THIRTY-FIVE
It was the last month of their exile in the jungle. The Pandavas were back in the asrama at Dwaitavana. One clear morning, a distraught old brahmana arrived there. Breathless from having run through the forest, he cried to Yudhishtira, "Help me, O king! You must help me or my puja will be ruined."
"What happened, Muni, to disturb your puja?"
"I had hung the arani sticks I use to kindle my sacred fire on the branch of a tree in my asrama. I went into my hut to fetch some ghee for the fire, when I saw a stag run under the tree. The string of the aranis got entangled in the stag's antlers. They were the same aranis my father and grandfather used and I cannot perform my puja without them. Kshatriyas, you must find the stag and retrieve my kindling-sticks!"
He was so upset he sat down and cried. Yudhishtira and his brothers set out at once in the direction the brahmana pointed, where the stag had gone. Their eyes peeled and their bows in their hands, the Pandavas ran through the familiar jungle. Scraping their bodies against trees, scratching themselves against thorn-bushes until they bled, they combed the forest. They saw no sign of the stag.
After two hours, they came to a part of the jungle they did not know and they were exhausted. Panting, they flung themselves down at the foot of a fine pipal tree. They were as distraught as the brahmana; for it is a kshatriya's inviolable dharma to help anyone who comes to him in need, specially, a rishi.
Nakula said in despair, "Yudhishtira, why are we cursed like this?"
Parched with thirst, Yudhishtira replied, "My child, in times of misfortune, troubles never come singly. It is to be a trial that they come and we hardly know why: whether for any fault of ours or not. All we can do is bear them resolutely. Those that are enlightened say that whatever we experience in this life, good and bad, are the fruit of our own karma of the past, of our punya and paapa."
Bheema was quick to seize his chance. "Suffering is always punishment for past sins. And I know what my sin is: I should have never left Dusasana and Duryodhana alive after what they did to Draupadi!"
Arjuna agreed quietly, "You are right, Bheema. I should have never spared Karna after what he said to her that day. But I let him live and I am paying for my sin."
The mood infected Sahadeva; he cried, "I longed to kill Shakuni, but I stayed my hand. That is why we are suffering like this. Now we shall have the brahmana's curse as well."
Yudhishtira smiled at them. "This is no time to reproach ourselves. Thirst churns our minds; we must find some water. Nakula, my brother, climb this tree and see if there is any water nearby."
Nakula already regretted his innocent query. He shinned up the tall pipal, to its crown. The view of the forest was spectacular, a thousand virescent shades of green and, away to the left, he saw the blue sparkle of water.
He called down, "I see a lake through the trees, not far from here."
Yudhishtira said, "I am too tired to go another step. Come down, Nakula and fetch us some water in these quivers."
As Nakula ran through the forest with the quivers strapped to his back, he had the eerie feeling of entering a charmed zone of the jungle. The trees were all unfamiliar and the birds in them sang songs he had never heard. But he pressed on and arrived at the water he had seen from the treetop. It was indeed a calm, blue lake, so inviting that he rushed to it and knelt to quench his searing thirst.
As he raised the cool water in cupped palms, a voice spoke in that place like a crack of thunder. "You may not drink the water from my lake until you have answered my riddles!"
Startled, Nakula looked around; but he saw no one. He bent his face and drank thirstily. Hardly had the sweet, fresh water passed his lips, when the Pandava keeled over, his face turning blue. He fell into a deep swoon, like death.
Meanwhile, back under the pipal tree, the others waited impatiently for Nakula. When there was no sign of him for an hour, Yudhishtira said to Sahadeva, "The lake was not so far that he should be this long. Go and see what has happened to him."
Sahadeva arrived at the lake and saw Nakula lying dead.
Sahadeva cried, "You have died of thirst, my brother! I had better drink quickly."
He knelt beside the water and made to fill his cupped hands. Again, the voice spoke crisply out of the very air. "You may not drink from my lake until you have answered my riddles!"
But Sahadeva thought it was a hallucination of his thirst. He drank a mouthful of water and he also fell in the deathlike swoon beside Nakula. Another half-hour went by, then Arjuna said, "I fear they are in some trouble. Shall I go and find them?"
Yudhishtira nodded. By now, the breath rasped in their fevered bodies. Arjuna arrived at the lake. He saw his brothers lay dead, their skin turning blue.
"Ah, who has murdered you, my little brothers? I won't spare them!" cried Arjuna.
So parched was his throat, only a hollow whisper came from him. Realizing he would be easy prey for whoever had killed Nakula and Sahadeva, Arjuna knelt at the edge of the lake, cupped his palms and scooped up some water. Again, the mysterious voice spoke, "Kshatriya! Answer the riddles I have for you before you drink. Or you will also die."
