Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c5.659

c5.659

7) How Dharmadeva tested Yudhiṣṭhira. The Pāṇḍavas travelling through the forests reached Dvaitavana. A brahmin among their group was making fire by the araṇi sticks when a deer rushed at him and took the araṇi sticks away, carrying them on its horns. The Pāṇḍavas ran after the deer and they travelled far away from their place, still not getting scent of it. They were all tired and thirsty. Yudhiṣṭhira directed Nakula to climb on the top of a tree and investigate whether there was any water anywhere nearby. Nakula did so and reported that he could see a pond not far from the place where they were sitting. Yudhiṣṭhira asked Nakula to go and fetch water. Nakula did not return for a long time and Sahadeva was asked to go and enquire. Sahadeva also did not return and Arjuna was sent in search of them. When Arjuna did not return Bhīmasena went to enquire. Bhīmasena also did not return and finally Yudhiṣṭhira himself set out in search of them. On reaching the pond Yudhiṣṭhira was dumbfounded to see his brothers lying dead on the banks of the pond. Weeping bitterly Yudhiṣṭhira entered the pond and to his surprise he heard a voice from the air addressed to him thus: “Ho, Yudhiṣṭhira, I am a stork living on the small fishes of this pond. This pond is my hereditary property. It was I who killed your brothers. I will ask you certain questions. If you answer them correctly you can drink from this pond. If not, you will also die.