YAKSHA PRASHNAM The Secret Code of The Yakshan For A

by Swetha Sundaram

Yaksha Prashna Parva is a chapter from the Mahabharata. The five Pandava brothers at the end of their exile period of 12 years are approached by a Brahmin for help asking them to retrieve the arani wood used for conducting fire sacrifice which had been stolen by a deer. The five Pandavas pursue the deer but unable to retrieve the wood, they become exhausted and thirsty. Yudhishtirar the eldest of the five brothers sends each one of his younger brothers one by one in search of water. The four Pandavas arrive at the banks of a beautiful pond one after the other. They are cautioned by a crane to not drink the water without seeking permission but the brothers do not listen to the crane. They fall dead as soon as they drink the water. Finally, Yudhishtirar comes in search of his brothers. He is cautioned by the crane. Unlike his brothers, he obeys the crane. The crane turns in to a Yakshan a class of powerful divine being as tall as a palm tree. The Yakshan asks Yudhishtirar a series of riddles and adds that Yudhishtirar may drink water only if he answers correctly to the questions.
The question of the Yakshan along with Yudhishtirar's answers contain many esoteric meanings which are examined in this book.

145 pages, ebook

About the author

Swetha Sundaram lives in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. She is an Instrumentation and Controls Engineer working in Calgary. She graduated from B.S. in Engineering Honours Program from University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada. She has traveled to many countries and has lived in many different cities. Apart from writing, her hobbies also include sketching, gardening and reading. She has been successful in growing vegetables in Calgary in the short growing season.
She was born in the temple city of Sri Rangam in Tamil Nadu, India. From childhood she has been influenced by the Sri Vaishnavite philosophy. With her background and upbringing in the Sri Vaishnavite philosophy, she felt should write about Lord Krishna for the modern day readers. She is interested to know about ancient cultures. Her interests led her to study more about the ancient Vedic culture. She listens to many traditional lectures on Sanathana Dharma. She has been writing about some key points of Sanathana Dharma on her blog.
She fondly recalls listening to stories from the life of Swami Ramanujacharyar narrated to her by her parents at dinner time. Like any child raised in a Hindu household, she loved to listen to stories about Lord Krishna. She wished to make some of the stories she had heard from childhood available in a format appreciated by present day youth.