From the Mahabrahata

Seeking Yama

And so Yama led Yudhisthira and his brothers through the deep part of the forest and
provided them with safe passage, food and water. After the brothers had regained their strength,
the God of Judgment uttered unto them, Farewell men, for I must leave you in this forest. But
before the sun rises on 4th day, you must encounter me. Only then will I take you back to the
kingdom of Baharata so that you may reclaim your kingdom. If you do not find me in this time,
you will be doomed to this forest forever, wandering aimlessly while the Kauravas rule your
kingdom. But before he disappeared, he said to Yudhisthira, Always remember where your true
strength resides, and you will go far, my child. For it
was not your physical strength that saved your brothers
and yourself. In an instant, Yama disappeared into the
ground they stood upon, and once again, the brothers
were left alone in the forest. Yudhisthira was utterly
perplexed at Yamas request. How could a mere mortal
such as he seek out a powerful god in a mere four days.
They had been aimlessly wandering this forest for
years, and have never encountered two trees twice.
Despite the challenges ahead of them, the brothers
set off in search of Yama. Their desire to reach home and take back the kingdom from the
Kauravas was too strong to ignore. Since Yama had taken the form of a mysterious water dweller
before, they sought out any bodies of water they could find-ponds, streams and even the smallest
puddles. When it would rain the brothers would sing praises of Brahma in hopes they would
summon Yama. They searched up in trees where the birds sang, in bushes where the rabbits
nested, but mostly, they searched in their hearts, where their values and true strength resided.
The sunset of the first day had passed and there was no sign of Yama. The brothers were starting
to grow tired and became frustrated at the seemingly insurmountable task. What would be
easier? Finding the oldest tree in the forest or the first pond on Earth? said Nukula, the youngest
brother. Many a time the brothers wanted to stop the search to rest, eat and pray, but Yudhisthira
coaxed them to continue. He uttered unto them, It is not physical
strength that we need brothers, but strength in our minds and our
hearts. For it is our perseverance, dedication, and patience that
will bring us to Yama. Believe me this when I say to you, for
when I was answering the Yakshas questions, dying of thirst,
crumbling to the ground trying to save your lives, it was not my
physical endurance that got me through it. And when I chose to
save you, Nukula, my half brother, it was not my selfishness that
drove me to make that choice. And so my brothers, we must not
be selfish, nor, let our physical strength set our limitations. Just
think how glorious it would be if were were to find Yama in the days time and have the
opportunity to take back our kingdom. These years roaming in the forest, chasing deer, facing
death, might come to an end if we remember where our true strength resides. In wake of their
brothers inspiring words, the men decided to travel on in search of Yama.
One of the brothers, Arjuna, came across a giant boulder that guarded a cave. He
summoned his brothers saying, Come brothers, for Yama must surely be hiding in this cave. It is
wrapped with vines and sealed with pebbles. I believe that I can hear the rushing of water behind
this boulder. Come! Help me push this boulder out of the way. Immediately, the brothers came
and worked to push the boulder out of the way. However, when the way was cleared, it was not
Yama they had found. Instead, they were greeted by a towering woman wearing a necklace of
skulls. The brothers began to step back, but
the woman said to them, Stop! I am Kali,
Goddess of Death and Evil and you have
disturbed my cave. What is it that you seek?
Yudhistira stepped forward and pronounced,
We desperately seek my father, Yama, God
of Judgment. Have you any idea where he
could be? The woman began to laugh so
hard that the leaves on the trees shook. Trust me wild men, you will never find Yama, for it is
only Yama that finds you. With that, the woman disappeared in a burst of wind, leaving the
brothers utterly discouraged. Yudhisthira said to them, Do not listen to her, we must continue.
And they did.
As the sun set on the third day, the mens bodies grew weaker and weaker, forcing the
group to stop their journey. Though he was aware of the limited time they had left, Yudhisthira
knew he must stop for his brothers. He set up a small clearing and fetched food and water for
them, neglecting nourishment for himself. He rubbed their shoulders and prayed for their well
being. One of his brothers, Bhima, said to him, Yudhisthira, you almost lost your life to us once
and by the grace of Brahma, I cannot let that happen again. You are strong and wise and can find
Yama on your own. Go now! Leave us in the
forest. Find Yama, and get back to the
kingdom where you belong. If it is to be, Yama
will grant us reward as well. If it is not to be,
then at least we will die with honor, knowing
that our sacrifice led to a Pandava kingdom
once again. Yudhisthiras desire to find his
father was great, and he had the capability to
continue on and seek him out, but he knew that
his brothers needed him. And so he sat by the
light of a small fire he had made to warm his brothers, and made peace with his destined life in
the forest. For he knew, they the fourth day would dawn before his brothers opened their eyes.
Not even sleep could reach him, as he watched over his brothers through the night. When
the sun began to poke through the thick foliage of the forest, Yudhisthira set out to fetch some
water before his brothers awoke. He walked no more than 10 steps in one direction when he saw
a huge canopy leaf blocking a path. Behind that leaf appeared the glorious glow of the sun,
whereas in every other direction, the night was still upon them. Yudhisthira slowly lifted the
canopy out of the way and was immediately encased in the suns glow. His eyes flooded with
tears as he realized that he was looking at his kingdom. Just passed a few grassy green hills lay
the beloved kingdom that the Pandavas were forced to leave behind so many years ago. After
being out in the forest for so many years, Yudhisthira couldnt help put fall to his knees and
weep. Awoken by his joyous tears, the brothers witnessed the illuminating glow of their lost
kingdom, and could not help but weep tears of joy
as well. Kneeling down Yudhisthira said, Oh great
Yama, we must have stumbled upon you and not
even known it, for you have granted us our
reward. Just then, Yama appeared in human form
and said, My dear boy, you did not find me, and
you were never going to find me. You and your
brothers have been wandering this forest for 12
years and every step you took was one step closer
to reaching your kingdom. Yet, when you came
this close to reaching your destination, you still
stopped, because you knew your brothers needed you. You were selfless and patient even when
you believed your fate was sealed to the forest. Even though you knew you could find me, that
you were close, you chose to stay with your family. My child, you reached this kingdom all on
your own, and now, you may take your brothers and regain your power. Once again Yudhisthira,
you have presented great judgment and character, and have brought both me and Brahma great
honor. Go, and take back your kingdom now!
 Works Cited

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Mar. 2017.

Sharma, Ananta. Here's Why Yudhisthira From Mahabharata Refused To Enter

Heaven Without His Dog. Digital image. Storypick. N.p., 04 Dec. 2015. Web. 07
Mar. 2017.

Nukul. Digital image. Netra-creative-vision.blogspot.com. Lotus of Saraswati, 2015.

Web. 7 Mar. 2017.

Serial Articles: Musings on Avatars - August 2008. Digital image. Serial Articles:
Musings on Avatars - August 2008. N.p., Aug. 2008. Web. 07 Mar. 2017.

The Pandavas. Digital image. Quara.com. N.p., 27 May 2014. Web. 7 Mar. 2017.