ons of mine and let thy dead brothers
revive.' Yudhishthira answered,--'O amphibious creature, a man who
cooketh in his own house, on the fifth or the sixth part of the day,
with scanty vegetables, but who is not in debt and who stirreth not from
home, is truly happy. Day after day countless creatures are going to the
abode of Yama, yet those that remain behind believe themselves to be
immortal. What can be more wonderful than this? Argument leads to no
certain conclusion, the _Srutis_ are different from one another; there
is not even one _Rishi_ whose opinion can be accepted by all; the truth
about religion and duty is hid in caves: therefore, that alone is the
path along which the great have trod. This world full of ignorance is
like a pan. The sun is fire, the days and nights are fuel. The months
and the seasons constitute the wooden ladle. Time is the cook that is
cooking all creatures in that pan (with such aids); this is _the news_.'
The Yaksha asked,--'Thou hast, O represser of foes, truly answered all
my questions! Tell us now who is truly a man, and what man truly
possesseth every kind of wealth.' Yudhishthira answered,--'The report of
one's good action reacheth heaven and spreadeth over the earth. As long
as that report lasteth, so long is a person to whom the agreeable and
the disagreeable, weal and woe, the past and the future, are the same,
is said to possess every kind of wealth.' The Yaksha said,--'Thou hast,
O king truly answered who is a man, and what man possesseth every kind
of wealth. Therefore, let one only amongst thy brothers, whom thou mayst
wish, get up with life!' Yudhishthira answered,--'Let this one that is
of darkish hue, whose eyes are red, who is tall like a large _Sala_
tree, whose chest is broad and arms long, let this Nakula, O Yaksha, get
up with life!' The Yaksha rejoined,--'This Bhimasena is dear unto thee,
and this Arjuna also is one upon whom all of you depend! Why, then, O
king, dost thou wish a step-brother to get up with his life! How canst
thou, forsaking Bhima whose strength is equal to that of ten thousand
elephants, wish Nakula to live? People said that this Bhima was dear to
thee. From what motive then dost thou wish a step-brother to revive?
Forsaking Arjuna the might of whose arm is worshipped by all the sons of
Pandu, why dost thou wish Nakula to revive?' Yudhishthira said,--'If
virtue is sacrificed, he that sacrificeth it, is himself lost. So virtue
also cherisheth the ch