1. Yudhishthira, known as Dharmaputra, is the eldest among the five Pandavas, and is one of the central characters of the ancient Indian epic Mahabharata.
59 Facts About Yudhishthira
1. 2.
Yudhishthira was the son of Kunti, the first wife of King Pandu, fathered by the god Yama due to Pandu's inability to have children.
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Yudhishthira held a strong belief in dharma and was chosen as the crown prince of Kuru.
4.
Yudhishthira received the barren half, which he later transformed into the magnificent city of Indraprastha.
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Shakuni, a master at the game, represented Duryodhana against Yudhishthira and manipulated him into gambling his kingdom, wealth, the freedom of his brothers, Draupadi, and even himself.
6.
Yudhishthira was the leader of the successful Pandava faction in the Kurukshetra War and defeated many venerable warriors such as Shalya.
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Yudhishthira then ruled the Kuru Kingdom for 36 years until announcing his retirement.
8.
Yudhishthira's life changed abruptly after a hunting accident led to a curse: intimacy with his wives would mean instant death.
9.
Yudhishthira urged Kunti to invoke her boon again, leading to Bhima's birth from Vayu and Arjuna's from Indra.
10.
Yudhishthira's boyhood is mainly detailed in the Southern recension of the Mahabharata, according to which Kashyapa, a priest associated with Vasudeva, conducted Yudhishthira's upanayana, while Rajarshi Shuka trained him in spear warfare during this time.
11.
When Yudhishthira noticed Bhima missing, he alerted Kunti; Bhima soon returned, recounting his ordeal in Nagaloka and his escape.
12.
Yudhishthira wisely advised his brothers to keep the incident secret.
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In Hastinapura, the Pandavas trained under Kripa and later Drona, their preceptor, with Yudhishthira excelling in chariot warfare.
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Yudhishthira, warned by his uncle Vidura's coded message, deterred followers but prepared an escape.
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Later, when Arjuna defeated the gandharva Chitraratha in combat, Yudhishthira counseled Arjuna to release him.
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Yudhishthira offered Draupadi to Arjuna, but Arjuna deferred to the eldest.
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Mindful of Vyasa's tale and their shared affection, Yudhishthira agreed to Kunti's proposal.
18.
Yudhishthira was the daughter of king Govasana of the Sivi Kingdom.
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The divine sage Narada visited and, addressing the shared marriage to Draupadi, advised that she spend one year with each brother in turn, a rule Yudhishthira implemented to ensure harmony.
20.
When Krishna departed for Dvaraka, Yudhishthira drove his chariot, replacing Krishna's charioteer Daruka.
21.
When Narada visited , he conveyed Pandu's post-mortem wish for Yudhishthira to perform the Rajasuya, an ancient Vedic ritual of royal consecration, entirely narrated in the Sabha Parva.
22.
Yudhishthira dispatched his brothers on a Digvijaya : Arjuna to the north, Bhima to the east, Nakula to the west, and Sahadeva to the south, subduing rival kings and securing tribute.
23.
Yudhishthira instructed Sahadeva to summon kings and Brahmins, dispatching messengers across the realms subdued in the Digvijaya.
24.
Yudhishthira lost again to Shakuni, and this time, Draupadi accepted the outcome without protest.
25.
Yudhishthira later explained to Vidura that duty compelled him, yet he admitted to Bhima a desire to claim Duryodhana's half of the kingdom, driven by overconfidence.
26.
Some time after going to the forests, Yudhishthira became troubled upon realising that he was unable to feed the Brahmanas who followed him to the forests.
27.
The god gifted a copper plate, the Akshaya Patra, to Yudhishthira, saying that any food cooked in that vessel would be inexhaustible, until Draupadi finished her daily meal.
28.
Yudhishthira blessed Yudhishthira that the latter would regain his kingdom fourteen years later.
29.
Sage Vyasa imparts the Pratismriti to Yudhishthira and tells him to pass it down to Arjuna.
30.
Brihadashva advises Yudhishthira not give in to misery despite the wretched conditions he lives in.
31.
Meanwhile, a worried Yudhishthira searched for Bhima and found him at the mercy of the snake.
32.
Nahusha posed questions on spirituality to Yudhishthira and was satisfied with his answers.
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Yudhishthira narrated many stories to Yudhishthira, including the characteristics of the Yugas, the story of King Shibi, and the story of Savitri and Satyavan.
34.
Yudhishthira narrated the story of Rama to Yudhishthira, and discoursed on spiritual philosophy.
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Yudhishthira went in last, answered many questions put forth to him by the Yaksha.
36.
Yudhishthira said he already got the strength, wealth and power when all his four brothers were revived and said he could not ask for any other wish.
37.
Yudhishthira disguised himself as a Brahmin named Kanka and advised the game of dice to the king.
38.
When King Virata returned from his battle, the identities of all Pandavas were revealed, and Yudhishthira congratulated the marriage between Princess Uttara and Abhimanyu, as Arjuna has suggested.
39.
Yudhishthira made numerous diplomatic efforts to retrieve his kingdom peacefully but in vain.
40.
The flag of Yudhishthira's chariot bore the image of a golden moon with planets around it.
41.
Yudhishthira was described to be an excellent javelin-fighter and to have surpassed everyone as a car-warrior.
42.
Drona and Yudhishthira would engage in an archery duel which would end up as a stalemate.
43.
Yudhishthira was one of 5 individuals who witnessed Drona's spirit leaving his body.
44.
Arjuna, enraged from Yudhishthira's insult, attempted to kill him with his sword but was stopped from doing so due to Krishna's intervention.
45.
Yudhishthira proposed a final challenge to Duryodhana, to a battle against any of the Pandavas under any weapon of Duryodhana's desire.
46.
Yudhishthira promised Duryodhana that should he win, he would reign as the next King of Hastinapura.
47.
When Bhima finally defeated Duryodhana and started insulting his nemesis, Yudhishthira became sufficiently displeased with his brother's disrespect and ordered Bhima off the battleground.
48.
Ultimately, Yudhishthira heard out Duryodhana's final conversation and lamentation, before leaving the fallen Kauravas' overlord on his deathbed.
49.
Yudhishthira then cremated the former protector of Hastinapur in a great ceremony.
50.
Yudhishthira cites Draupadi's partiality for Arjuna, Sahadeva's pride in his wisdom, Nakula's vanity in his beauty, Arjuna's boastfulness of his archery, and Bhima's negligence of the needs of others while eating as the reasons for their fall.
51.
Finally, it was Yudhishthira who was able to reach the top, with the dog accompanying him.
52.
Indra retorts that he has abandoned his brothers and wife to reach the top of the Himalayas, but Yudhishthira said he could not prevent their deaths, but to abandon a poor creature was a great sin.
53.
Yudhishthira, enraged, decides that he would rather live in Hell with his family than in Heaven with his cousins.
54.
Indra reveals that Yudhishthira has been shown a glimpse of Hell due to deceiving Drona with his white lie.
55.
Yudhishthira was master in javelin-fighting and chariot racing, alongside being a skilled archer.
56.
Yudhishthira was a hero known for his honesty, justice, sagacity, tolerance, good behavior and discernment.
57.
Yudhishthira could burn down anyone into ashes when he sees someone with his wrath and anger.
58.
Yudhishthira closed his eyes and came out of the gambling hall even when he lost everything.
59.
Yudhishthira's austerities are great; he is devoted to Brahmacharya practices.