He meets his biological mother late in the epic, and then discovers that he is the older half-brother of those he is fighting against. Dharma as the central theme of Mahabharata. He was the son of the king Pandu of Kuru and his first wife, Kunti and was blessed to the couple by the god Dharma, who is often identified with the death god Yama. Dharma, O King, is the root of existence. The King who rightly upholds dharma is indeed a King. It is because of his knowledge and him following his dharma that he is able to lead a life of a great king. Giving up all their belongings and ties, the Pandavas made their final journey of pilgrimage in the Himalayas. The old social order. It provides a theory of ठ र, IAST: Yudhiṣṭhira) is the first among the five Pandava brothers. Dharma is a set of rules for behavior or a code of conduct. All of the Pandavas and the Kauravas were warriors, or kshatriyas. There are 60 different Gitas out of which almost 20 are from Mahabharata and there are also some stand-alone Gitas, Gitas from the Puranas, Gitas from the Ramayana etc. Three Purusharthas in Mahabharata: G H Visweswara Page 1 PREFACE This work is a compilation on the topics of three Purusharthas viz Dharma, Artha & Kama (Pronounced as Kama), also known as trivarga of purusharthas.. Yudhisthira's questions, of course, are not limited to knowledge about raja-dharma. The Mahabharata stands to be one of the most celebrated epics of all times. If The Mahabharata must be the mind of Governance, then The Ramayana is its heart. The Mahabharata and Ramayana have a very high status among the spiritual texts, as they delineate the glory of Lord Vishnu as the manifestation in human form. Whatever birth caste one comes from, it is Kshatriya Dharma that must be followed if one wishes to wield power. Vyasa wrote Mahabharata. This is a compilation of the contents appearing in the great epic Mahabharata on the topics of Raja dharma, Governance & Administration. In the Ramayana, Lord Rama, the central protagonist, the There are many passages in the Mahabharata in which Yudhisthira's will to fight a bloody war for the sake of a kingdom falters, but Krishna justifies the war as moral and as the unavoidable duty of all moral warriors. Indra and Krishna appeared before him and told him that his brothers were already in Heaven, along with his enemies, for earthly virtues and vices don't hold true in heavenly realms. Out of his piousness, Yudhisthira retained Dhristarashtra as the king of the city of Hastinapura, and offered him complete respect and deference as an elder, despite his misdeeds and the evil of his dead sons. These texts form the foundation stones for Dharma tenets that are important to the Hindu way of life. Dharma in the Epics []. Rajdharma is a Sanskrit term for the "duty of the rulers". His reluctance to rule, his sense of the tragedy of war and the human condition impels Yudhisthira to seek Bhīma's advice both as the patriarch of the family, a warrior and as a great king who knows the true meaning of raja-dharma. READ MORE ABOUT MAHABHARATA GODS & HEROES. Raja Dharma In Mahabharata Shanti Parva With Hindi Tika 5424 Alm 24 Shlf 5 Gha Devanagari Mahabharata by eGangotri They account for contextualness of situation when Modern problems and ancient wisdom. Yudhisthira stepped back, refusing to leave behind the creature who he had taken under his protection. [citation needed]. Being Pandu's eldest son, Yudhisthira was the rightful heir to the throne. Mahabharata : Rajadharma, Governance & Administration. Krishna knew that Yudhisthira would be unable to lie, and had all the warriors beat war-drums and cymbals to make as much noise as possible. Also read: Ramayana Quotes, Bhagavad Gita Quotes & Lord Krishna Quotes 1. … Yudhisthira reproached himself for weakness of mind, but at the time he argued that it was impossible to refuse a challenge of any nature, as he was a kshatriya and obliged to stand by the kshatriya code of honour. Dharma-Raja and raja-dharma Yudhisthira is often called dharma-raja. Upon his return to Hastinapura, he was crowned king of both Indraprastha and Hastinapura. Back in the times when the epic took place, the caste system of India was still present. Several times I got to hear that Mahabharata battle fought in Kurukshetra is also famously known as Dharma-Yuddha. However, this claim was contested by the Dhritarashtra's son, Duryodhana. Yudhisthira was carried away on Indra's chariot. About The Book The idea of politics hardly finds an expression elsewhere as clearly as in Mahābhārata. The word ‘dharma’ first appears in the Rig Veda; but in a collection of a thousand hymns, the word dharma occurs less than a hundred times, making it not a very key concept. Then you can start reading Kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required. And so it is difficult to encapsulate in a short article. Bhishma's discourse from the bed of arrows, his dying words to the grieving prince who must now rule the empire echo the teachings of Krishna in the Bhagavad-gita and recapitulate the moral and spiritual meaning of entire work. Before he died, the Brahmin cursed the king himself to die at once, the minute he engaged in intercourse with one of his two wives. When the Pandavas came of age, King Dhritarashtra sought to avoid a conflict with his sons, the Kauravas, by giving Yudhisthira half the Kuru kingdom, albeit the lands which were arid, unprosperous and scantily populated, known as Khandavaprastha. At his sacrifice, Yudhisthira honored Krishna as the most famous and greatest personality. Krishna hatched a plan to tell Drona that his son Ashwathama had died, so that the invincible and destructive Kuru commander would give up his arms and thus could be killed. After the subjects, comes the King’s dynasty as a whole. The primary thrust in the Mahabharata is to teach us the nuances of dharma through the poignant love story of Shakuntala and king Dushyanta. One of the Parvas is the Raja Dharma Parva of Shanti Parva. These texts form the foundation stones for Dharma tenets that are important to the Hindu way of life. Those who follow these rules … The Gods told him that his brothers were in Naraka (hell) atoning their little sins, while Duryodhana was in heaven since he died at the blessed place of Kurukshetra. The plan was set in motion when Bhima killed an elephant named Ashwathama, and loudly proclaimed that Ashwathama was dead. Bhishma's teachings on raja-dharma are useful especially if we consider his teachings personally and take them as a form of self-help literature. Due to this curse, Pandu was unable to father children. Shanti parva recites many symbolic fables and tales, one of which is the fable of the fowler and the pigeons. In the war, the Kuru commander Drona was killing of thousands of Pandava warriors. Yudhisthira's four younger brothers were Bhima, (born by invoking Vayu); Arjuna, (born by invoking Indra); and the twins Nakula and Sahadeva, (born by invoking the Ashwini Gods). This was yet another illusion to test him on the one hand, and on other hand to enable him to atone for his sin of using deceit to kill Drona. The kings of all the countries where the horse wandered were asked to submit to Yudhisthira's rule or face war. Dharma Raja, a 1980 Indian Tamil film directed by M. A. Thirumugam People Dharma Raja, the Maharajah of Travancore from 1758 to 1798 Places Dharmaraja College, in Sri Lanka See also Devaraja Maha Thammaracha The word ‘dharma’ has multiple meanings. There are 60 different Gitas out of which almost 20 are from Mahabharata and there are also some stand-alone Gitas, Gitas from the Puranas, Gitas from the Ramayana etc. We bring you 26 Mahabharata quotes on life, war, karma, dharma and more. The true character of Yuddhisthira is revealed at the end of the Mahabharata. They may do their best to rule as saintly or "godly" kings, but these royals are not god-kings in the sense of the Egyptian pharaohs, the Roman Caesars, or even the Incan Atahualpa. Their discussion is wide-ranging and includes a number of different topics, but let's focus for a … In parvas where incidents feature prominently, there are fewer Gitas, sometimes none. Thanks to Shakuni's cheating, Yudhisthira lost each throw, eventually gambling away his kingdom, his wealth, his brothers and finally his wife. [citation needed]. Depending on how one counts, there are around 20 such Gitas in the Mahabharata. At that moment the dog changed into the God Dharma, his father, who was testing him...and Yudhisthira had passed with distinction. Instead he saw Duryodhana and his evil allies. In Mahabharata, dharma is conveyed for a society with it multi dimensional characters and their internal strife. From his childhood, Yudhishthira was greatly influenced by … Yudhisthira's father Pandu, the king of Hastinapura, soon after his marriage accidentally shot a Brahmin and his wife, mistaking them for deer, while the couple were making love. In!the!Mahabharata,theconcept!of!dharma!determines!all!of!the!events!that!occur!inthe! The conditions of the debt required the Pandavas to disguise themselves and not be discovered during the last year of exile. If Karna, the son of Kunti born before her marriage by invoking Surya is counted, Yudhisthira would be the second-eldest of five Pandava brothers. dharma raja concern | telugu mahabharatam episode 80 | untold history telugu | uht Yudhisthira is also known as Bharata (Descendent of the line of Bharata) and Ajatashatru (One Without Enemies). Yudhisthira's