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1. Yudhishthir As a King
2. Yudhishthir in Exile
3. Yudhishthir in A-Gyaatvaas
4. Yudhishthir in War

Yudhishthir's Role in Viraat's Court
Raajaa Viraat was a lazy King so his wife's brother Keechak used to manage his kingdom's affair. Once he came to Viraat Nagar and saw Draupadee in his sister's chambers. He got attracted to her and asked Sudeshnaa to send her to his palace. Sudeshnaa tried her best to convince him that she was not that type of woman but he said - "I cannot live without her, you send her, otherwise I will die." Sudeshnaa had to send her there but as Keechak misbehaved with her, she ran away towards the royal court and complained about him to Raajaa Virat, but nobody could do anything. Everybody got very angry but it was only Yudhishthir who kept unusual patience and managed the whole affair softly. But Draupadee couldn't tolerate this at all and she complained this to Bheem. Bheem planned to kill Keechak along with her. Bheem killed Keechak and this opened the secret of Paandav's A-Gyaatvaas.

In fact since the A-Gyaatvaas began, Duryodhan was always looking for an opportunity in which he could identify them, because this could send them to another 13 years of exile. So he had spread many spies to identify Paandav but the whole time was passing and nobody was able to identify them. This was making Duryodhan nervous and angry. During these distressed moments, once one spy brought this news that Viraat Nagar's Keechak was killed. This news made Duryodhan jump in joy; because there were only four people who were mightier than Indra and they all were equally mighty - Shalya, Bheem, Daaoo (Balaraam) and Bheem (MBH, O-4/25). Since others were at their places, it could only be Bheem who killed him.

As Duryodhan came to know this he got very happy that now Paandav would have to go for exile again. First he conspired and asked Susharmaa to drive away some cows from the border of the Matsya Desh. To retrive the cows, Raajaa Viraat had to go himself to rescue the cows. On the advice of Yudhishthir, Yudhishthir, Bheem, Nakul and Sahadev also went with him. Although Viraat did not consider a cook, or a courtier, or the caretakers of cows and horses woth taking in battle ground but he had to agree with Yudhishthir. So all went to fight. Now there was nobody who could take are of the Matsya kingdom, so if he attacked the kingdom now, either Paandav had to come to face him or they will win the kingdom. So he took the permission from Dhritraashtra to attack Viraat Nagar as it was now without Raajaa.

Thus after they had left Duryodhan attacked Viraat Nagar. Only Uttar, Viraat's youngest son, was left at home so only he had to go to face them. He was very enthusiastic to fight with Kaurav army, but Draupadee convinced him anyhow to take Brihannalaa along with him saying that "Kaurav army is very fierce and many Mahaarthee are there, it will be better if you take Brihannalaa with you as Saarathee. He will be helpful." Uttar laughed heartily and said - "What that eunuch will do in fighting? Does he know even driving a Rath let alone fighting? He might not be knowing even how to hold bow or sword." But still Draupadee was able to convince him to take Brihannalaa along with him. So both set off to face Kaurav army - Uttar as a warrior and Brihannalaa as his Saarathee.

As they reached in battlefield, Uttar started trembling with fear seeing those warriors. Then Brihannalaa consoled him and said - "Don't worry, we will fight." Uttar was not ready at all but Arjun stopped him going back like a coward. So they went to that Shamee tree on which Paandav hid their weapons. He took his own bow and arrow, invoked his own chariot and went to face them. Uttar was greatly surprised to know that Brihannalaa was nobody else than Arjun himself. Nobody could defeat Arjun so all ran away. Arjun requested Uttar not to open this secret yet on anybody. So after reaching Viraat Nagar it was declared that Uttar won this battle.

In the war it was difficult to kill Drone, so Paandav were thinking about as how to kill him. Krishn suggested that there was only one way to kill him. Drone used to love his son Ashwatthaamaa very much. Once he said - "If I hear the news of Ashwatthaamaa's death in the battlefield, I will drop my weapons and leave fighting." (Krishn remembered that and He wanted to take advantage of it). So if somebody assured him that Ashwatthaamaa had died, he would kee his weapons down and would not fight. And everybody also knew that Ashwatthaamaa was immortal. Now who would take that risk? Krishn suggested Yudhishthir's name that if he could tell this to him they could stop the destruction of their army, because Drone could only believe Yudhishthir, but Yudhishthir was not ready to tell such a big lie.

Then Krishn said - "It will not be a lie as such also, because there is an elephant named Ashwatthaamaa. We will kill him and Yudhishthir will say only "Ashwatthaamaa is killed". So neither it will be a truth, nor it will be a lie." But Yudhishthir's conscious didn't allow to say this too. But later on for his own victory he got ready to tell this lie. When the time came Krishn asked him to shout this, but Yudhishthr could not shout this, so after a while Bheem killed the elephant named Ashwatthaamaa and shouted "Ashwatthaamaa died, Ashwatthaamaa died."

Drone heard that but couldn't believe that "Ashwatthaamaa has died". But on assuring several times he said - "If Yudhishthir says this, I can believe it." Then Yudhishthir said lowering his eyes "Yes, Ashwatthaamaa has died." distinctly and then "elephant" very indistinctly in a very low voice. Drone just sat down as if he was lifeless and couldn't get up again. Krishn asked Dhrishtdymn to shoot arrows at him. He said - "It is against the war rules." Krishn said - "There is nothing happening here in this war according to rules." So Dhrishtdyumn shot arrows. Drone had known that his Time had come, his weapons had left him, so he practiced Yog ad left his body. When Dhrishtdyumn shot arrows at him, he had already left this world.

After this he sincerely kept Dhritraashtra and Gaandhaaree in Hastinaapur. They lived there happily. He daily used to go to touch his feet before going to royal court. But one day Vidur asked them to leave the palace and get ready to go to Heaven, so Dhitraashtra, Gaandhaaree and Kuntee left the palace without telling anybody. When they went away to forest on the advice of Vidur, Yudhishthir blamed himself for this that he could not serve them properly. But he got assured when Vidur explained him everything.

According to MBH and Bhaagvat Puraan (12/2/3), Yudhishthir ruled Hastinaapur for 36 years before the Kali Yug started. Other sources also confirm this - Aaryabhteeya (1/5), Dhoosee Kaal (3179), Putuman Somayaa Jee's Karan Paddhati (

After some time Paandav also left for Heaven. All were dead on the way, but Yudhidhtir was the only one who went to Heaven with this mortal body.

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