The Yaksha asked questions on various subjects.
The Sun
The Yaksha’s first set of questions were:
Who is it that makes the sun rise?
Who keeps him company?
What causes him to set?
And in what is he established?
Yudhishthir realized that in these questions the sun wasbeing used as a metaphor for the soul. He said that Brahma makes the sun rise. The rising of the sun signified the purification of the soul. The soul is purified through the learning of the Vedas, which were created by Brahma. To the second question Yudhishthir replied that the gods keep him company. The purification of the soul is accompanied by good or god-like conduct. The reply to the third question was Dharma causes him to set. Here setting implies the permanent merging of the soul with the param atma. Only when the soul has passed through the observances of morality or Dharma will it merge with the param atma. The param atma is the Truth and therefore Yudhishthir’s answer to the last question was that the sun is established in Truth.
Learning
By what does one become learned?
By what does he attain that is very great?
How can one have a second companion?
How can one acquire intelligence?
Yudhishthir replied that it is by the study of the Shruti texts that a person becomes learned. The Shruti are the texts that embody the learning revealed to the ancient sages by their observing the universe. In order to attain their supernatural powers the ancient sages had to undertake severe austerities as well. This was Yudhishthir’s reply to the second question. Yudhishthir replied to the third question that it is through intelligence that a person acquires a second companion. An intelligent person can seek out answers without the help of others. Therefore intelligence acts as a substitute for other helpers or companions. Finally Yudhishthir said that one acquires intelligence by serving the old by benefiting from their wisdom and experience.
The Brahmins
The next two sets of questions pertain to the attributes of the Brahmins and the Kshatriyas.
What constitutes the divinity of the Brahmins?
What practice of theirs makes them pious?
What is the human attribute of the Brahmins?
What practice of theirs makes them impious?
Here divinity is used in the sense of an attribute that sets the Brahmins apart from the other castes. Yudhishthir’s answer was the learning of the Vedas because the other castes did not engage in religious study. Yudhishthir’s reply to the second question was the ascetic behavior of the Brahmins makes them pious. By ascetic behavior it was meant simple living without accumulation of wealth. The attribute that Brahmins share with other humans is that they too are mortal and this was Yudhishthir’s third reply. A Brahmin who speaks ill of others and that too without cause engages in unbecoming behavior and hence Yudhishthir replied that slander is the impiety for the Brahmins.
The Kshatriyas
What constitutes the divinity of the Kshatriyas?
What practice of theirs makes them pious?
What is their human attribute?
What practice of theirs makes them impious?
Yudhishthir’s replies were that the ability to use weapons is the divinity of the Kshatriyas. The sacrifices conducted by the Kshatriyas are their pious activities. That they are afraid is their human attribute. Their refusal to protect those in need constitutes acts of impiety.
From the replies to the last two sets of questions it can be seen that society expected different behavior for the Brahmins and the Kshatriyas and had different benchmarks for judging them.
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