Dharam Kunda
This kunda lies in the eastern part of Kämyavana. Shri Näräyana is present here as dharma. Nearby is a platform (vedi) named Visäkhä-vedi. There is a special rule that one should bathe in this pond on Krishnastmi (the eighth day of the dark moon) on a Wednesday in the month of Bhadra during the constellation named Sravanä. Within the area of Dharma-kund, there are many places one may visit for darsana, such as Nara-Näräyan-kunda, Nila-varäha, Panca Pändva, Hanumän ji, Panca Pändava-kunda (Panca-tirtha), Manikarnikä and Visvesvara Mahädeva.
The five Pändvas resided in this attractive Kämyavana for a long time during their exile to the forest. Once, Mahäräni Draupadi and the Pändvas felt very thirsty. It was summer and the nearby ponds and other sources of water had dried up. Water was not available anywhere, not even from distant places. Mahäräja Yudhisthira gave one empty pot to his valiant brother Bhimasena and told him to fill it with clean water. The intelligent Bhima saw that birds were flying to and from a particular place, so he headed in that direction. After some time, he came to a beautiful lake full of clean, fragrant water. Being very thirsty, he thought to quench his own thirst first before carrying water back to his brothers.
However, as soon as he stepped in the lake, a Yaksa appeared before him and said, “Answer my questions before daring to drink water, otherwise you will die.” Ignoring the order of the Yaksa, the great and valiant Bhimasena filled his palms with some water, but upon doing so he immediately fainted to the ground. Noting Bhimasena’s delay in returning, Mahäräja Yudhisthira sent his brothers one by one to go and fetch water – first Arjuna, then Nakula and then Sahadeva. Upon reaching the lake, however, they all met the same fate as Bhima, having attempted to drink water without following the Yaksa’s command. Finally, Mahäräja Yudhisthira went himself and found his brothers all lying on the ground unconscious. He became very worried. He decided to
quench his thirst before trying to revive them, but as soon as he went to do so, the Yaksa appeared and told Mahäräja Yudhisthira
that he had to correctly answer his questions before he could drink any water. Mahäräja Yudhisthira patiently requested the Yaksa to ask his questions.
Yaksa: Who causes the sun to rise?
Yudhisthira: The Supreme Lord causes the sun to rise.
Yaksa: What is weightier than the earth itself? What is higher than even the sky? What travels faster than the wind? And what is greater in number than blades of grass?
Yudhisthira: One’s mother is heavier than the earth. One’s father is higher than the sky. The mind is swifter than air, and the thoughts that spring from the mind are more numerous than blades of grass.
Yaksa: Which is the best dharma in the world? What is the best kind of forbearance?
Yudhisthira: The best dharma in the world is mercy. To tolerate the dualities of this world – like pleasure and sorrow, profit and loss, and birth and death – is the best kind of forbearance.
Yaksa: Who is the invincible enemy of human beings? What is their endless disease? Who is a saintly person, and who is not a saintly person?
Yudhisthira: Anger is the invincible enemy of human beings. Greed is their endless disease. One who does good to all living entities is a saintly person, and a cruel person who has no control over his senses is not a saintly person.
Yaksa: Who is happy? What is the greatest wonder? What is life’s real path? What is newsworthy?
Yudhisthira: He who has no debt, he who is not in a foreign land, and he who is able to eat simply is happy. Every day, living beings make their way to the abode of Yamäräja, the god of death, but those who are left behind think they will live forever. There is no greater wonder than this. Argument has no place in determining the correct path. The Srutis are diverse, and the opinions of the sages divided. The truth of dharma is thus very deep. Therefore, the path that is followed by great personalities is the real path. Time is cooking all living beings in the frying pan of illusion and allurement, which represents this material world. It shuffles them with the ladle of months and seasons, and cooks them in the fire of the sun, which burns up the fuel of day and night. This is the only news in this world.
Yaksa: O King, you have answered all my questions correctly. You may therefore select any one of your brothers and he will return to life.
Yudhisthira: Among all my brothers, let dark-complexioned and very powerful Nakula return to life.
Yaksa: King, why do you want Nakula to be brought back to life? Why not Bhima, who has the strength of ten thousand elephants, or the invincible archer Arjuna?
Yudhisthira: I cannot give up virtue. I am of the opinion that the supreme virtue is to have equal feelings for everyone. My father had two wives, Kunti and Mädri. In my opinion, both of them should have sons. Kunti and Mädri mean the same to me. I want to preserve this equality; therefore, Nakula should return to life.
Yaksa: O topmost devotee, you have more respect for virtue than for time and wealth. Therefore, all your brothers should live again.
That Yaksa was none other than Dharmaräja (Shri Näräyana) Himself, who had desired to test the dharma of his son Yudhisthira. Mahäräja Yudhisthira passed the examination.
