Story of C. RAJ GOPALACHARI
LESSON NAME-THE ENCHANTED POOL
AUTHOR NAME-C.Raj Gopalachari
About The Author
Chakravarti Raj Gopalachari (10 Dec. 1878-25 Dec., 1972) informally called Rajaji or C.R. was as Indian lawyer, freedom fighter, politician and writer. He was the founder of the Swatantra Party. He was the first man to receive India's highest civilian award, The Bharat Ratna. He was also nickname as Margo Of Sabir. He worte on abridged retrlling of Mahabharata in English. He was deeply religious and a pious person and follower of the Vedas and upanishads.
Richard Casey, the favorer of ..... From 1944 to 1946 regarded Rajaji as the wisest was in India. The best possible teibute to Rajaji was from Mahatma Gandhi who referred to him as the "Keeper of my conscience."
About The Lesson
This lesson is an extract from 'The Mahabharata'. It reflects the character of Yudhishthira,the Dharam Raj; His patience, kindness, love for his brothers and intelligence. He pleases yaksha by going satisfactory answers to his questions. The Yaksha was pleased with Yudhishthira's impartiality. The yaksha was 'Yama' the lord of Death who had taken the form of Yaksha to see Yudhishthira and test his knowledge. Being satisfied with his answers he blessed him and disappeared.
Yudhishthira waited for his brothers in anxiety and thirst. "can they have been subjected to a curse or are they stoll wandering about in the forest in search of water ? can they have fainted or died tracts ?" Unable to bear these thoughts , and driven by an overpowering thirst, he gave-up waiting and started out to look for his brothers and the pool hoping that he might find them.
Yudhishthira proceeded in the direction his brothers had taken and kept on walking through tracts full of wold bear and spotted deer and big forest birds till he came upon a beautiful green meadow , around a pool of clear water. But when he saw his brothers lying there like flagpoles, unable to restrain his grief, he lifted his voice and wept.
He touched the faces of Bhima and Arjuna, as they lay so still and silent, and mourned: "Was this to be the end of all our vows ? Just when our exile is about to end, you have been taken away. Even the Gods have forsaken me in my misfortune.
As he looked at their mighty limbs, now so helpless, he sadly wondered who could have been powerful enough to kill them. Then he too descended into pool, drawn to the water by an overpowering thirst. At once the voice without form warned.
"Your brothers died because they did not heed my words. They tried to drink water without answering my questions. Do not follow then. Answer my questions first and then you can quench your thirst. This pool belongs to me."
It did not take Yudhishthira a moment to understand that these could be none other than the words of a Yaksha and guessed what had happened to his brothers. It took him no time to see a possible way of bringing them back to life. He said to the bodiless voice : "please ask your questions."
The voice put questions rapidly one after another.
"What rescues man in danger?"
"Courage"
"By the study of which science does man become wise?"
"Not by studying any - 'Shastre' does man become wise. It is by association with the great in wisdom that he gets wisdom."
"The Yaksha asked, "What is swifter than the wind?"
"Mind."
"What befriends a traveller?"
"Learning."
"Who is the friend of one who stays at home?"
"The wife."
"Who accompanies a man in death?"
"Dharma. That alone accompanies the soul in solitary journey after death."
"What is the biggest vessel?"
"The earth, which contains all within itself, is the greatest vessel."
"What is happiness?"
"Happiness is the result of good condect."
"What is that, by giving up which man becomes loved by all?"
"Pride.For , if man gives up being proud, he be loved by all."
"What is the loss which yields joy and not sottow?"
"Anger, if we give up being angry, we will no longer he subject to sorrow."
"What is that , by giving-up which a man becomes rich?"
"Desire. If man gives up being greedy, he will become wealthy."
"What makes one a real 'Brahmana?' Is it birth, good conduct, ot learning? Answer decisively."
"Birth and learning do not make one a Brahmana; good conduct alone does. However learned a person may be, he will not be a 'Brahmana' without giving up bad habits. Even though he may be learned in the four Vedas, a man of bad conduct falls to a lower class."
"What is the greatest wonder in the world?"
"Every day men see creatures depart to Yama's kindom; and yet those who remain want to live for ever. This truly is the greatest wonder."
Thus, the Yaksha put many questions and Yudhishthira answered them all.
In the end the Yaksha asked "O, King one of your dead brothers can now be revived. Who do you want to come back to life?"
It took Yudhishthira a moment to think and then he wished that the cloud-complexioned, lous-eyed, broad-chested and long-armed Nakula, lying like a fallen ebony tree, might arise.
The Yaksha was pleased at this and asked Yudhishthira: "Why did you choose Nakula in preference to Bhima, who has the strength of sinteen thousand elephant?I have heard that Bhima is most dear to you. And why not Arjuna, whose strength in arms is your protection? Tell me why you choose Nakula rather than either of these two."
Yudhishthira replies : "O Yaksha, 'Dharma' is the only shield of man and not Bhima or Arjuna, If 'Dharma' is given up, man will be ruined. Kunti and Madri were the two wives of my father. I am alive, a son of Kunti amd so she is not completely bereaved. In order that the scales of justice may be even. I ask that Madri's son,Nakula may revive."
