These questions and answers are precise, beautiful, and embedded with sophisticated deep wisdom and philosophy.
The focus of this entire discussion is on Dharm (righteousness).
| Yaksh Devta’s Prashn (Questions) | Yudhisthr’s Utar (Answers) |
| Sun God | |
| Who makes the sun rise? | Lord Brahma |
| Who keeps the sun company? | God (Bhagwan Surya Narayan) |
| Who causes the sun to set? | Dharm |
| And in whom is the sun established? | Truth |
| Learning, Intelligence | |
| By what does one become learned? | By Srutis (that scriptures which revealed) |
| How one acquires something very great? | By ascetics austerities (tapas) |
| How can one acquire intelligence? | By serving the old |
| Brahmins (Caste) | |
| What constituents the divinity of Brahmins? | Study of Vedas (Scriptures) |
| What is pious practice in them? | Their asceticism (penance) constituents’ behavior that is like that of the pious. |
| What is human attributes of Brahmins? | Death |
| What is impious practice in them? | Insulting anyone is their impiety |
| Kshatriyas (Caste) | |
| What constituents the divinity of Kshatriyas? | Arrows and their Weapons |
| What is pious practice in them? | Celebration of Sacrifices |
| What is human attributes of Kshatriyas? | Fear |
| What is impious practice in them? | Refusal of protection Dharma |
| Cultivate, Sow, Prosperity | |
| What is value to those who cultivate? | Rain |
| What is value to those who sow? | Seed |
| What is value to those who wish prosperity in this world? | Preacher |
| What is value to those who that bring forth? | Offspring |
| Living Dead | |
| What person who enjoying all the objects of sensing, breathing but yet is not alive? | The person who do not offer anything to Gods, Guests, Servant, Piitris etc. |
| Heavier, Higher, Fleeter, Numerous | |
| What is heavier than Earth? | Mother |
| What is higher than Heaven? | Father |
| What is fleeter (running fast) than Wind? | Mind |
| What is more numerous than Grass? | Thoughts |
| Generic ~ Miscellaneous | |
| What which sleep does not close eyes? | Fish |
| What does which not move after birth? | Egg |
| What which is without heart? | Stone |
| What which swells in its own impetus? | River |
| Friend | |
| Who is friend of the exile? | Companion |
| Who is friend of the householder? | Wife |
| Who is friend of the sick? | Physician |
| Who is friend of one who is about to die? | Charity |
| Duty, Guest, Amrit, Universe | |
| Who is guest of all creatures? | Agni (Fire) |
| What is eternal duty? | Homa (Yagna Sacrifice), Following Regulations of Sanatan Dharam |
| What is Amrit (nectar)? | Milk of Cow is Amrit |
| What is in the universe? | Universe consists of Air alone. |
| Mortal/Immortal/Rebirth | |
| What is that which stays alone? | The Sun |
| What is reborn after its birth? | The Moon |
| What is remedy against cold? | Fire |
| What is the largest field? | Earth |
| Virtue/Fame/Heaver/Happiness | |
| What is Highest shelter of virtue? | Liberty is the Highest Guard of virtue |
| What is Highest shelter of fame? | Gift is the Highest Guard of Fame |
| What is Highest shelter of heaven? | Truth is Highest Guard of Heaven |
| What is Highest shelter of happiness? | Good Behavior is the Highest Guard of Happiness |
| Man’s (Soul, Friend, Support) | |
| What is soul of man? | Son |
| Who is that friend bestowed on man by the gods? | Wife |
| What is man’s chief support? | Clouds |
| What is man’s chief refuge? | Charity |
| Possessions / Gains /Happiness | |
| What is best of all laudable things? | Skills |
| What is most valuable possession? | Knowledge |
| What is best of all gains? | Health |
| What is best of all kind of happiness? | Contentment |
| Duty, Regret, Alliance | |
| What is the highest duty in the world? | Refrain from injury is the highest duty |
| What is that virtue which always bears fruits? | Rites ordained in Vedas always bear fruits |
| What is that if controlled, leads to no regret? | Mind if controlled, leads no regrets |
| With whom alliance cannot break? | Alliance with Good never breaks |
| What if Renounced | |
| What if renounced, make one agreeable? | Pride |
| What if renounced, leads no regret? | Anger |
| What if renounced, makes one wealthy? | Desire |
| What if renounced, makes one happy? | Greed |
| Why Giving | |
| Why one give to Brahmins? | For Religious Merit |
| Why one give to actors/dancers? | For Fame |
| Why one give to servants? | For Supporting them |
| Why one give to king? | For obtaining Relief from Fear |
| Discovering | |
| With what is world enveloped? | Darkness |
| What is that owing to which a thing cannot discover itself? | Darkness does not permit a thing to show itself |
| Why one fail to go to heaven? | Connection with world make one fail to go to heaven |
| Why friends are forsaken? | Greed and Lust |
| Dead | |
| Which one is considered as dead? | One having want of wealth |
| Which sacrifice is considered as dead? | One having no gifts for Brahmins |
| Which Shradh (Puja) is considered as dead? | Shradh performed by aid of Guru, who having no real knowledge |
| Which kingdom is considered as dead? | Kingdom of want of a king |
| Restrain, Forgiveness, Shame | |
| What is sign of asceticism? | Staying in one’s own religion |
| What is true restraint? | Restrain of Mind |
| What is forgiveness? | Stable Enmity |
| What is shame? | Withdrawing from all Unworthy Acts |
| Knowledge, Peace, Mercy, Simplicity | |
| What is true knowledge? | True knowledge of Divinity, Supreme Personality of Godhead Sri Krishna |
| What is tranquility (peace)? | True Tranquility of Heart |
| What is mercy? | Wishing Happiness for All Living Creatures |
| What is simplicity? | Calmness of Heart |
| Enemy, Disease, Honest/Dishonest | |
