Yudhishthira the Wise
Indian Epics Stories
Upon entering their period of exile in the mystical woods, the Pandavas and Draupadi quickly began to hunger, for it was difficult to find a reliable source of food. When too faint, Bhima carried the five others on his back until they reached a water source. Weeks went by in this same manner, until one day Yudhishthira happened upon a brahmin. The two quickly began talking as good friends, and the brahmin, noticing some indication of trouble, pressed Yudhisthira into telling him of his sorrows.
The brahmin, understanding the Pandavas' desperation and wanting to help, suggested that Yudhisthira pray to the Sun God, Surya. Yudhisthira, who had always been true to his faith, agreed. He began wholeheartedly praying to Surya: Powerful Sun, You who see everything in the universe, You are our Creator. You are Vishnu, Brahma, and Prajapati at once. You are the Brahman! Please, help my brothers and our wife in our trials. We have gone hungry for too long, and I am not sure how much longer we can possible take of this torture.
Surya, pleased by Yudhisthira’s devoutness and pitying his family's hunger, bestowed upon him a pot which would never go empty. Yudhisthira immediately thanked Surya for this gracious gift and went to feed his brothers and their wife. The Pandavas were grateful for the celestial gift and vowed to pray earnestly with Yudhisthira the Wise as their mentor.
The pot served the group well for several years, and it never went empty, just as Surya promised. Yudhishthira kept his godly mannerisms and frequently facilitated the prayers of the rest of the group.
Once, upon Yudhishthira’s request to pray to the Sun God, Draupadi grew angry with her wise husband and declared that she would not pray. She exclaimed to him, “How difficult must our lives in this wood be? And for how long? How many years must we suffer in this exile? Why should I pray to a god who watches me sleep on the earthen floor and tramp through the brush, yet does nothing to aid me?”
When Draupadi went to obtain her dinner from the pot, she was surprised to find no food. She frantically showed the empty pot to the group, and Yudhishthira was quick to give his sensible assessment. “Draupadi, you will not find any food in the pot until you mend your relationship with Surya, the Sun God. You spoke quite blasphemously against Him, yet this pot which he provided us with has been our primary source of food for many years, now. No matter how difficult our lives may become, we must never take our blessings for granted.” Draupadi wanted to scream at Yudhisthira, but reconsidered. She knew that his devotion to the gods was the reason for which the group of Pandavas had been able to eat for the past several years.
On empty, rumbling stomachs, the group sat together for several hours that night in quiet contemplation. Yudhisthira did not mind and the Sun God was pleased.
Author’s Note: When reading the Mahabharata, I found Yudhishthira to be the wisest character in the epic. In the sections of the PDF version of the epic entitled Forest Life and Krishna’s Visit, Draupadi grows tired of her hardships in the woods and speaks blasphemies against the gods. Yudhishthira makes her see reason and gets the whole group of Pandavas to think quietly about their religion at the end of the night. I thought that the power of his wise words was fascinating, and this was the reason I decided to write on for this story. I also made Draupadi experience an immediate punishment for not appreciating what she had been given and speaking blasphemously against Surya. I believe that Draupadi being fed up with tramping through the forests is completely understandable, so I did not find her actions to be surprising. It seems relatable that anyone could potentially get so frustrated in a tiring situation that they no longer see reason and do something or say something that they immediately regret. Yudhishthira reacts to Draupadi's harsh words in a very mature manner, and I hoped to present him in an understanding light. He believed that Draupadi can ameliorate her circumstances through proper prayer.
You can access the Mahabharata here: link.
Mahabharata. Public Domain Edition.
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| Surya gifts Yudhishthira the Akshayapatra on Wikimedia |
Upon entering their period of exile in the mystical woods, the Pandavas and Draupadi quickly began to hunger, for it was difficult to find a reliable source of food. When too faint, Bhima carried the five others on his back until they reached a water source. Weeks went by in this same manner, until one day Yudhishthira happened upon a brahmin. The two quickly began talking as good friends, and the brahmin, noticing some indication of trouble, pressed Yudhisthira into telling him of his sorrows.
The brahmin, understanding the Pandavas' desperation and wanting to help, suggested that Yudhisthira pray to the Sun God, Surya. Yudhisthira, who had always been true to his faith, agreed. He began wholeheartedly praying to Surya: Powerful Sun, You who see everything in the universe, You are our Creator. You are Vishnu, Brahma, and Prajapati at once. You are the Brahman! Please, help my brothers and our wife in our trials. We have gone hungry for too long, and I am not sure how much longer we can possible take of this torture.
Surya, pleased by Yudhisthira’s devoutness and pitying his family's hunger, bestowed upon him a pot which would never go empty. Yudhisthira immediately thanked Surya for this gracious gift and went to feed his brothers and their wife. The Pandavas were grateful for the celestial gift and vowed to pray earnestly with Yudhisthira the Wise as their mentor.
The pot served the group well for several years, and it never went empty, just as Surya promised. Yudhishthira kept his godly mannerisms and frequently facilitated the prayers of the rest of the group.
Once, upon Yudhishthira’s request to pray to the Sun God, Draupadi grew angry with her wise husband and declared that she would not pray. She exclaimed to him, “How difficult must our lives in this wood be? And for how long? How many years must we suffer in this exile? Why should I pray to a god who watches me sleep on the earthen floor and tramp through the brush, yet does nothing to aid me?”
When Draupadi went to obtain her dinner from the pot, she was surprised to find no food. She frantically showed the empty pot to the group, and Yudhishthira was quick to give his sensible assessment. “Draupadi, you will not find any food in the pot until you mend your relationship with Surya, the Sun God. You spoke quite blasphemously against Him, yet this pot which he provided us with has been our primary source of food for many years, now. No matter how difficult our lives may become, we must never take our blessings for granted.” Draupadi wanted to scream at Yudhisthira, but reconsidered. She knew that his devotion to the gods was the reason for which the group of Pandavas had been able to eat for the past several years.
On empty, rumbling stomachs, the group sat together for several hours that night in quiet contemplation. Yudhisthira did not mind and the Sun God was pleased.
Author’s Note: When reading the Mahabharata, I found Yudhishthira to be the wisest character in the epic. In the sections of the PDF version of the epic entitled Forest Life and Krishna’s Visit, Draupadi grows tired of her hardships in the woods and speaks blasphemies against the gods. Yudhishthira makes her see reason and gets the whole group of Pandavas to think quietly about their religion at the end of the night. I thought that the power of his wise words was fascinating, and this was the reason I decided to write on for this story. I also made Draupadi experience an immediate punishment for not appreciating what she had been given and speaking blasphemously against Surya. I believe that Draupadi being fed up with tramping through the forests is completely understandable, so I did not find her actions to be surprising. It seems relatable that anyone could potentially get so frustrated in a tiring situation that they no longer see reason and do something or say something that they immediately regret. Yudhishthira reacts to Draupadi's harsh words in a very mature manner, and I hoped to present him in an understanding light. He believed that Draupadi can ameliorate her circumstances through proper prayer.
You can access the Mahabharata here: link.
Mahabharata. Public Domain Edition.
