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यक्ष प्रश्न (यक्ष – युधिष्ठिर संवाद)
महाभारत के वन पर्व में यक्ष – युधिष्ठिर संवाद एक अत्यंत महत्वपूर्ण प्रसंग है। इस संवाद को “यक्ष प्रश्न” के नाम से जाना जाता है, जो आज भी जीवन के गूढ़ रहस्यों को समझने के लिए प्रेरणादायक माना जाता है। जब पांडव वनवास के दौरान प्यास से व्याकुल थे, तब एक जलाशय पर यक्ष ने उनकी परीक्षा ली। यहाँ यक्ष द्वारा पूछे गए कुछ प्रमुख प्रश्न और युधिष्ठिर द्वारा दिए गए उत्तर प्रस्तुत हैं:
प्रश्न 1: सूर्य को कौन उदित करता है?
उत्तर: सूर्य को ब्रह्म उदित करते हैं।
प्रश्न 2: मनुष्य ज्ञानी (विद्वान) कैसे बनता है?
उत्तर: वेदों के अध्ययन से।
प्रश्न 3: पृथ्वी से भारी क्या है?
उत्तर: माता, जो संतान को गर्भ में धारण करती है।
प्रश्न 4: आकाश से ऊँचा कौन है?
उत्तर: पिता का स्थान आकाश से भी ऊँचा है।
प्रश्न 5: वायु से भी तेज चलने वाला कौन है?
उत्तर: मन, जो वायु से भी अधिक तीव्र गति वाला है।
प्रश्न 6: किससे भी अधिक दुख देने वाली वस्तु क्या है?
उत्तर: चिंता, जो मनुष्य को भीतर से दुखी कर देती है।
प्रश्न 7: विदेश जाने वाले का मित्र कौन है?
उत्तर: विद्या (ज्ञान), जो विदेश में सबसे बड़ा मित्र है।
प्रश्न 8: सुख क्या है?
उत्तर: जो शील और सत्य पर आधारित हो, वही सच्चा सुख है।
प्रश्न 9: सबसे बड़ा आश्चर्य क्या है?
उत्तर: हर दिन मनुष्य मृत्यु को प्राप्त होते हैं, फिर भी जो जीवित हैं, वे अमर रहने की इच्छा रखते हैं—यही सबसे बड़ा आश्चर्य है।
प्रश्न 10: धर्म का मार्ग क्या है?
उत्तर: जिस मार्ग पर महापुरुष (श्रेष्ठ व्यक्ति) चलते हैं, वही वास्तविक मार्ग है।
यक्ष युधिष्ठिर के उत्तरों से अत्यंत संतुष्ट हुए। युधिष्ठिर की धैर्य, बुद्धि और न्यायप्रियता को देखकर यक्ष (जो वास्तव में धर्मराज थे) ने न केवल उनके भाइयों को जीवित कर दिया, बल्कि उन्हें आशीर्वाद भी प्रदान किया।
Yaksha Prashna: Lord Dharma Questions & Yudhisthira’s Answers
The Yaksha Prashna story for kids is a famous story from the Mahabharata. It tells how Yudhishthira answered the Yaksha’s questions with great wisdom and patience. This meaningful story teaches important life lessons about truth, responsibility, and wise decision-making.
Quick Information: In the Hindu epic Mahabharata, there is a question-and-answer dialogue between Yudhishthira and a Yaksha that is described as the Yaksha Prashna. It appears in the Madhya Parva of the Mahabharata.
The twelve years of Pandavas’ exile were nearing their end. One day, while resting beneath a tree, they felt an intense thirst. Yudhisthira instructed Nakula, “Brother, climb that tree and check if there’s a pool or river nearby.”
From atop the tree, Nakula spotted water plants and cranes a short distance away. Hoping to find water, he decided to fetch some for his brothers to drink.
Gladly, Nakula discovered a pool. Feeling thirsty himself, he thought to quench his own thirst before retrieving water for his brothers. However, as soon as he dipped his hand into the water, he heard a voice:
“Do not be hasty. This pool is mine. O son of Madri, answer my question before drinking.” Ignoring the warning, Nakula drank from the water and immediately collapsed, seemingly lifeless.
Concerned by Nakula’s prolonged absence, Yudhisthira sent Sahadeva to find him. Sahadeva arrived at the pool and found his brother unconscious on the ground. Despite hearing the mysterious voice and its warning, he too drank from the water and fell unconscious.
Puzzled and anxious, Yudhisthira then sent Arjuna to investigate. Shocked by the sight, Arjuna was filled with grief and a desire for revenge. Despite shooting arrows in the direction of the voice, he too succumbed after drinking from the pool.
When Arjuna failed to return, Yudhisthira sent Bhima, consumed by grief and rage, to find his brothers. Determined to confront the Yakshas responsible, Bhima also drank from the water despite the warning and met the same fate as his brothers.
Desperate, Yudhisthira set out to search for his brothers himself. Upon finding them all dead, he wondered who could have been powerful enough to kill them. He suspected foul play by Duryodhana, who might have poisoned the water.
As he descended into the pool, Yudhisthira heard the voice again. Realizing it was the work of a bodiless Yaksha, he answered the Yaksha’s questions:
“What rescues a man in danger?”
“Courage,” Yudhisthira replied.
“By which science does man become wise?”
“In the company of the wise,” he answered.
“What sustains more nobly than the earth?”
“The mother who raises her children.”
“What is swifter than wind?”
“The mind.”
“Who accompanies a man after death?”
“Dharma.”
“What is happiness?”
“The result of good conduct.”
“Who is rich?”
“One who controls desires.”
“What makes one a true Brahmin?”
“Good conduct alone, not birth or learning.”
“What is the greatest wonder in the world?”
“Men witness creatures departing to Yama’s abode daily, yet those who remain seek to live forever. This is the greatest wonder.”
The Yaksha asked Yudhisthira a series of philosophical questions, testing his wisdom and understanding of righteousness. Yudhisthira answered each question thoughtfully and wisely.
Impressed by Yudhisthira’s answers, the Yaksha offered to revive one of his brothers. Yudhisthira chose Nakula, explaining that he wanted to ensure both his mothers, Kunti and Madri, had one son alive each. The Yaksha, who was actually Yama, the Lord of Death, was satisfied with Yudhisthira’s response.
Yama then revived all the Pandavas, revealing that he had been testing Yudhisthira’s wisdom and commitment to justice. With their lives restored, the Pandavas continued their journey, wiser and more united than ever before.
