Yaksha Prashna
Questions/Answers
b/w
Lord Dharma and
Yudhisthra
Yakhsa
Prashna,
Dharma
Baka Upakhyan: appears in the Mahabharata,
in Book of Forest (Aranyaka Parva ~ Vana Parva).
Quick
Prelude:
One day while living in exile in the
forest, Yudhisthira finds that while attempting to drink water from a lake, his
all brothers have been killed. When he went near the lake to fetch some water,
he heard a sudden voice, (of Yaksha who is in disguise).
Yaksha 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 victim if you do not answer my
question before drinking this water.
Yudhisthra replied: I have no desire to take what
belongs to you. Please ask me the
questions; I will try my best to reply 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 Dharma.
Yaksha’s Prashna (Questions)
|
Yudhisthra Utar (Answers)
|
Sun God
|
|
Who
makes the sun rise?
|
Lord
Brahma
|
Who
keeps the sun company?
|
Gods
(Surya Naryana)
|
Who
causes the sun to set?
|
Dharma
|
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 the 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, Pitris 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 ~ Miscallenous
|
|
What
which sleep does not close eyes?
|
Fish
|
What
which does 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, Amrita, Universe
|
|
Who
is guest of all creatures?
|
Agni
(Fire)
|
What
is eternal duty?
|
Homa
(Yajna Sacrifice), Following Regulations of Sanatan Dharam
|
What
is Amrita?
|
Milk
of Cow is Amrita
|
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
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
Shardha (Puja) is considered as
dead?
|
Shardha
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 Shri 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 Woderful
|
|
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 striving for material things
|
What
is most wonderful?
|
Every
day numerous living entities are dying and going to the abode of Yama. 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, Artha, Kaama
|
|
Virtue
(Dharma), Artha (profit) and Kaama (desire) are opposed to each other, how
they can co-exist harmoniously?
|
They
can co-exists only if, one having a virtuous Wife.
|
Condemned to Everlasting Hell
|
|
Who
is condemned on what acts, to Everlasting Hell?
|
If
one promise 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 Shudar (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 ~ Miscallenous
|
|
What
is poison?
|
Requesting
someone
|
What
is proper time for Puja (Shraddha)?
|
There
is no proper time for Shraddha (puja), when one want 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 Yajna, sacrifices. The
sacrifices are causes of clouds, which bring rain. Rais is essential for
producing food from seeds, (corps).
|
Towards the Ending:
Yaksha
pleased by Yudhisthra for his replies, offered him to bring life to only one of
his four brothers; to which Yudhisthra asked to restore Nakul’s life. Yaksha
asked further that, why you have not asked to restore life of Bhim or Arjuna,
despite they are more powerful? To which Yudhisthra replied that my father had
two wives, queen Kunti, and queen Madri. For me there is no difference between
the twos. I am as son of mother Kunti is living; I wish life of one son of
mother Madri should be restored, (as you offer, life of one brother). Then
Yaksha asked if I had offer you two lives, then? To which Yudhisthra replied
then I would asked Shedava, along with Nakul. Yaksha asked reason for that.
Yudhisthra replied that, one he is younger than Bhima and Arjuna and second he
is son of mother Madri. Dharma suggests me to do that. Yaksha was very pleased
with Yudhisthra’s beholding Dharma even at this difficult time for him.
Yudhishthira
passed the final test. Pleased by the answers of Yudhisthira, the Yaksha (God
father of Yudhisthira and the embodiment of religiosity) appeared in real form
to Yudhisthra and said: “I am
Dharma, your God Father, dear son Yudhistrha, …
let lives of all your brothers restored.”
The
Lord Dharma blessed the Pandavas and disappeared.
Note: I have kept very
summarized (simple), the background/ending of this Highly Philosophical session
of Question/Answers between Lord Dharma and Dharmraj Yudhisthra. Any one, who
is more interested to read further, the background and ending of this Prashnas
(Questions), refer to Arnya Parva (Book of Forest) of The Mahabharata. Also I have
skipped few questions here.