Yaksha Prashnas-the didactic Conversation between Yaksha and Dharma Raja

Abstract

The famed conversation between the celestial Yaksha (an other-worldly being) and the mortal Yudhishthira, also known as Dharma Raja, the eldest of the Pandavas, was captured in the form of Yaksha Prashnas (or questions) in the Aranya Parvam or VanaParvam (henceforth, these two will be used interchangeably)of Mahabharatham. The conversation, captured in the form of question-and-answer format (called Samvada)[1] by the sage Veda Vyasa, marks an important twist to the Pandavas’ exile in the forests. While the samvada itself has little to do with the rivalry between the cousins, Pandavas, and Kauravas, or with the tale of Mahabharatham, the plots and sub-plots were introduced by the sage to provide a clear message- the message of dharma, and the importance of adhering to the same. In Sanskrit, The word Dharma is derived from the verb dhru, meaning, “to support” or “to sustain”. Thus, dharmameans “supporting or upholding the world and its beings” (Pranjal Chaturvedi, 2022). The samvada is didactic and deliberately introduced to underscore the importance of dharma or duties, which remain timeless and ageless, relevant to date.