The Yaksha was most pleased with Yudhishthira's impartiality and granted that all his brothers would come back to life.
It was Yama, the Lord of Death, who had taken the form of the Yaksha so that he might see Yudhishthira and test him. He embraced Yudhishthira and blessed him; then he disappeared.
AUTHOR NAME-C.Raj Gopalachari
About The Author
Richard Casey, the favorer of ..... From 1944 to 1946 regarded Rajaji as the wisest was in India. The best possible teibute to Rajaji was from Mahatma Gandhi who referred to him as the "Keeper of my conscience."
About The Lesson
This lesson is an extract from 'The Mahabharata'. It reflects the character of Yudhishthira,the Dharam Raj; His patience, kindness, love for his brothers and intelligence. He pleases yaksha by going satisfactory answers to his questions. The Yaksha was pleased with Yudhishthira's impartiality. The yaksha was 'Yama' the lord of Death who had taken the form of Yaksha to see Yudhishthira and test his knowledge. Being satisfied with his answers he blessed him and disappeared.
Yudhishthira waited for his brothers in anxiety and thirst. "can they have been subjected to a curse or are they stoll wandering about in the forest in search of water ? can they have fainted or died tracts ?" Unable to bear these thoughts , and driven by an overpowering thirst, he gave-up waiting and started out to look for his brothers and the pool hoping that he might find them.
Yudhishthira proceeded in the direction his brothers had taken and kept on walking through tracts full of wold bear and spotted deer and big forest birds till he came upon a beautiful green meadow , around a pool of clear water. But when he saw his brothers lying there like flagpoles, unable to restrain his grief, he lifted his voice and wept.
He touched the faces of Bhima and Arjuna, as they lay so still and silent, and mourned: "Was this to be the end of all our vows ? Just when our exile is about to end, you have been taken away. Even the Gods have forsaken me in my misfortune.
As he looked at their mighty limbs, now so helpless, he sadly wondered who could have been powerful enough to kill them. Then he too descended into pool, drawn to the water by an overpowering thirst. At once the voice without form warned.
"Your brothers died because they did not heed my words. They tried to drink water without answering my questions. Do not follow then. Answer my questions first and then you can quench your thirst. This pool belongs to me."
It did not take Yudhishthira a moment to understand that these could be none other than the words of a Yaksha and guessed what had happened to his brothers. It took him no time to see a possible way of bringing them back to life. He said to the bodiless voice : "please ask your questions."
The voice put questions rapidly one after another.
"What rescues man in danger?"
"Courage"
"By the study of which science does man become wise?"
"Not by studying any - 'Shastre' does man become wise. It is by association with the great in wisdom that he gets wisdom."
"The Yaksha asked, "What is swifter than the wind?"
"Mind."
"What befriends a traveller?"
"Learning."
"Who is the friend of one who stays at home?"
"The wife."
"Who accompanies a man in death?"
"Dharma. That alone accompanies the soul in solitary journey after death."
"What is the biggest vessel?"
"The earth, which contains all within itself, is the greatest vessel."
"What is happiness?"
"Happiness is the result of good condect."
"What is that, by giving up which man becomes loved by all?"
"Pride.For , if man gives up being proud, he be loved by all."
"What is the loss which yields joy and not sottow?"
"Anger, if we give up being angry, we will no longer he subject to sorrow."
"What is that , by giving-up which a man becomes rich?"
"Desire. If man gives up being greedy, he will become wealthy."
"What makes one a real 'Brahmana?' Is it birth, good conduct, ot learning? Answer decisively."
"Birth and learning do not make one a Brahmana; good conduct alone does. However learned a person may be, he will not be a 'Brahmana' without giving up bad habits. Even though he may be learned in the four Vedas, a man of bad conduct falls to a lower class."
"What is the greatest wonder in the world?"
"Every day men see creatures depart to Yama's kindom; and yet those who remain want to live for ever. This truly is the greatest wonder."
Thus, the Yaksha put many questions and Yudhishthira answered them all.
In the end the Yaksha asked "O, King one of your dead brothers can now be revived. Who do you want to come back to life?"
It took Yudhishthira a moment to think and then he wished that the cloud-complexioned, lous-eyed, broad-chested and long-armed Nakula, lying like a fallen ebony tree, might arise.
The Yaksha was pleased at this and asked Yudhishthira: "Why did you choose Nakula in preference to Bhima, who has the strength of sinteen thousand elephant?I have heard that Bhima is most dear to you. And why not Arjuna, whose strength in arms is your protection? Tell me why you choose Nakula rather than either of these two."
Yudhishthira replies : "O Yaksha, 'Dharma' is the only shield of man and not Bhima or Arjuna, If 'Dharma' is given up, man will be ruined. Kunti and Madri were the two wives of my father. I am alive, a son of Kunti amd so she is not completely bereaved. In order that the scales of justice may be even. I ask that Madri's son,Nakula may revive."
The Yaksha was most pleased with Yudhishthira's impartiality and granted that all his brothers would come back to life.
It was Yama, the Lord of Death, who had taken the form of the Yaksha so that he might see Yudhishthira and test him. He embraced Yudhishthira and blessed him; then he disappeared.
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