Yaksha Prasnam is a highly celebrated part of the epic Mahabharatham.
During their wanderings in the forest, the elder brother Yudishtira had
asked his youngest brother to fetch some drinking water. Sahadeva went to a
nearby lake and was about to gather some water, when he was confronted by a
Yaksha in the form of a crane who challenges the young prince to answer
some questions and then alone take water. The youngest pandava ignored him
and on touching the water, fell dead. The elder pandavas, Nakula, Arjuna
and Bheemasena approached the lake in that order, and by ignoring the
Yaksha they also met the same fate of the youngest brother. The king
Yudhistira himself came to the lake and saw his younger brothers lying
lifeless with the crane watching. The crane accosted the king with some
questions and the learned king gave the most appropriate answers on Dharma.
The Crane aka Yaksha reveals in the end that he is the God of Death Yama
himself (the father of Yudhistira) and had come to test the depth of
knowledge of the king , blesses him and also revives the four youngsters to
life. . In the prolonged session of queries, the quintessence of lofty
principles of human existence are explained by the good king. The couplets
quoted above form part of this conversation. *
*Yaksha asked:- (1) what is it that covers the entire world? (2) what is it
that keeps the world in darkness? (3) what makes a man abandon all his
friends? and (4) What blocks a man in his journey to the heaven?*
*Yudhistira answers. (1) The entire world is covered to its detriment with
lack of proper knowledge. (2) Tamas, meaning both lack of light and the
ulterior type of emotions, keeps the world in darkness. (3) avarice, that
is, tendency not to share the wealth and good fortune with others makes one
abandon all his friend.(4) Excessive attachment to mundane things prevents
one from elevating himself to heaven.*
*The most prevalent evil in this world is ignorance and half baked
knowledge. Human beings forget their limits under the infulence of these.
Physical darkness may be bearable but the evil hablits or tamogunas one
develops will keep him and the entire world in darkness. Money is the most
efficient destroyer of friendships. And the poor human being loses sight of
lofty goals and achievement but just holding fast to silly things. *
During their wanderings in the forest, the elder brother Yudishtira had
asked his youngest brother to fetch some drinking water. Sahadeva went to a
nearby lake and was about to gather some water, when he was confronted by a
Yaksha in the form of a crane who challenges the young prince to answer
some questions and then alone take water. The youngest pandava ignored him
and on touching the water, fell dead. The elder pandavas, Nakula, Arjuna
and Bheemasena approached the lake in that order, and by ignoring the
Yaksha they also met the same fate of the youngest brother. The king
Yudhistira himself came to the lake and saw his younger brothers lying
lifeless with the crane watching. The crane accosted the king with some
questions and the learned king gave the most appropriate answers on Dharma.
The Crane aka Yaksha reveals in the end that he is the God of Death Yama
himself (the father of Yudhistira) and had come to test the depth of
knowledge of the king , blesses him and also revives the four youngsters to
life. . In the prolonged session of queries, the quintessence of lofty
principles of human existence are explained by the good king. The couplets
quoted above form part of this conversation. *
*Yaksha asked:- (1) what is it that covers the entire world? (2) what is it
that keeps the world in darkness? (3) what makes a man abandon all his
friends? and (4) What blocks a man in his journey to the heaven?*
*Yudhistira answers. (1) The entire world is covered to its detriment with
lack of proper knowledge. (2) Tamas, meaning both lack of light and the
ulterior type of emotions, keeps the world in darkness. (3) avarice, that
is, tendency not to share the wealth and good fortune with others makes one
abandon all his friend.(4) Excessive attachment to mundane things prevents
one from elevating himself to heaven.*
*The most prevalent evil in this world is ignorance and half baked
knowledge. Human beings forget their limits under the infulence of these.
Physical darkness may be bearable but the evil hablits or tamogunas one
develops will keep him and the entire world in darkness. Money is the most
efficient destroyer of friendships. And the poor human being loses sight of
lofty goals and achievement but just holding fast to silly things. *
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