Yudhishthira Reproves Draupadi for Doubting Dharma

Yudhishthira heard Draupadi out. Her words were sweet, well-crafted, full of good expressions. But what she had said was atheism. He did not begin by scolding her. He began by explaining himself. "I do not follow dharma because of its fruits," he said. "I give what should be given. I sacrifice what should be sacrificed. Without bothering about whether there is fruit or not, to the best of my abilities, I do what a man who is a householder is supposed to do. I do not follow dharma because of the fruits of dharma, but because I do not want to transgress the traditional texts and wish to follow the conduct of the virtuous." His mind, he told her, was naturally fixed on dharma. A man who tries to milk dharma for its rewards does not obtain them. Nor does the evil-minded atheist who performs a task and then doubts it. "Do not doubt dharma," he said, "driven by pride, or in an attempt to debate. A man who doubts dharma is destined to be born as inferior species. Like shudras have no access to the Vedas, weak-minded ones who are doubtful about dharma and the ways of the rishis are barred from the undecaying and immortal worlds." He reminded her of what she had seen with her own eyes. The immensely ascetic rishi Markandeya — rendered immortal by dharma, immeasurable in soul — had come to them. Vyasa, Vasishtha, Maitreya, Narada, Lomasha, Shuka — rishis whose minds were virtuous, who had obtained success through dharma alone. She had seen them herself, possessing the powers of divine yoga, capable of every curse and boon, superior to the gods themselves. They had always told him that dharma alone was the task to be followed. "Out of the confusion of passion or because your mind is agitated," he said, "you should not doubt the creator or dharma, or censure them." He described what happens to a man who doubts dharma. Such a man finds nothing else against which he can measure himself. He considers himself as the measure and proudly debases the superior. He thinks like a child that the world connected with pleasuring the senses alone is real, and is deluded about everything else. There is no atonement for one who doubts dharma. Despite all his reflections, there are no worlds for such a mean and evil one. The ignorant one who does not acknowledge what has been proved, who criticizes the meaning given to the Vedas and the sacred texts, who is addicted to desire and avarice — that man descends into hell. "But he who unquestioningly and with a steady mind follows the path of dharma obtains eternity in the hereafter." He told her not to doubt the dharma followed by the righteous, which had been recounted by the ancient rishis who knew everything and could see everything. "Like a boat to a merchant who wishes to cross to the other shore of an ocean, dharma is the only boat that takes one to heaven and there is nothing else." Then he made his argument plain: if the dharma followed by those who observe dharma had no fruit, then this entire universe would have been immersed in darkness and would not have been established. No one would have progressed towards salvation. Everyone would have lived the life of animals. There would only have been restraints and nothing would have been earned or gained. If austerities, brahmacharya (celibacy), sacrifices, studying, generosity and honesty did not have their fruits, then the ancient ones and those who came before them would not have observed these. If these deeds did not have fruits, there would have been extreme confusion. "Why do rishis, gods, gandharvas (celestial musicians), asuras (demons), rakshasas (demonic beings) and all the other powerful lords follow dharma so assiduously? It is because they know that the creator will give the supreme fruits to those who follow dharma." He told her to remember the circumstances of her own birth, as she had heard them. She also knew how the powerful Dhrishtadyumna was born. That was sufficient proof. "The fruits of deeds, both good and evil, and their origins and ends are mysteries to even the gods. No one knows them. Beings are in darkness about them. They are protected by the gods and the maya (divine illusion) of the gods is deep. Brahmanas who are lean of form, righteous in their vows and are austere, and having burnt down their sins are of a serene mind — they can see them. Not being able to see the fruit, one should not doubt dharma or the gods." He told her what Brahma had told his sons, what rishi Kashyapa had known: deeds have their fruits. That is the eternal dharma. "Therefore, let your doubt be destroyed like the mist. Deciding that this is the way it is, give up your atheism. Do not speak ill of the supreme god who is the preserver of all beings. Learn about him. Worship him. Do not have the kind of thoughts you have had. It is through the grace of the supreme god that faithful mortals can tread the path of the immortals. Do not disregard him in any way."