true prowess was shown in his unflinching adherence to satya (truth) and dharma (righteousness), which were more precious to him than any royal ambitions, material pursuits and family relations. Yudhisthira was trained in religion, science, administration and military arts by the Kuru preceptors Kripa and Drona. But Yudhisthira reached the mountain peak, because he was unblemished by sin or untruth. The Ramayana gives us the godly Ram as the ideal king, but the kings and princes who move through the pages of the Mahabharata are living and breathing human beings with all the sins and foibles of earthly mortals. Yudhisthira learned dice play from Narada Muni and assumed the guise of a brahmin courtier and dice player in the Matsya Rajya of king Virata. The eighth volume of the Mahabharata, however, is not just about raj dharma; it is also enlivened by the recounting of three well-known episodes from the Mahabharata. Gitas occur in parvas … Continue reading "A Road Map for … Quotes - Raja Dharma Parva The Mahabharata, Vol. The!Ethics!of!Dharmain!the!Mahabharata! If all peace efforts failed, war was therefore a most righteous course. It produces a comparative and critical study of the political thoughts in Mahabharata with the modern politics, finding its place in the history of political thought. The words "naro va kunjaro va" were lost in the tumult and the ruse worked. He was the principal protagonist of the Kurukshetra War, and for his unblemished piety, known as Dharmaraja (Most pious one). Yudhisthira's dharma was markedly distinct from that of other righteous kings. Emperors, Rulers, & Rajas do not govern for themselves, but for their subjects’ well-being. The origin of the State as well as the office of the king and the evolving of Raja Dharma -the law conferring power on the king to maintain the rule of law and the directives for the exercise of power -has been explained in Shantiparva of the Mahabharata.. Concepts of Danda, Dandaneethi, Dharma and Raja Dharma Shubham Srivastava dangerous to the existence of society itself According to the Mahabharata, as per the rules, the king must be ready to dispose even the smallest of matters.The king should be like a mother to his subjects and should be willing to make any sacrifices in their interest. Yudhisthira made numerous diplomatic efforts to retrieve his kingdom peacefully; all failed. The King upholding dharma is the very epitome of ethical conduct. 8 Translated by Bibek Debroy [Unabridged English translation of the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute's Critical Edition of the Mahabharata] T his is a selection of quotes from the Raja Dharma Parva. The dharma of a raja had three qualities: punishing, protecting, donating. Rajadharma Parva is the 84th of the 100 Upa Paras (Sections), situated in the 12th (Shanti Parva) of the 18 Maha Parvas (Books) of Vyasa Mahabharata. On reaching Heaven he did not find either his virtuous brothers or his wife Draupadi. Read reviews from world’s largest community for readers. Arjuna, Bhima, Nakula and Sahadeva led armies across the four corners of the world to obtain tributes from all kingdoms for Yudhisthira's sacrifice. The Asura architect Mayasura constructed the Mayasabha, which was the largest regal assembly hall in the world. Rajadharma in Mahabharata book. Yudhisthira's questions, of course, are not limited to knowledge about raja-dharma. This work thus investigates the political thought explicit in Śānti-Parva and emphasizes that Mahābhārata is a text in the study of politics, apart from the perception of it being a great epic and a text of high literary value. Dushyanta was a powerful and virtuous king. Bhishma said, ‘Utathya [Brihaspati’s elder brother], the son of Angiras, was … While climbing the peaks, one by one Draupadi and each Pandava in reverse order of age fell to their deaths, dragged down by the weight of their guilt of few, but real sins. Dharmaraja refers to several things in Buddhism and Hinduism: The Vidura-Niti is a renowned book on political He was a master of the spear weapon, and a maharatha, capable of combating 10,000 opponents all together at a time. Following which, the yajna is completed successfully. Upon the onset of the Kali yuga and the death of Krishna, Yudhisthira and his brothers retired, leaving the throne to their only descendant to survive the war of Kurukshetra, Arjuna's grandson Parikshita. When Sisupala's transgressions exceed the hundred pardons that Krishna had promised his mother, Krishna summons the sudarshana chakra to behead him. The creatures are grounded in the King. Yudhisthira told him: "Ashwathama has died". Dharma in the Epics [] The Hindu religion and philosophy, claims Daniel Ingall, places major emphasis on individual