Arjuna whirled around and, in a blur, shot twenty arrows where he thought the voice spoke. A soft laugh mocked him. "You will kill innocent jungle creatures, Kshatriya and you will sin. Answer my riddles and drink freely from my lake."
Arjuna thought this was some playful woodland spirit and he could not bear his thirst any more. Ignoring the voice, he knelt and drank a deep draught of the cool water. Arjuna also keeled over, as if dead.
In a while, Bheema followed Arjuna to the lake. When he saw his brothers, he thought this was the work of some forest yakshas, such as live in trees, have holes in their backs and whose feet point behind them.
"Aaaahh!" roared Bheema weakly. "The yakshas will die for this. But first let me drink, or they may kill me too."
Again, the voice spoke, "Don't drink the water from my lake, until you have answered my riddles. Or you die."
Bheema cried hoarsely, "I will drink. And then, you will die for what you have done to my brothers!"
He knelt, drank and fell beside the others.
Yudhishtira waited another half-hour. By now, he was so weak and thirsty he was certain he could never reach the lake. But when Bheema also did not return, he rose with an effort and stumbled through the trees after his brothers. He had no idea how far the water was and, often almost falling, he staggered along with thirst savaging him.
The world was misting over before Yudhishtira's eyes, when he arrived at the lake and saw his brothers lying dead. Yudhishtira was too weak to cry out. He tottered forward and collapsed on to his knees beside Bheema.
"Who has done this to my invincible brothers?" whispered Yudhishtira incredulously. "But no blood or struggle marks the place. They haven't fought, yet they lie dead."
He passed his hands over their faces. "There has been treachery here and Duryodhana's dearest wish has come true without a blow being struck in war. Has he done this thing? But by what sorcery? What will I tell Panchali? And Kunti? And to die now, when our exile is almost over."
He took Bheema's cold hand and cried, "Bheema, forgive me! I should have listened to you. We should have marched on Hastinapura years ago. How could I have been so blind? I caused you all so much grief and now I have caused your deaths. Oh, my sweet brothers! You may forgive me for this, the Devas and Pitrs may forgive me; but I will never forgive myself."
Then, he had another thought. "My brothers lie dead before me, their lives' purposes, all their talents betrayed, the reason for their noble births unfulfilled. Yet, I cannot shed a tear. My mind is bewildered, but my heart is strangely calm…as if nothing has happened. As if they are not dead!"
A pang of thirst convulsed him. He looked at his brothers and wondered if the water was poisoned. But they lay serene, no sign of pain twisted their features. Yudhishtira approached the lake to drink.
The voice spoke again, "The lake is mine. He that drinks from it without answering my riddles dies. I caused your brothers' deaths. If you drink my water, you will die as well."
Yudhishtira rose away from the lake. Folding his hands, the Pandava said, "Who are you, great one, who could kill my brothers?"
The voice laughed softly, making Yudhishtira's skin crawl. It said, "I am a crane and the lake is mine."
Yudhishtira said hoarsely, "What crane are you, that killed my mighty brothers with no injury upon them?"
The velvet laugh again, "I am no crane, Kshatriya."
"Who are you then, O Spirit? Are you the lord of the maruts? Are you a rudra, or an airy vasu? Who are you, that slew my brothers, whom not the Devas or gandharvas, not the Asuras or rakshasas could harm?"
"If you must know, Yudhishtira, I am a yaksha."
"You know my name!"
"There are many things I know, son of Pandu. But our concern is not what I know, but if you can answer my riddles."
Despite his dead brothers, despite his wild thirst, Yudhishtira's curiosity was aroused. "I would see you, great one, if you would honor me with that vision."
Another low laugh, then, a dark mist rose above the water. Within it, Yudhishtira saw a spirit-form stretched right across the lake, huge jewels on its fingers and upon its monstrous breast and its ghastly, ten-eyed face in the very sky, big as a moon. Yudhishtira was not sure whether that twilight being was male or female; he fancied it might have been both. The vision lasted but a moment and the mist faded. Yudhishtira folded his hands to the yaksha, who was invisible again.
The Pandava said, "I am honored that you let me see you, magnificent one."
The yaksha seemed pleased with Yudhishtira. It spoke to him reasonably, in its clear androgynous voice. "When they knelt at the water, I told each of your brothers they must answer my riddles before they drank. But they would not listen to me, even when they saw the others lying dead. To you also I say, you may not drink unless you answer my riddles first."
Yudhishtira bowed to the yaksha. He said, "Awesome one, you say the lake belongs to you. How can I drink its fragrant water without your leave? But I am thirsty and I would be grateful if you ask me whatever riddles you have quickly."