| Which enemy is invincible? | Anger |
| What is incurable disease? | Greediness |
| Who is honest? | Wishes well for all Creatures |
| Who is dishonest? | Un-merciful |
| Ignorance, Pride, Idleness, Grief | |
| What is ignorance? | Not knowing one’s duty |
| What is pride? | Consciousness of one’s being himself sufferer in life (Ignorance) |
| What is idleness? | Not discharging one’s prescribed duties |
| What is grief? | Ignorance |
| Patience, Real Bath, Charity | |
| What is steadiness? | Staying in one’s own religion |
| What is patience? | Overpowering of senses |
| What is real ablution (bath)? | Washing the mind, clean of all impurities |
| What is charity? | Protecting all creatures |
| Learned, Atheist, Desire, Envy | |
| Who is learned? | Who knows his duties |
| Who is atheist? | Who is ignorant |
| What is desire? | Desire is due to object of possession |
| What is envy? | Grief of Heart |
| Hypocrisy, Wickedness | |
| What is hypocrisy? | Setting up of Religious Standards |
| What is wickedness? | Speaking bad of others |
| What is grace of gods? | Fruits of our gifts (charity) |
| What one gains, on….. | |
| What one gains on speaking agreeable words? | One becomes agreeable to all |
| What one gains on acting with judgment? | One obtains whatever one seeks |
| What one gains having many friends? | One lives happily |
| What one gain if devoted to virtue? | One obtains a happy state in next world |
| True Happiness, Most Wonderful | |
| Who is truly happy? | One who can cook in own home. One who refrain from Tamas Food. One who has no debt. One who does not come out of home for his livelihood. One who does not over strive for material things. |
| What is most wonderful? | Every day numerous living entities are dying and going to the abode of Yam Devta. Yet one think/believe one will live remain forever (Immortal). What can be more wonderful than this? |
| What is the path? | The best path is to follow in the footsteps of the pure devotees (Mahajans) whose hearts are full of Real Truth regarding Dharma. |
| What is the news? (What is the real situation in the material world)? | This world full of ignorance is like a pan. The sun is fire, the days and nights are fuel. The months and the seasons constitute the wooden ladle. Time is the cook that is cooking all creatures in that pan (with such aids); This is the real news of what is happening in the material world, which is a miserable place full of ignorance |
| Dharma, Arth, Kaam | |
| Virtue (Dharm), Arth (profit) and Kaam (desire) are opposed to each other, how they can co-exist harmoniously? | They can co-exist only if, one having a virtuous Wife. |
| Condemned to Everlasting Hell | |
| Who is condemned on what acts, to Everlasting Hell? | If one promises a poor Brahmin, a charity; but upon his arrival refuse to give him.Who speak falsehood of Vedas, Scriptures, Who despite possessing, does not give because of greediness? |
| About Real Brahmin | |
| What constituents the real Brahmin?Birth, Study, Family, Learning or Behavior? | ONLY BEHAVIOR Note: A Shudra (Lower Caste) is better; if his behavior is better than a so-called learned Brahmin (having wicked behavior, not matter how much he has learned) |
| True Man | |
| Who is true man, possessing all kinds of wealth? | One who has overcome the dualities of material life, i.e., Happiness/Sadness, Friend/Enemy, Love/Hate, Heat/Cold, etc. possesses all kinds of wealth. |
| Generic ~ Miscellaneous | |
| What is poison? | Requesting someone |
| What is proper time for Puja (Shraddh)? | There is no proper time for Shraddh (puja), when one wants one can, (if possible find a Guru). One can do puja to Lord Hari any time; one can takes His name any time. |
| What is food? | Cow is the root of all foods,Cow gives milk, which produce butter ghee, which is used in Yagna, sacrifices. The sacrifices are causes of clouds, which bring rain. Rain is essential for producing food from seeds, (corps). |
Towards the Ending:
Yaksh, pleased by Yudhisthir for his replies, offered him to bring life to only one of his four brothers; to which Yudhisthir asked to restore Nakul’s life. Yaksh asked further that, why have you not asked to restore the life of Bhim or Arjun, despite they are more powerful? To which Yudhisthir replied that my father had two wives, queen Kunti, and queen Madri. For me there is no difference between the twos. I am the son of mother Kunti who is alive; I wish the life of one son of mother Madri should be restored, (as you offer, life of one brother). Then Yaksh asked if I had offered you two lives, then? To which Yudhisthir replied then I would ask Sahadev, along with Nakul. Yaksh Devta asked the reason for that. Yudhisthir replied that, one he is younger than Bhim and Arjun and second he is son of mother Madri. Dharm suggests me to do that. Yaksh was very pleased with Yudhishthir’s beholding Dharm even at this difficult time for him.
Yudhishthir passed the final test. Pleased by the answers of Yudhishthir, the Yaksh (God father of Yudhishthir and the embodiment of religiosity) appeared in real form to Yudhisthir and said: “I am Dharm Devta, your GodFather, dear son Yudhisthir, … let lives of all your brothers be restored.”
The Lord Dharm blessed the Pandavs and disappeared.
Note: I have kept very summarized (simple), the background/ending of this Highly Philosophical session of Question/Answers between Dharm Devta and Dharmraj Yudhisthir. Any one, who is more interested to read further, the background and ending of this Prashnas (Questions), refer to Aranya Parva (Book of Forest) of The Mahabharat. Also, I have skipped few questions here.
Source: Munish Kella Blog
Some minor fixes are made to the source article.