practical morality. He rules, as Kunti tells Krishna, by conciliation, giving gifts, causing division, using force and strategy. In the great Hindu epic Mahabharata, Yudhisthira was the eldest son of King Pandu and Queen Kunti, king of Hastinapura and Indraprastha, and World Emperor. Each god, when invoked, would place a child in her lap. And he refused to go to heaven without the dog. This work is focused on both the primary and secondary writings on Mahabharata, by enquiring the basic political principles in Santi-Parva. Urged by Pandu to use her invocations, Kunti gave birth to Yudhisthira by invoking the Lord of Righteousness, Dharma. Rajadharma in Mahabharata: With Special Reference to Shanti-Parva (Reconstructing Enter your mobile number or email address below and we'll send you a link to download the free Kindle App. The concept of Rajadharma was introduced by one of the greatest epics of India, the Mahabharata. In this column, I will give bits from Utathya Gita. ‘Apad- Dharma (Dharma at the time of the crises) in the Mahabharata’ Abstract “Rightousness (Dharma ) sometimes takes the shape of unrighteousness (Adharma).” (The Mahabharata, Shanti Parva, Section CXLII) Karna parva ... Varnashram Dharma- Duties prescribed for a particular Varna in the Varna hierarchy. To go to war to reclaim his birthright would mean fighting and killing his own relatives, an idea that appalled Yudhisthira. Yudhisthira was criticized by Draupadi and Bhima for succumbing to temptation and playing dice, an art he was absolutely unskilled at, making the Pandavas prey to Shakuni and Duryodhana's evil designs. The Mahabharatha is the longest known epic poem and discribed as "the longest poem ever written" its longest version consists of … Due to his piety, Yudhisthira's feet and his chariot do not touch the ground, to symbolize his purity. Yudhisthira loyally went to Naraka (hell) to meet his brothers, but the sights and sounds of gore and blood horrified him. His conduct throughout the epic, as well as his conversation with the Yaksha, shows that he knows all about dharma, at least theoretically. All it teaches is to be a better human. Our texts, not just the Mahabharata, have several things to say about Raja Dharma. Yudhisthira was crowned king of Khandavaprastha and Indraprastha. The broader topics covered are: General principles of Governance, About Servants (employees), Administrative structures, System of Justice & punishments, Strategies in respect of enemies, … [citation needed] However, Yudhisthira himself killed Shalya, the king of Madra and the last Kuru commander. Yudhisthira decided to remain, ordering the Divine charioteer to return..preferring to live in hell with good people than in a heaven of evil ones. The dharma, according to the Mahabharata and as Karna's story illustrates, is sukshma (subtle) and subjective to circumstances. The dharma of kings and the yoga of self-discovery. The broader topics covered are: General principles of Governance, About Servants (employees), Administrative structures, System of Justice & punishments, Strategies in respect of enemies, Some sources describe him to be an adept warrior with the Spear. This concept was intrinsically entwined with the concept of bravery and Kshatriya dharma. In the epic, Yudhishthira becomes the emperor of Indraprastha and later of Kuru Kingdom. All paid tribute, once again establishing Yudhisthira as the undisputed Emperor of the World. The text (sloka) says: Dharme tishthanti bhutani dharmo raajani tishthanti \ Tarn raja sadhuyah shasti sa raja prithvipatiah18 \\ Another dharma that is given importance in the epic is the Raja-dharma. In the great Hindu epic Mahabharata, Yudhisthira was the eldest son of King Pandu and Queen Kunti, king of Hastinapura and Indraprastha, and World Emperor. It comprises of Raja Dharma or the duties of the ruler or hence the norms of governance; Apad dharma that is behaviour during times of crisis; Moksha dharma or liberation from birth; Dana dharma or liberality and charity. In the Second Book of Ramayana, for example, a peasant asks the King to do what dharma morally requires of him, the King agrees and does so even though his compliance with the law of dharma costs him dearly. His mother, Queen Kunti, had in her youth been granted the power to invoke the Devas by Rishi Durvasa. ... #261464 Mahabharata and Bhagavadgita In Mahabharata, Dharma is defined as moral and righteous behavior. Dharma in the Mahabharata In the Mahabharata, the word Dharma is mentioned quite frequently, generally used in the context of duty. Tempted to flee, he mastered himself and remained on hearing the voice of his beloved brothers and Draupadi...calling out to him, asking him to stay with them in their misery. Drona, knowing