The Lake of Death
Part 1 / Chapter 34 / 83 chapters
The Lake of Death
moves to protect the Pandavas by begging 's natural armor and earrings, while warns in a dream and tells him to ask for 's Sakti weapon in return. keeps his vow of charity, gives up the armor, and receives the one-use weapon. In the final part of exile, the Pandavas pursue a deer that has taken a Brahmin's fire-sticks and come to a lake where , , , and each ignore a warning voice and fall dead. answers the Yaksa's questions, chooses to be revived out of fairness to , and learns the Yaksa is Dharma. Dharma restores all the brothers, grants that they will pass the thirteenth year unrecognized, and grants 's wish to master avarice, folly, and anger while remaining devoted to charity, asceticism, and truth.
This guide follows Krishna Dharma's retelling as the source of truth. This panel notes broad edition-level framing or compression that helps a reader orient themselves.
- 1
plans to weaken
As the Pandavas pass their twelfth year in , decides to help them by begging 's natural armor and earrings in disguise.
- 2
warns
appears to in a dream, warns that will come as a Brahmin, and urges not to give away the armor that protects his life.
- 3
chooses fame and truth
refuses to break his vow of charity even when says the gift will cost him his life, insisting that dishonor would be worse than death.
- 4
advises the exchange
When will not refuse , tells him to ask for the infallible Sakti dart in exchange for the armor and earrings.
- 5
asks for the armor
A few days later, comes to at the Ganges as a Brahmin and asks only for the armor and earrings.
- 6
receives the Sakti
asks for the Sakti in return. grants it as a one-use weapon and warns that it should be used only in the gravest danger.
- 7
gives up his protection
cuts away his armor and earrings, gives them to , and remains unscarred by 's boon.
- 8
A Brahmin loses his fire-sticks
Near the end of the forest exile in , a distressed Brahmin asks to recover the fire-sticks and ritual items carried away by a deer.
- 9
The deer escapes
The Pandavas pursue the deer but cannot catch it. Tired and thirsty, they rest under a banyan tree while sends to look for water.
- 10
and fall
finds a lake but drinks after ignoring a warning voice and falls dead. follows, sees , ignores the same warning, and also falls dead.
- 11
and fall
attacks the unseen speaker before drinking and falling dead. then comes to the lake, assumes a hidden enemy is responsible, drinks despite the warning, and falls as well.
- 12
meets the Yaksa
finds his brothers motionless by the lake, reasons that no ordinary enemy could have done this, and agrees to answer the questions of the being who owns the water.
- 13
answers the questions
The Yaksa questions on wisdom, dharma, and spiritual life, and answers steadily until the Yaksa is satisfied.
- 14
chooses
When offered one brother's life, asks for so that both and may each still have a living son.
- 15
Dharma restores the Pandavas
The Yaksa reveals himself as Dharma, restores all four brothers, returns the Brahmin's fire-sticks, and grants that the Pandavas will pass their incognito year unrecognized. At Dharma's invitation, also asks always to overcome avarice, folly, and anger and remain inclined to charity, asceticism, and truth; Dharma grants it.