Yuddhishtara and the Crane: Essence of Dharma in the Mahabharata original Yuddhishtara and the Crane: Essence of Dharma

in the Mahabharata In the great story of the Mahabharata war, the five Pandava brothers, during their exile in the forest, went through many adventures, some of which are highly symbolic and instructive !ne such incident occurred towards the end of their stay in the forests It so ha""ened that the Pandavas, tired by their constant wanderings, sat down on the ground and one of them went in search of water #hen he did not return even after a long interval, another of the brothers went after him $e too did not return %he others followed one by one till finally only Yuddhishtara, the eldest of the five remained #orried, he also went their way till he came to a la&e %here he saw his brothers lying lifeless on the ground 's he lamented his loss, he heard a voice from the s&y: (! Yuddhishtara, I warned your brothers not to drin& water from this la&e which belongs to me, but they did not res"ect my words $ence, I have sent them all to the other world If you too try to ta&e water without first answering the )uestions I as&, you will have the same fate ( Yuddhishtara loo&ed u" and saw a crane "erched ato" a tree* he then re"lied: (I do not want to touch what belongs to you +rieved as I am by my brothers, fate, I will try my best to satisfy you with my answers ( %he divine bird then started to as& its )uestions: -uestion: #ho ma&es the sun rise. #ho travels on all sides of the sun. #hat ma&es the sun set. #here is the sun established. Yuddhishtara,s 'nswer: It is the /edas which ma&e the sun rise It is the gods who travel with the sun %he sun sets because of Dharma, and it is established in truth 0ila&antha, the most ancient and authoritative commentator on the Mahabharata has clarified the meaning of this verse 'ccording to him, it is through the /edas that we reali1e that there is a soul beyond our "hysical body %his is the 2arising, of &nowledge %he gods who travel with the sun are the various )ualities li&e control of senses, mind etc which we have to cultivate on the "ath of &nowledge %he setting of the sun symboli1es the end of "hysical &nowledge, achieved by the "ractice of our Dharma 3inally we are situated in the %rue &nowledge of the !ne 4u"reme 5eality %he bird as&ed the next -uestion: $ow does a man become the &nower of the #ord. $ow does he become great. $ow does he become another "erson. 'nd how does he become wise. 'nswer: ' man becomes a &nower of the #ord by learning the /edas from an accom"lished teacher $e becomes great through austerity 6ta"as7 ' man becomes another when his mind firmly decides to remain fixed in +od $e gains this wisdom only by serving his +uru and other elders -uestion: #hat is the true mar& of godliness in a 8rahmin. #hat is their "ositive )uality. #hat constitutes a negative )uality in a 8rahmin.

