यक्ष उवाच अहं ते जनकस्तात धर्मो5मृदुपराक्रम । त्वां दिदृक्षुरनुप्राप्तो विद्धि मां भरतर्षभ,यक्षने कहा--प्रचण्ड पराक्रमी भरतश्रेष्ठ तात! युधिष्छिर! मैं तुम्हारा जन्मदाता पिता धर्मराज हूँ। तुम्हें देखनेकी इच्छासे ही मैं यहाँ आया हूँ, मुझे पहचानो
yakṣa uvāca | ahaṁ te janakas tāta dharmo 'mṛdu-parākrama | tvāṁ didṛkṣur anuprāpto viddhi māṁ bharatarṣabha ||
Yakṣa berkata: “Wahai anakku—wahai putera Dharma, yang keberaniannya tidak mengenal lunak—ketahuilah aku, wahai lembu jantan kaum Bharata. Akulah yang memperanakkanmu: Dharma sendiri. Kerana hasrat untuk melihatmu, aku datang ke sini; kenalilah aku.”
यक्ष उवाच
Dharma is not merely an abstract rule but a living moral authority that tests, guides, and ultimately reveals itself to the steadfast. The verse frames righteousness as intimate and parental—Dharma claims Yudhiṣṭhira as his son—highlighting that ethical integrity draws the grace and recognition of Dharma itself.
In the Yakṣa episode at the forest lake, the enigmatic Yakṣa who questioned Yudhiṣṭhira discloses his true identity: he is Dharma (Dharmarāja), Yudhiṣṭhira’s divine father. He explains that he came specifically to see and assess him, marking a turning point from testing to revelation.