pallor was on them. ‘The colour on the
faces of these my brothers hath not faded!’
And it was thus that Yudhishthira thought. And
the king continued, ’Each of these foremost
of men was like unto a mighty cataract. Who, therefore,
save Yama himself who in due time bringeth about the
end of all things, could have baffled them thus.’
And having concluded this for certain, he began to
perform his ablutions in that lake. And while
he descended into it, he heard these words from the
sky, uttered by the Yaksha,—’I am
a crane, living on tiny fish. It is by me that
thy younger brothers have been brought under the sway
of the lord of departed spirits. If, thou, O
prince, answer not the questions put by me, even thou
shalt number the fifth corpse. Do not, O child,
act rashly! This lake hath already been in my
possession. Having answered my questions first,
do thou, O Kunti’s son, drink and carry away
(as much as thou requirest)!’ Hearing these
words, Yudhishthira said, ’Art thou the foremost
of the Rudras, or of the Vasus, or of the Marutas?
I ask, what god art thou? This could not have
been done by a bird! Who is it that hath overthrown
the four mighty mountains,
viz., the Himavat,
the Paripatra, the Vindhya, and the Malaya? Great
is the feat done by thee, thou foremost of strong persons!
Those whom neither gods, nor Gandharvas nor Asuras,
nor Rakshasas could endure in mighty conflict, have
been slain by thee! Therefore, exceedingly wonderful
is the deed done by thee! I do not know what thy
business may be, nor do I know thy purpose. Therefore,
great is the curiosity and fear also that have taken
possession of me? My mind is greatly agitated,
and as my head also is aching, I ask thee, therefore,
O worshipful one, who art thou that stayest here?’
Hearing these words the Yaksha said, ’I am,
good betide thee, a Yaksha, and not an amphibious bird.
It is by me that all these brothers of thine, endued
with mighty prowess, have been slain!’
Vaisampayana continued, ’Hearing these accursed
words couched in harsh syllabus,[109] Yudhishthira,
O king, approaching the Yaksha who had spoken then,
stood there. And that bull among the Bharatas
then beheld that Yaksha of unusual eyes and huge body
tall like a palmyra-palm and looking like fire or
the Sun, and irresistible and gigantic like a mountain,
staying on a tree, and uttering a loud roar deep as
that of the clouds. And the Yaksha said, ’These
thy brothers, O king, repeatedly forbidden by me,
would forcibly take away water. It is for this
that they have been slain by me! He that wisheth
to live, should not, O king, drink this water!
O son of Pritha, act not rashly! This lake hath
already been in my possession. Do thou, O son
of Kunti, first answer my questions, and then take
away as much as thou likest!’ Yudhishthira said,
’I do not, O Yaksha, covet, what is already
in thy possession! O bull among male beings,
virtuous persons never approve that one should applaud
his own self (without boasting, I shall, therefore,