This kunda lies in the eastern part of Kämyavana. Shri Näräyana is present here as dharma. Nearby is a platform (vedi) named Visäkhä-vedi. There is a special rule that one should bathe in this pond on Krishnastmi (the eighth day of the dark moon) on a Wednesday in the month of Bhadra during the constellation named Sravanä. Within the area of Dharma-kund, there are many places one may visit for darsana, such as Nara-Näräyan-kunda, Nila-varäha, Panca Pändva, Hanumän ji, Panca Pändava-kunda (Panca-tirtha), Manikarnikä and Visvesvara Mahädeva.
The five Pändvas resided in this attractive Kämyavana for a long time during their exile to the forest. Once, Mahäräni Draupadi and the Pändvas felt very thirsty. It was summer and the nearby ponds and other sources of water had dried up. Water was not available anywhere, not even from distant places. Mahäräja Yudhisthira gave one empty pot to his valiant brother Bhimasena and told him to fill it with clean water. The intelligent Bhima saw that birds were flying to and from a particular place, so he headed in that direction. After some time, he came to a beautiful lake full of clean, fragrant water. Being very thirsty, he thought to quench his own thirst first before carrying water back to his brothers.
However, as soon as he stepped in the lake, a Yaksa appeared before him and said, “Answer my questions before daring to drink water, otherwise you will die.” Ignoring the order of the Yaksa, the great and valiant Bhimasena filled his palms with some water, but upon doing so he immediately fainted to the ground. Noting Bhimasena’s delay in returning, Mahäräja Yudhisthira sent his brothers one by one to go and fetch water – first Arjuna, then Nakula and then Sahadeva. Upon reaching the lake, however, they all met the same fate as Bhima, having attempted to drink water without following the Yaksa’s command. Finally, Mahäräja Yudhisthira went himself and found his brothers all lying on the ground unconscious. He became very worried. He decided to
quench his thirst before trying to revive them, but as soon as he went to do so, the Yaksa appeared and told Mahäräja Yudhisthira
that he had to correctly answer his questions before he could drink any water. Mahäräja Yudhisthira patiently requested the Yaksa to ask his questions.
Yaksa: Who causes the sun to rise?
Yudhisthira: The Supreme Lord causes the sun to rise.
Yaksa: What is weightier than the earth itself? What is higher than even the sky? What travels faster than the wind? And what is greater in number than blades of grass?
Yudhisthira: One’s mother is heavier than the earth. One’s father is higher than the sky. The mind is swifter than air, and the thoughts that spring from the mind are more numerous than blades of grass.
Yaksa: Which is the best dharma in the world? What is the best kind of forbearance?
Yudhisthira: The best dharma in the world is mercy. To tolerate the dualities of this world – like pleasure and sorrow, profit and loss, and birth and death – is the best kind of forbearance.
Yaksa: Who is the invincible enemy of human beings? What is their endless disease? Who is a saintly person, and who is not a saintly person?
Yudhisthira: Anger is the invincible enemy of human beings. Greed is their endless disease. One who does good to all living entities is a saintly person, and a cruel person who has no control over his senses is not a saintly person.
Yaksa: Who is happy? What is the greatest wonder? What is life’s real path? What is newsworthy?
Yudhisthira: He who has no debt, he who is not in a foreign land, and he who is able to eat simply is happy. Every day, living beings make their way to the abode of Yamäräja, the god of death, but those who are left behind think they will live forever. There is no greater wonder than this. Argument has no place in determining the correct path. The Srutis are diverse, and the opinions of the sages divided. The truth of dharma is thus very deep. Therefore, the path that is followed by great personalities is the real path. Time is cooking all living beings in the frying pan of illusion and allurement, which represents this material world. It shuffles them with the ladle of months and seasons, and cooks them in the fire of the sun, which burns up the fuel of day and night. This is the only news in this world.
Yaksa: O King, you have answered all my questions correctly. You may therefore select any one of your brothers and he will return to life.
Yudhisthira: Among all my brothers, let dark-complexioned and very powerful Nakula return to life.
Yaksa: King, why do you want Nakula to be brought back to life? Why not Bhima, who has the strength of ten thousand elephants, or the invincible archer Arjuna?
Yudhisthira: I cannot give up virtue. I am of the opinion that the supreme virtue is to have equal feelings for everyone. My father had two wives, Kunti and Mädri. In my opinion, both of them should have sons. Kunti and Mädri mean the same to me. I want to preserve this equality; therefore, Nakula should return to life.
Yaksa: O topmost devotee, you have more respect for virtue than for time and wealth. Therefore, all your brothers should live again.
That Yaksa was none other than Dharmaräja (Shri Näräyana) Himself, who had desired to test the dharma of his son Yudhisthira. Mahäräja Yudhisthira passed the examination.
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