Yuddhishtara,s 'nswer: %he mar& of godliness in a 8rahmin is the study of /edas %heir es"ecial )uality is austerity 6ta"as7 %he trait which is es"ecially harmful for a 8rahmin is gossi" and criticism -: #hat is godliness in a warrior 69shatriya7. #hat constitutes virtue in them. #hich is the negative trait es"ecially harmful to them. ': %he art of warfare is the godliness of 9shatriyas %heir virtue is "erformance of /edic sacrifices and the trait most harmful to them is to abandon those who have ta&en refuge under them -: #hat is the best for those who are rich and re"utable. ': %hey should utili1e a "ortion of their wealth for the service of cows 6because they give us the necessary materials li&e mil&, ghee etc for the "erformance of /edic sacrifices7 -: #ho is the "erson, who, though intelligent and res"ected by the world, is li&e a dead "erson even though he breathes. ': %he man who does not serve the gods, guests, family members de"endent u"on him, ancestors and his own self 6atman7, such a "erson, even though he breathes, is effectively lifeless only -: #hat is heavier than the earth. #ho is higher than the s&y. #hat travels even faster than the wind. #hat outnumbers even the number of twigs of grass in this world. ': %he mother,s glory excels the earth,s weight %he father sur"asses the s&y %he mind travels faster than even the wind and one,s worries are more in number than all the twigs of grass in this world -: #ho is the friend of a traveller away from home. #ho is one,s friend at home. #ho is the friend of an ill "erson. #ho is the friend of a dying man. ': ' traveller,s com"anion is his co:traveller, travelling for the same "ur"ose as him 't home, wife is the man,s best friend 'n ill "erson,s best friend is the doctor %he best friend of a dying man is Dana 6charity7 -: #ho is to be treated li&e a guest 6'tithi7 by everyone. #hich is the eternal Dharma. #hat is 'mrita. #hat is this whole world. ': 'gni 6fire7 is 'tithi for everybody Cow,s mil& is amrita %he daily acts 60itya 9arma7 as "ro"ounded by the /edas constitute the eternal Dharma and this whole world is nothing but /ayu 6wind7 3ire here is ex"ounded as an 'tithi for everyone since offerings have to be offered to 'gni, much as we have to ma&e offerings to a guest who comes to our house ' cow,s mil& is li&e nectar not only because of its nutritional )ualities, but also because it offers us the raw material from which we can ma&e items necessary for "erforming /edic sacrifices, li&e curd, ghee etc %he "erformance of these sacrifices, without desire for their fruits 60ish&ama 9arma7 leads ultimately to ;nana, which ma&es one immortal 6i e one is never born and never dies7 Describing the whole world as /ayu has a slightly abstract ex"lanation It signifies that both our outside and inside is common < both have /ayu %his is =ust the first ste", leading ultimately to the reali1ation of the com"lete unity which /edanta brings to our ex"erience

-: #hat is the main "lace where Dharma resides. #here does fame reside. $ow is heaven achieved. $ow can one achieve ha""iness. ': %he main "lace of Dharma is efficiency 6Da&shta7 of 9arma 3ame resides in charity, heaven is achieved by s"ea&ing truth and ha""iness is gained by maintaining a high standard of moral behaviour 64hila7 -: #ho is a man,s 'tman. #ho is his friend given by the gods. #hat is his life su""ort and what is his ultimate refuge. ': ' man,s 'tman is his son $is wife is the friend given to him by the gods %he clouds are his life,s su""ort and Dana 6charity7 is his ultimate refuge -: #hat is the ultimate wealth. #hat is the ultimate gain. #hich is the highest 4u&ha 6ha""iness7. ': 9nowledge of the scri"tures is the ultimate wealth %he highest gain is that of health Contentment is the highest ha""iness -: #hich is the highest Dharma. #hich is the Dharma which definitely leads to fruits. 8y &ee"ing what under control does man never face grief. #ith whom does one,s friendshi" last forever. ': Com"assion 6Daya7 is the highest Dharma %he Dharma "rescribed in the /edas is the one which definitely bears fruits #e never face grief by &ee"ing our mind under control %he friendshi" with 4adhus 6godly "ersons7 is never destroyed -: 8y giving u" what does a man become dear to all. 8y giving u" what does a man become wealthy. 8y giving u" what does a man not have to feel sorry. 8y renouncing what does a man gain ha""iness. ': ' man becomes dear to all when he gives u" "ride $e becomes wealthy by giving u" desire $e does not feel sorry if he gives u" anger 69rodha7 ' man becomes ha""y by giving u" greed -: #hy do we give to 8rahmins. #hy do we give to dancers and "erformers. #hy do we give to servants and why do we give to the government 6&ing7. ': 8rahmins are given because it is Dharma Dancers etc are given for 6our7 fame, servants to sustain them and to the &ing we give out of fear 6in the form of taxes7 -: #hy does a man give u" his friends. #hy is he not able to go to 4warga 6heaven7. ': ' man gives u" his friends because of greed $e is unable to reach heaven because of his attachment 6to this world7 -: #hich man, even though alive, is e)uivalent to being dead. $ow does a country die. #hat is the death of a 4hraddha 6ceremony for ancestors7. #hat is death of a /edic sacrifice. ': ' "oor man is as good as dead 6meaning "overty is li&e death itself7 ' &ingdom dies without a government ' 4hraddha ceremony is as good as dead without a 8rahmin who &nows the /edas* and a sacrifice is dead without Da&shina -: #hich is the direction. #hat is food. #hat is "oison. #hat is the correct time for the 4hraddha ceremony.

