The Yaksha's Questions

During their years of exile, the Pandavas lived in a forest. One day a worried Brahmin came to them and said, "My arani, the sticks I use to light the sacred fire, got caught in a deer's antlers, and the deer ran off with them. How will I do my yagya without them?"

The five brothers ran after the deer, but it vanished somewhere in the forest. They were all very tired and terribly thirsty. Yudhishthir said to Nakul, "Climb a tree and see if there is water anywhere." Nakul heard cranes calling nearby, which meant there was water.

Nakul came to a clear lake. Just as he bent down to drink, a voice said, "Stop! This lake is mine. First answer my questions, then drink." But Nakul was very thirsty. He did not listen and drank the water. At once he fell down and lay still, as if in a deep sleep.

When Nakul did not come back, Sahadev went, then Arjun, then Bhim. Each one ignored the voice, drank the water and fell down right there.

At last Yudhishthir went himself. Seeing his brothers lying there, he felt very sad. Then the same voice spoke again. It was the voice of a Yaksha. Yudhishthir said respectfully, "I will not take what is yours without asking. Please ask your questions, and I will answer as well as I can."

The Yaksha asked many questions. Here are some of them.
"What is weightier than the earth?" Yudhishthir said, "Mother."
"Who is higher than the sky?" "Father."
"What is faster than the wind?" "The mind."
"What is more in number than blades of grass?" "The thoughts in our mind."
"By giving up what does a person become loved by all?" "Pride."
"By giving up what does one have no regrets?" "Anger."
"By giving up what does a person become happy?" "Greed."

The Yaksha was very pleased. He said, "King, I will wake one of your brothers. Tell me, whom do you choose?" Yudhishthir said, "Nakul." The Yaksha was surprised. "Why not strong Bhim or brave Arjun?" Yudhishthir said, "My father had two queens, Kunti and Madri. One son of Mother Kunti, me, is standing here. So one son of Mother Madri should be here too. That is fair. To me, both mothers are equal."

The Yaksha's heart was moved. He said, "You have put dharma above everything. Let all four of your brothers rise." At that very moment, all four brothers sat up, as if waking from a sweet sleep.

Then the Yaksha showed his true form. He was Dharmaraj, Yudhishthir's father. It was he who had taken the arani as a deer, to test Yudhishthir. He gave back the arani, and the Pandavas returned it to the Brahmin.