Looking for one Yudhistra Story

kmsubbu · January 17, 2005

I remember hearing one story like this:

There is a homicide. People from all the four castes are involved in it: Kshatriyas, Brahmins, Vaisyas and Sudhras.

Yudhistra would give them DIFFERENT punishments!

Can anyone recall and tell me the whole story.

Thanks

Subbu

January 17, 2005

i don't remember exactly, but they were of 4 diff castes - the premise being that all four had four very different and very precise/strict DUTY to play in society. Each one neglected that duty to some level. The Brahmin, for example, is supposed to be someone who expounds Vedic Truth to the people and therefore should be of some major stature, setting an example to the people. His crime therefore is the worst and so deserved the death penalty. This is the law as layed down by Manu.

Similarly the Kshatriya's DUTY is to protect the people - not kill them. So he got a punishment that is proportional not only to his crime but the job he was supposed to do, and so on for the other 2 men. In answering like this, Yudhistira showed his supreme knowledge of Manu's law over Duryodhana and so "secured" his position as the Crown Prince.

January 17, 2005

yes...this was when Dhrtarastra had to choose the crown prince. So prisoners of the four different castes where brought to court. When Yudhistir was asked to pass judment first he said that Dhuryodhan being younger should be given the first opportunity to proove eligibility as crown prince. The crime of the prisoners was murder. Dhuryodhana said immediately after hearing what was the reason for their conviction that they have to be sentenced to death. Yudhisthir however punished them according to what the devotee's message above says.