that only Yudhisthira, with his firm adherence to the truth, could tell him for sure if his son had died, approached Yudhisthira for confirmation. In the Mahabharata among all the parva, Shantiparva is more relevant to our present study because this parva deals with the duties of the king and the obligations of the subject, which is known as Raj dharma. According to Julian Woods, these stories suggest that the difficulty isn't really between "dharma and adharma", but rather "conflict between different dharmas". Themes of Dharma define both the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. The contents are extracted from the great epic Mahabharata. Bhishma is a kshatriya. Bhishma expounds his views of kingship with the flexibility and wisdom of a veteran warrior and general who has seen generations of rulers. Yudhisthira replied, "Draupadi and my brothers have left me, not me [them]." At the end of the war, Yudhisthira and the Pandava army emerged victorious, but Yudhisthira's children, the sons of Draupadi, and many Pandava heroes like Dhristadyumna, Abhimanyu, Virata, Drupada, Ghatotkacha were dead. In the present era, one has seen such conduct, though as the Mahabharata demonstrated, Neo-Dronas have been, must, and will be demolished to restore Dharma. Drona was disheartened, and laid down his weapons. It details upon Dharma (ethical value), Artha (material value), Kama (vital value), and Moksha (the infinite spiritual value of life). In another interpretation, Rajdharma proceeds to guide the individual to incorporate spirituality in his/her work life and in his personal life. Yudhisthira therefore was conceived in an unusual way. He was the son of the king Pandu of Kuru and his first wife, Kunti and was blessed to the couple by the god Dharma, who is often identified with the death god Yama. His religion is raja-dharma. “Time creates all things and time destroys them all. Note: The events described here take place in Shraddha Parva – the eighty-second minor Parva, and Raja Dharma Parva, the eighty-fourth minor Parva of the Mahabharata… महाभारते धर्मः ॥ Dharma in the Mahabharata. This incensed Sisupala, who proceeded to hurl several insults at Krishna and the Pandavas for selecting a "cowherd" for the great honor. धर म । Specific or Personal Dharma) - It refers to special duties as a husband, wife, child, student, teacher, farmer, business person, Raja, soldier, etc. EARLIER, I HAVE given the background to Gitas in the Mahabharata. To fully understand Bhishma's sense of honor we must look forward a number of centuries to the Japanese code of Bushido and the honor of the Samurai. Mahabharata : Purusharthas Mahabharata : Purusharthas is a compilation on the topics of Purusharthas in Mahabharata and includes only Dharma, Artha & Kama (Pronounced as Kaama) as they appear in the great epic Mahabharata.They are also known as trivarga of purusharthas.The fourth purushartha viz Moksha has been left out of the scope here. 3. 4. Rajdharma is a Sanskrit term for the "duty of the rulers". There are around 12 other Arthashastra texts which highlight the larger dharma of the king, political economics etc. This fable is recited in Chapters 143 through 147, by Bhishma to Yudhishthira, as a lesson on virtue, profit and desire: A wicked fowler made his living by capturing wild birds in the forest, by cruel means, and selling them for their meat or as pets. In Mahabharata, dharma is conveyed for a society with it multi dimensional characters and their internal strife. While most of know are quite familiar with the story of this epic, Mahabharata quotes bring out its pearls of wisdom. In this column, I will give bits from Utathya Gita. As Yudhisthira was about to step into the Chariot, the Deva told him to leave behind his companion dog, an unholy creature not worthy of heaven. Yudhisthira performed the tarpana ritual for the souls of the departed. One of the Parvas is the Raja Dharma Parva of Shanti Parva. This time, he, his brothers and his wife were forced to discharge the debt by spending thirteen years in exile, with the condition of anonymity in the last year, in the forest before they could reclaim their kingdom. Yudhisthira was unable to refuse when Duryodhana's maternal uncle Shakuni, challenged him to a game of dice. Owing to the protests of Vidura, Bhishma and Drona, Dhritarashtra returned all these losses. Yudhisthira later performed the Ashwamedha yagna (sacrifice) to re-establish the rule of dharma all over the world. But with the help of Yudhisthira's cousin Krishna, a new city, Indraprastha, was constructed by the Deva architect Viswakarman. When he spoke his half-lie, Yudhisthira's feet and chariot descended to the ground. Utathya Gita consists of two chapters from ‘Raja