The Ideal King

IN THE LAST column, we left Yudhishthira near the water. He could see his brothers lying there, dead. He entered the water. As he entered, he heard words from the sky.

The yaksha said, ‘I am a crane that lives on aquatic plants and fish. I have taken your younger brothers to the land of the dead. If you do not answer my questions, you will be the fifth. Do not be foolish enough to do this. I have obtained possession of this earlier. Answer my questions. Then drink and take the water.’

Yudhishthira asked, ‘Are you the foremost among the Rudras, the Vasus or the Maruts? Which god are you? This is not the task of a bird. Who is the greatly energetic one who has felled my brothers? The gods, the gandharvas, the asuras and the rakshasas are incapable of withstanding them in a great battle. You have accomplished something that is extraordinary. I do not know what you are doing. Nor do I know your intentions. I am greatly curious, but I am also overwhelmed by fright. Who are you?’

The yaksha replied, ‘I am a yaksha. I am not an aquatic bird. It is I who killed all your brothers.’

Yudhishthira approached and stood there. He saw the yaksha, with malformed eyes and gigantic in form, as tall as a tala tree. The yaksha said, ‘O king! Your brothers were repeatedly restrained by me. But they tried to drink the water by force and I killed them. Answer my questions. Then drink and take.’ Yudhishthira replied, ‘O yaksha! Ask me. I will answer according to my wisdom.’

The yaksha asked, ‘What makes the sun rise and who are those near him? What makes him set and on what is he established?’

Yudhishthira replied, ‘Brahma makes the sun rise and the gods remain near him. Dharma makes him set and he is established in truth.’

The yaksha asked, ‘How does one become learned? How does one attain greatness? How does one obtain a second? How does one become intelligent?’

Yudhishthira replied, ‘One becomes learned through the sacred texts. One attains greatness through austerities. One obtains a second through perseverance. [It is not obvious what ‘second’ means.] One becomes intelligent by serving the elders.’

The yaksha asked, ‘What is the divine trait of Brahmanas? What dharma of theirs is like that of the virtuous? What are their human traits? Which of their traits are like that of those without virtue?’

Yudhishthira replied, ‘The study of the Vedas is their divine trait. Austerities are like that of the virtuous. Mortality is their human trait. Slander is like the conduct of those without virtue.’

The yaksha asked, ‘What is the divine trait of kshatriyas? What dharma of theirs is like that of the virtuous? What are their human traits? Which of their traits are like that of those without virtue?’

Yudhishthira replied, ‘Arrows and weapons are their divine traits. Sacrifices are like that of the virtuous. Fear is their human trait. Desertion is like the conduct of those without virtue.’

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 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.’

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.’

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 said, ‘The reputation of good deeds touches heaven and earth. As long as that reputation remains, one is said to be a man.’

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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 [Vedas] 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 what is food and what is poison? What is the right time for a funeral ceremony?’

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.’

The yaksha asked, ‘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, ‘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, ‘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. Why do you then wish Nakula, who is your step-brother, to be alive?’

Yudhishthira replied, ‘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.’

The yaksha replied, ‘All of your brothers will be restored to life.’ At these words, the Pandavas stood up. All their hunger and thirst disappeared in an instant. The yaksha was actually Dharma, testing them.

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Bibek Debroy

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