Week 13 Story: King Yudhishthira Interview

This is just a small excerpt of the only exclusive interview with King Yudhishthira after the Mahabharata War. If you would like to get access to the full version please subscribe to our reading. Thank you. 

Interviewer: King Yudhishthira it is said that you grew exponentially as a person while going through different tests during your twelve-year exile. Which test do you think you learned the most from?

King Yudhishthira: There were many tests during our exile, but I think the one that helped me see that I was capable of becoming king after my gambling blunder was when I was tested by the Yaksha, Prashna. As you know, Yaksha have the ability to shapeshift into any creature they want. But unless they make themselves known to you, you would have no idea that you are in the presence of a Yaksha.

Interviewer: Thank you for explaining that to our readers, I know I am never clear on the different non-human races. What exactly is the job of a Yaksha?

King Yudhishthira: There job is to protect nature, like the trees, rivers, and lakes. And it just so happened that Prashna had shapeshifted into a crane to safeguard a sacred lake.

Interviewer: And how did you and your brothers stumble upon this sacred lake?

King Yudhishthira: Well, a huge deer had stolen items a brahmin was using for his prayers. I knew it was our duty to help the brahmin, so my brother and I set out to get the brahmins items back. We chased after the deer all over the forest but were never able to catch him. We grew tired and dehydrated. So, one by one, we set out to find water to drink and then planned on returning to let the others know where the water was located. Slowly each of my brothers went off in search of water when one had taken too long and still had not returned. I was the last of my brothers to find the lake, and when I did, I was stunned by the scene. All of my brother lied dead on the banks of the lake.

Interviewer: Did you try and look for someone who might have hurt them or did you come to the conclusion that it was a Yaksha?

King Yudhishthira: I do have to say at first, I thought someone had slain my brother. But after getting over the shock of the situation, I calmed myself down and viewed my surroundings. After looking around I noticed there was no blood or footprints that went away from my brothers’ bodies, then I saw the crane Prashna and asked him if he knew what happened to my brothers.

Interviewer: I am astounded you were able to take a step back from that situation with the bodies of your brothers all laying in front of you, to gather a calm head and assess the situation.

King Yudhishthira: At this moment that is when I learned that as a leader, you must be calm and collected if you want to help others. By stopping myself and assessing the situation, I was able to find that the lake was cursed and if I answered a hundred question, I would be able to drink from the lake and save my brothers. This was an important moment for me when I learned about patients and how best to help others.

Interviewer: That is a valuable lesson and a great attribute in our King. Thank you for telling me that story, our readers can hopefully learn from it and see why you make such a great leader.

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Author's Notes:  This story came from a combination of two separate books but all of the facts are true. I wanted to keep the tale the same but explain it together as a whole story from Yudhishthira point of view. The information about the Yaksha was found in the book 51 Lesser Known Tales from The Mahabharata by Sharath Komarraju, specifically from the tale, The Yaksha Prashna. The tale goes into more detail about what happened when Yudhishthira arrived at the lake in the story The Mahabharata. It also talks about  how this particular tale is important for Yudhishthira character and how this test helps him become a wiser man and the future king. The information that leads up to the brothers looking for the lake was found in the book The Mahabharata by R.K. Narayan. I hope you have enjoyed my story and would love to hear feedback!

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Image: Yudhishthira and the Yaksha, Prashna. Source: Wikipedia by Ramanarayandatta