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Mythology in a Minute<br />
Pleased with all of Yudhishthir’s answers, the Yaksha revealed<br />
himself to be none other than Yudhishthir’s father, Dharmaraja,<br />
Yama, the Lord of Death. Yama restored the four brothers to life.<br />
He then granted three boons to Yudhishthir. The brahmin’s<br />
implements were returned. The five Pandavas princes were granted<br />
the boon of a safe year in exile when no one would be able to<br />
recognize them. And finally, Yudhishtir was granted his wish of<br />
victory over greed, anger and delusion and<br />
constant abidance in generosity, austerity and<br />
truth.<br />
This story comes from Veda Vyasa’s<br />
Mahabharata.<br />
Tia, a yoga teacher, writes from India.<br />
Poetry of Yoga<br />
Flying At Night<br />
Krishna Das<br />
Questions from a Crane<br />
Tia Sinha<br />
Yudhishtir, the just king, was thirsty. He and his four Pandava<br />
brothers had been chasing, in vain, a deer that had run away with<br />
implements stuck on its antlers. The brahmin ascetic to whom<br />
those implements belonged had appealed to the Pandava brothers<br />
to retrieve them.<br />
The youngest brother, Nakula, spotted some cranes from the top<br />
of a tree in the forest and went towards them in search of water.<br />
Upon reaching a beautiful lake adorned with lotus blossoms,<br />
Nakula ventured close to quench his own thirst and fetch some<br />
water for his brothers. Suddenly, a voice rang out, asking him to<br />
stop and answer some questions before drinking from the lake.<br />
There were only cranes in the lake. Overcome with thirst, Nakula<br />
disobeyed the command and promptly died. Soon after, one by<br />
one, Yudhishtir sent his three other brothers to investigate the<br />
delay and to fetch water. The same fate befell each of the brothers.<br />
When Yudhishthir himself reached the lake, he was distraught to<br />
find his four valiant brothers lying dead on the shore. Realizing<br />
that this was the handiwork of no ordinary creature, Yudhishthir<br />
pleaded that the murderer reveal himself. Then, a crane asked<br />
Yudhishthir to answer some questions. The crane then revealed<br />
itself to be a gigantic and frightening Yaksha whose questions<br />
Yudhishthir was prepared to answer before quenching his thirst.<br />
The Yaksha asked dozens of philosophical questions. When he<br />
asked what was surprising, Yudhishthir replied that everyday<br />
people die, but everyone believes they will live forever. In short, no<br />
one is prepared to die. No one is prepared for death.<br />
From up here, I can see clearly.<br />
Faint flickering lights hint at the path of a winding road<br />
That stretches out across the land.<br />
Dice thrown on the table of the night.<br />
The light of a town glares in the distance,<br />
A burning ember held in the black palm of the night.<br />
People are drawn to this cold fire<br />
to live near others of their kind.<br />
I can see their lives from here.<br />
Another faint spark flickers<br />
in the dark distance.<br />
An outpost at the edge of what men know...<br />
Let me live there,<br />
on that edge that swallows men<br />
and their electricity.<br />
Embracing all in silent wonder.<br />
Fearless.<br />
Gigantic.<br />
Invisible.<br />
From Poetry of Yoga, A Contemporary Anthology,<br />
Volume 1 Edited by HawaH, 2011<br />
Reproduced with permission<br />
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