THE MYSTERY LAKE PERFECT QUESTIONS, ANSWERS PERFECT
THE MYSTERY LAKE PERFECT QUESTIONS, ANSWERS PERFECT
There was once five noble princes known as the Pándavas, the sons of King Pandu. One day, while they were walking in the forest, a brāhmana approached them asking for help. Addressing the eldest of them in a pleading tone, he said, “Mahārāja Yudhisthira, I need your help. The arani branches that I use daily for my fire ceremony have been stolen. A swift deer passed my hut and gathered the branches on its horns and carried them away. Without those branches for my fire, I cannot perform my religious duties. ”
Thus, the ever-merciful Pándavas set out in search of that deer and the branches it had stolen. They immediately saw him in the distance, but the deer, each time they approached him, managed to escape at the last moment. Finally, after hours of persecution, the Pándavas felt exhausted and thirsty and had to find a place in the shade of a tree where they could rest, regain strength and thus continue on their way.
Yudhisthira told his younger brother: “Nakula, we need water. Get on that tall tree and look around to see if you see a nearby lake. " Nakula, despite being very tired, climbed the tree. From above he yelled, “I see a lake. If it's near." Yudhisthira, with a dry mouth, replied: “Good! Please Nakula, could you go over there and fetch water for your brothers? " Nakula approached the lake, and once there, he knelt on the shore and prepared to drink to quench his intense thirst. Suddenly, a voice echoed around the surroundings: “Stop! Don't drink a single drop until you've answered my questions. I am the guardian of this lake. If you don't do what I say, you will die. " Totally exhausted and unable to contain himself, Nakula scooped water into her hands and lowered her head to take a sip. Ignoring the voice, Nakula began to drink from that fresh, sweet water. A moment later, Nakula fell dead without having swallowed a drop from the shore of that mysterious lake.
Meanwhile, the other Pándavas awaited his return. With each passing minute his thirst grew more severe and penetrating. Almost without being able to speak Yudhisthira asked her second youngest brother of hers: "Sahadeva, could you go help Nakula to fetch the water?" Sahadeva practically crawled to the shore of the lake, and seeing her brother lying there she didn't know what to think. Her thirst was intense, and she rushed out of control in an uncontrolled way to cool her throat. Again, her voice spoke her warning not to drink until he had answered her questions. Sahadeva, like her brother Nakula hers, could not contain himself and plunged his face into the water to be satisfied with her. At that moment life left him and he fell on the shore with his brother.
Seeing that neither Sahadeva nor Nakula returned with the water, and that time passed, Yudhisthira worried, he sent another of his brothers, the great warrior Arjuna. After a while, he also sent the strongest of his brothers, Bhima. None of them returned, therefore Yudhisthira found himself alone and worried. Then he started out for the lake. When he reached the shore, he was astonished to see his four brothers lying lifeless in the sand. He wondered: “How can it be? I see no sign of struggle, and my brothers are the best warriors in the world. ”
Falling to the ground on his knees from the anguish of seeing that horrible scene, Yudhisthira thought that he could not go on living without his brothers. They had sacrificed so much to please them on so many occasions, and now they were gone forever. Suddenly he felt a fierce thirst and could not contain himself. Crawling he approached the shore. At that moment, the mysterious voice sounded saying: “Stop! You cannot drink this water until you have answered my questions. Pay attention to what I say, control your senses and do not drink, or you will end up like your brothers. ”
Yudhisthira then stopped and, kneeling in that place, looked up to the sky and replied:“ I will do what you ask me to do the best I can. But first, please reveal yourself to me. I am amazed. How can someone have the power to kill my brothers. Bhima alone had the strength of ten thousand elephants. Not even one of the demigods has the power to destroy them! ”
A gigantic yaksa, a great sorcerer, appeared before Prince Yu-dhisthira. Yudhisthira clasped his hands and bowed before that fearful figure, thus offering him his respect. He said, “Thanks for showing you. Now ask what you want. " The yaksa replied, “Your humility is charming. Here is my first question. What is faster than the wind? " Without a moment's hesitation, the prince replied, "It is the mind, of course." The yaksa rubbed his hands saying, "Very well, but do you know what the most valuable possession is?" Yudhisthira replied, "That too is easy: knowledge." “Aha!” Exclaimed the yaksa, “but What is true knowledge? " "True knowledge is knowledge of the divine," Yudhisthira replied. "That's how it is! Now tell me, "said the Yaksa:" What becomes pleasant only after you have left it? " Pen-sativo, the prince looked first at the sweet and crystalline lake, and then at his brothers lying lifeless: "It can only be pride" "And what is evil?", The Yaksa continued defiantly. "Speak ill of others," Yudhisthira said. "But do you know what charity is?" Asked the yaksa. The prince looked again at his brothers, and crying said: "Charity is giving protection to all living beings." The yaksa smiled at Yudhisthira's thirst. "And what is patience?" Yudhisthira controlled himself by fighting the thirst and intense anguish he felt: "Patience can only be the ability to control the senses." "Yes!" The yaksa rumbled. "But now, my last question: What is the most wonderful thing in this world?" Yudhisthira considered his reply carefully. And so, looking at his brothers, he responded with full faith and confidence: “Day after day, the living entities of the material world enter the gates of death. No one escapes, but those who remain think they will not die. Is there anything more wonderful than this? "
The yaksa smiled saying," I am satisfied by your intelligent responses. You are the wisest person alive and you deserve a blessing. So, I will give life back to one of your brothers. Pick one! " After a pause and deep consideration, Prince Yudhisthira spoke: "I choose Nakula." "Why Nakula?" The yaksa questioned. “Why not Bhima, the strong, or Arjuna, the best archer in the world? Surely they will be more valuable to you to recover your kingdom ”. Yudhisthira explained his choice: “My father had two wives, Kunti and Madri. Bhima, Arjuna and I are children of Kunti. So, for Madri's benefit, he chose Nakula. " With his election the prince ensured the offspring of the two families, despite the great pain caused by the loss of his direct brothers, Bhima and Arjuna.
Happy to hear such humble and compassionate responses, the yaksa, full of compassion, He brought the prince's four brothers back to life and also revealed his true identity: “I am your father, the superintendent of death. My name is Yamaraja, and I am also called Dharma, the one who knows what is right and what is wrong. I wanted to test your wisdom and righteousness. You will never know defeat. ”
Yudhisthira, with great humility, fell to his knees at the feet of his father and wept tears of joy and joy.
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