Wise Yudhishthira and the Test of Wisdom

One day, during the Pandavas’ exile in the forest, a Brahmin came to them with an unusual problem. He explained, “I had hung my sacred fire sticks on a tree while performing my rituals, but a stag brushed against them, and they got stuck in its horns. The stag ran away, and now I cannot complete my yajna without them. Please help me retrieve them.”

Moved by his request, the Pandavas set out to find the stag. After a long chase, they finally spotted it, but the elusive animal kept running. Exhausted and thirsty from the pursuit, the Pandavas were desperate for water. Yudhishthira sent his brother Nakula to climb a tree to scout for water nearby. Soon, Nakula found a pool and eagerly went to fetch water. However, as he was about to drink, he heard a mysterious voice warning, “Do not take this water unless you answer my questions.” Ignoring the voice, Nakula drank the water and immediately fell unconscious.

When Nakula did not return, Yudhishthira sent Sahadeva to check on him. Sahadeva, too, found the pool and tried to drink from it, but he ignored the same warning and met the same fate. Arjuna and Bhima also went in search of their brothers, but each fell unconscious after ignoring the warning at the pool.

Finally, Yudhishthira himself came to the pool and was disheartened to see his brothers lying unconscious. As he approached the water, the voice warned him, “Answer my questions before you drink, or you will meet the same fate.”

Yudhishthira, wise and patient, agreed to answer the questions. The voice, which was the Yaksha (a divine being), asked profound questions about life, virtue, duty, and wisdom. Yudhishthira answered each question with insight and humility, satisfying the Yaksha.

Pleased with his wisdom, the Yaksha revealed himself as Yudhishthira’s father, Yama, the god of justice. He granted Yudhishthira a boon, allowing him to choose one brother to be revived. Yudhishthira, showing fairness and love, asked for Nakula’s life, explaining that he wanted one son of each mother, Kunti and Madri, to survive.

Impressed by Yudhishthira’s sense of justice and impartiality, Yama revived all the brothers, blessing Yudhishthira for his wisdom and virtue.

**Moral:** True wisdom lies in patience, humility, and the ability to make fair and selfless choices. Yudhishthira’s actions remind us that knowledge and justice go hand in hand, and that true leadership is rooted in compassion and impartiality.