Yudhishthir's Triumph at the Enchanted Lake

Nakul's Errand: The Thirsty Prince at the Lake

While the Pandavas were in the forest, Yudhishthir told his brother Nakul to get water in a quiver from a nearby lake. Nakul, being thirsty himself, went to the lake to drink and fetch water for his brothers.

The Voice at the Lake: Nakul's Fatal Mistake

Nakul reached the lake and was about to drink the water when a disembodied voice spoke, "You may not drink water from this lake before first answering my questions". Nakul did not heed the voice and began drinking water from the lake. He was instantly turned into stone.

Four Stone Statues: A Lesson in Listening

Nakul had been gone for a long time, so Yudhishthir sent Nakul's twin Sahadev to inquire about Nakul's whereabouts. When Sahadev reached the lake, he also heard the voice, disregarded it, and was instantly turned to stone. After Sahadev, Yudhishthir sent Arjun, who met the same fate as the twins. He then sent Bheem, who also disregarded the voice and was turned to stone.

At the Brink of Fate: Yudhishthir and the Mysterious Crane

When Bheem also failed to return, Yudhishthir had no choice but to go himself and search for his brothers. He found his way to the bank of the lake, where his brothers lay turned to stone.

A crane spoke in a human voice, "Wait! Before drinking water from this lake, you will have to answer my questions. I am the owner of this lake; if you drink the water of this lake without my permission, you will meet the same fate as your brothers."

Yudhishthir asked, "Who are you? An ordinary crane could not have taken my brothers' lives."

The Demigod's Challenge: Yudhishthir's Test of Wisdom

Upon hearing Yudhishthir's question, the crane transformed into a demigod and said, "I am a demigod. I killed your four brothers because they drank the water of my lake without my permission. If you want to drink water, you must answer my questions first."

"Ask your questions, and I will do my best to answer them," said Yudhishthir, bowing before the demigod.

Wisdom's Reward: Yudhishthir and the Divine Quiz

The demigod asked Yudhishthir over a hundred questions. Some of the questions and Yudhishthir's answers were:

Q: What makes a man great, and what is a man's true friend?

A: Meditation makes a man great. Courage is man's true friend.

Q: In what is a Brahmin's greatness, and in what way is he similar to other people?

A: A Brahmin's greatness is in meditation and studying holy texts. He is similar to others in that he must die one day.

Yudhishthir's answered all the questions correctly. Pleased with Yudhishthir's answers, the demigod offered to resurrect one of Yudhishthir's brothers.

Yudhishthir's Choice: A Lesson in Dharma

When the demigod asked Yudhishthir which brother he wanted to resurrect, the eldest Pandav chose Nakul. 

The demigod asked, "Why Nakul? He is only your half-brother. Why don't you ask to revive Bheem or Arjun?"

"My father had two wives: Madri and Kunti," replied Yudhishthir. "Nakul is Madri's son, and I am Kunti's son. I am alive now and want at least one of Madri's sons to be alive. That is why I chose Nakul."

Yamaraj's Blessing: The Revival of the Pandavas

The demigod was delighted by this answer and said, "Son of Kunti, I will resurrect all of your brothers." 

As the demigod said this, the four other Pandavas returned to life. The demigod then revealed himself to be none other than the god of justice, Yamaraj, who was, in fact, Yudhishthir's divine father.