Vyasa

Aranyaka Parva›The Abduction of the Pandavas by Jatasura

Yudhishthira Reproves Jatasura During Abduction

Why "Minor"?

Causal ReachTop 99%
Character WeightTop 97%
State ChangeTop 95%
Narrative RecallTop 50%

~1 min read

While being carried off by the rakshasa Jatasura, Yudhishthira does not struggle — he speaks. He delivers a lengthy moral reproach, arguing that rakshasas should not harm kings who have offered shelter and food, and challenges Jatasura to return their weapons and fight fairly. His weight bears down on the rakshasa, slowing his flight.

While he was being abducted, Dharmaraja Yudhishthira spoke to the rakshasa. "O stupid one! Dharma declines in you, but you do not see it. Whether one is a human or whether one belongs to an inferior species — the gandharvas, the yakshas and the rakshasas, birds and animals — all draw their sustenance from humans. And so do you. If there is prosperity in our world, there is prosperity in your world too. If our world suffers, the gods suffer along with us. They prosper through worship and oblations to the gods and the ancestors, offered through rituals. "O rakshasa! We are the guardians and the protectors of the kingdom. If kingdoms are unprotected, how can there be prosperity? How can there be happiness? Unless there has been an act of injury, no rakshasa should ever harm a king. O one who lives off men! We have not committed the least bit of injury. "One should never injure friends and those who are trustful — those whose food has been partaken of and those who have provided shelter. You found shelter with us. We showed you honour and you lived happily. O one who is not wise! Having partaken of our food, how can you abduct us? "Since your conduct is fruitless, your age is fruitless and your intelligence is fruitless, you deserve a fruitless death — and these words will not be fruitless today. If you are truly evil-minded and devoid of all dharma, then return our weapons and win Draupadi after vanquishing us in battle. But if you are driven by ignorance in your mind and persist in performing this act, you will follow that which is not dharma and will only obtain ill fame in this world. "O rakshasa! You have today laid your hands on this human woman. It is as if you have stirred up a vessel and drunk poison from it." Then Yudhishthira bore down heavily on him. Oppressed by this weight, the rakshasa could not travel very fast.

Aranyaka Parva, Chapter 451