': Direction is that which is shown by saints 3ood is but Mother Earth 's&ing others for something is "oison %he correct time of 4hraddha is that when a suitable 8rahmin is available -: #hat constitutes %a"as. #hat is shame. ': 4taying steadfast in one,s own Dharma 6even in adverse circumstances7 is %a"as 4hame is restraining from unworthy acts -: #hat is &nowledge. #hat is "eace. #hat constitutes true com"assion. #hat is sim"licity. ': %rue &nowledge is that which ma&es us ex"erience oneness with the divine Peace is the silence of the flow of memory #ishing ha""iness for everyone is true com"assion 4im"licity is e)uanimity of the mind -: #ho is the enemy difficult to con)uer. #hich is an endless enemy. #ho is a 4adhu. #ho is not a 4adhu. ': 'nger is the enemy difficult to con)uer +reed is the endless foe ' 4adhu is one who wishes the well:being of all %he ruthless and merciless "erson is the o""osite of 4adhu -: #hat is steadfastness. #hat is courage. #hich is the ultimate bath. #hat is the ultimate charity. ': 4taying resolute in one,s own Dharma is true steadfastness Control of senses is the true act of courage #ashing the mind clean of all im"urities is the ultimate bath Protecting all beings is true charity -: Dharma, 'rtha and 9ama are o""osed to each other $ow can they co:exist. ': #hen one,s wife and Dharma are in agreement then the three can co:exist effortlessly -: #ho goes to everlasting hell. ': $e who first calls a 8rahmin to his house and then sends him bac& em"ty handed saying he has nothing to give* $e who im"utes falsehood to the /edas, Dharmasastra, 8rahmins, gods and the 4hraddha ceremony* $e who though has enough wealth doesn,t donate nor en=oy it himself saying he doesn,t have money < all these go to everlasting hell -: #ho is ha""y. ': %he "erson, who even though may be eating food only two or three times a wee&, but does not have debt on his head, or lives in his native land : he is the one who is ha""y -: #hat is the greatest wonder in this world. ': Countless beings die every day Yet those who remain thin& of themselves as immortal %his is the biggest wonder in the world -: #hich is the way. ': $uman reasoning is limited and inconstant %he scri"tures s"ea& in different voices %he essence of Dharma is too difficult to understand $ence, the true and only way is the one which has been tread by noble souls in the "ast -: #hat is the news.

': %his is the constant news: %he ignorant world is the "an in which %ime the coo& is constantly tossing all beings, using the months and seasons as ladle, the sun as fire and the day and night as fuel 0eedless to say, the divine bird was extremely satisfied by the answers of Yuddhishtara $e as&ed Yuddhishtara to select any one of his four brothers, whose life he wanted restored Yuddhishtara then selected his half:brother 0a&ula to be revived %he "er"lexed bird as&ed Yuddhishtara why he did not as& for any of his real brothers to be revived %o this Yuddhishtara, the very embodiment of Dharma, re"lied: (My father had two wives My wish is that both of them should have a son remaining 3or me there is no difference between my two mothers I have same feelings for both of them %hat is why I chose 0a&ula ( $earing these words the bird cried out in =oy: (! Yuddhishtara, you have the greatest com"assion and e)uanimity You have "leased me no end with your conduct $ence I grant that may all your brothers be revived ( Conclusion: %hus did end this story on a ha""y note, but not before giving us an ins"iring loo& into the inner nuances of the wor&ing of Dharma Yuddhishtara is a fine exam"le to bring through the message, since not only did he understand the essence of Dharma, but also "racticed it %he story of Ya&sha and Yuddhishtara occurs in the Mahabharata 6/ana Parva, Cha"ters >?@:>?A7 %he details are based on the ancient commentary on the Mahabharata by Pandit 0ila&antha %his article by 0itin 9umar 5eferences B 3urther 5eading: