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| Yudhishthira | |
|---|---|
 Yudhishthira (centre) and Draupadi seated on a throne, while the other Pandavas surround them, a print by Ravi Varma Press, c. 1910 | |
| In-universe information | |
| Position |
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| Weapon | Spear, Sword, Bow |
| Family | Dharma (father) Pandu (adoptive father) Kunti (mother) Madri (step-mother) (brothers) |
| Spouse | Draupadi Devika[1] |
| Children |
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| Relatives | |
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| Hinduism |
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Yudhishthira (Sanskrit: युधिष्ठिर, IAST: Yudhiṣṭhira) also known as Dharmaraja, was the king of Indraprastha and later the King of Kuru Kingdom in the epic Mahabharata. He is the eldest among the five Pandavas, and is also one of the central characters of the epic.[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. Yudhishthira held a belief in dharma (morals and virtues) and was chosen to be the crown prince of Kuru. But after the Lakshagriha incident, he was presumed to be dead and his cousin Duryodhana was appointed as the new heir. The kingdom was split in half due to a succession dispute between Yudhishthira and Duryodhana. Yudhishthira received the barren half, which he later transformed into the magnificent city of Indraprastha.[3]
Yudhishthira and his brothers had a polyandrous marriage with Draupadi, the princess of Panchala, who became the empress of the Indraprastha. After Yudhishthira performed the Rajasuya Yagna, he was invited to play a game of dice by his jealous cousin, Duryodhana and his uncle, Shakuni. 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. After the game, the Pandavas and Draupadi were sent into exile for thirteen years, with the last year requiring them to go incognito. During his exile, Yudhisthira was tested by his divine father Yama. For the last year of the exile known as Agyaata Vaasa, Yudhishthira disguised himself as Kanka and served the King of Matsya Kingdom.[4]
Yudhishthira was the leader of the successful Pandava faction in the Kurukshetra War and defeated many venerable warriors such as Shalya. He then ruled the Kuru Kingdom for 36 years until announcing his retirement. At the end of the epic, he was the only one among his brothers to ascend to heaven while retaining his mortal body.[5]
- ^ "The Mahabharata, Book 1: Adi Parva: Sambhava Parva: Section XCV". Archived from the original on 16 January 2010.
- ^ "The Mahabharata".
- ^ "The Mahabharata, Book 2: Sabha Parva: Section I".
- ^ "The Mahabharata, Book 4: Virata Parva: Section I".
- ^ "The Mahabharata, Book 17: Mahaprasthanika Parva: Section III".