In the previous episode, we had witnessed Yudishtra and the Paandava brothers moving on with their final phase of “Vana-Vaasam”. They are now in their final year of the time period and the next year should be the “Agnyaata-Vasam” wherein they’ve to live in disguise without being spotted by anyone. As they move from one place to the other amidst the dense forest, we’ve witnessed how a Brahmana Rishi comes running for help from Yudishtra to reclaim his wooden piece for performing his “Agnihotra Karma”, and how Sahadeva, Nakula, Arjuna and Bheemasena fall prey to a poisonous lake while they search for the deer which has that wooden log. As the four Paandava brothers go chasing the deer, they start feeling thirsty and when they try to consume the water that is in a nearby lake, all of them fall unconscious one after the other. As Yudishtra is waiting for all of them to return, he gets tensed as none of them came back! Finally, Yudishtra himself makes his way to catch the deer and help the Brahmana Rishi – Only to find all his four brothers unconscious on the ground near that fateful lake! As Yudishtra sees this, he is stunned beyond words! What had happened to his brothers? He looks around cluelessly!
We should understand here that this lake belongs to a “Yaksha” and whoever wants to consume water from this lake, he / she should obtain due permission from the “Yaksha” before they do. However, Sahadeva and the others did not know this. They consumed the water from that lake without obtaining the “Yaksha”’s permission, and as a result, all of them fell unconscious and had to bear the brunt. Initially, Yaksha has stopped Sahadeva and the others before they consume the water. Yaksha had warned them earlier that they had to obtain his permission. Moreover, Yaksha wanted Sahadeva and the others to answer a few questions that he wanted to ask. However, the Paandava brothers did not bother to listen to Yaksha and instead, abused him. The Paandava brothers thought who is Yaksha to question them. Finally when they tried consuming the water from the lake without his permission, one after the other fell unconscious!
Finally as Yudishtra arrives at the scene, he sees all his four brothers lying unconscious, but there are no injuries or wounds on their bodies. They seemed to be perfectly fine, but are lying unconscious. Yudishtra, upon seeing their condition concludes that there had been no war or fight of any sorts, yet, how did they fall unconscious like this? Perhaps did any celestial beings or some other extra-terrestrial beings attack them? As Yudishtra looks around thinking thus, he hears a voice from nowhere, trying to talk to him! As Yudishtra looks anxiously, there is a beautiful swan amidst the waters of the lake, which is talking to Yudishtra. The “Yaksha” has come in the form of a swan in front of Yudishtra and starts an important conversation with him. The swan explains to Yudishtra how his four brothers landed up in such a state of affairs. The swan introduces itself to be a “Yaksha” and explains that Sahadeva and the others wanted to drink water from the lake, which belonged to him. Even though Yaksha warned them, they did not listen to him and hence they landed up in this state! Hence, Yaksha requests atleast Yudishtra to pay heed to his words and answer a few questions from his side!
So for today, let us understand up to this point and in the next episode, we are about to commence a very important accord called the “Yaksha-Prashnam”, wherein Yudishtra is going to give important answers to some important questions! Stay tuned for an interesting accord! 🙂
The Indian Dharma 