Dharma Parva’ and has 94 slokas. Dharma plays a prominent part not only in the Mahabharata, but in the entire literature of Hindu sacred texts, whether they are The Vedas composed by the ancient seers, or The Dhammapada, the most widely read of Buddhist Dharma plays a prominent part not only in the Mahabharata, but in the entire literature of Hindu sacred texts, whether they are The Vedas composed by the ancient seers, or The Dhammapada, the most widely read of Buddhist scriptures.For the purpose of this article The Mahabharata was singled out because it contains two important sermons on dharma, one expounded in The Bhagavad Gita, the other in The Dharma … In the Second Book of Ramayana, for example, a peasant asks the King to do what dharma morally requires of him, the King agrees and does so even though his compliance with the law of dharma costs him dearly. When a man stands for Dharma, all his relations fall under it and no matter what consequences he may face, all you need is to fight for Dharma. On the mountain peak, Indra, King of Gods, arrived to take Yudhisthira to heaven in his Golden Chariot. Yudhishthira always speaks in terms of not just himself but always including his brothers (the most significant being sharing a … It says that 'all Dharmas are merged in Raja Dharma, and it is therefore the Supreme Dharma.' Millions of warriors on both sides were killed. Rajadharma in Mahabharata: With Special Reference to Shanti-Parva Reconstructing Indian History and Culture Reconstructing Indian History and Culture Author Priyanka Pandey Publisher DK Printworld (P) Ltd, 2019 ISBN He was then killed by Dhristadyumna. This is reinforced in the Shanti Parva of the Mahabharata. However, Shakuni challenged Yudhisthira one more time, and Yudhisthira once more lost. In the Sanskrit epics, this concern is omnipresent. However Yudhisthira could not make himself tell a lie, despite the fact that if Drona continued to fight, the Pandavas and the cause of dharma itself would have lost and he added: "naro va kunjaro va" which means he is not sure whether elephant or man had died. As he governed with absolute piousness, with a strict adherence to duty and service to this people, his kingdom grew prosperous, and people from all over were attracted to it. In the course of this, Bhishma tells Yudhishthira what Utathya told King Mandhata. But Krishna, Yudhisthira's most trusted advisor (whom he recognized as the Avatara of Vishnu, the Supreme Godhead, Brahman), pointed out that Yudhisthira's claim was righteous, and the deeds of Duryodhana were evil. (Pronounced as Kaama) as they appear in the great epic Mahabharata. Indra wondered at him - "You can leave your brothers behind, not arranging proper cremations for them...and you refuse to leave behind a stray dog!". Thus, Raja Dharma, which laid down the Dharma of the Raja, was paramount. While the Mahabharata may be read on many levels, the entire work is a study of kingship and of kingly rule. In the epic, Yudhisthira learns about Raja-dharma from the great Bhisma and other well-versed teachers in dharma. Mahabharata : Purusharthas Mahabharata : Purusharthas is a compilation on the topics of Purusharthas in Mahabharata and includes only Dharma, Artha & Kama (Pronounced as Kaama) as they appear in the great epic Mahabharata. The Mahabharata is known as the fifth Veda because it deals with all the topics that concern the individual soul on its way to spiritual evolution. It is related to ‘foundation’ and ‘stability’ and Yudhisthira rescued Bhima from Yama, and all of his four brothers from death by exemplifying not only his immense knowledge of dharma but also his very own way of understanding the finer implications of dharma, as judged by Yama, who was testing him in the guise of a Crane and a Yaksha. It refers to the laws or rules set for the rulers in the context of ensuring proper administration of the entire kingdom. Raja Dharma (Samskrit: राजधर्मः) ... Raja Sabha as well as the evolving Raja Dharma has been explained in Shanti Parva of the Mahabharata. His motives were not to obtain power for himself, but to establish dharma and defend religion all over the world by suppressing the enemies of Krishna and sinful, aggressive kings. Mahabharata : Rajadharma, Governance & Administration is a compilation of the contents appearing in the great epic Mahabharata on these topics. In this sacrifice, a horse was released to wander for a year, and Yudhisthira's brother Arjuna led the Pandava army, following the horse. Once, while he was out hunting in the forests, he came across a picturesque hermitage which was as … At that moment the scene changed. Yudhishthira, the oldest of the Pandavas, called “Dharma Raja” for his flawless sense of justice and fairness, was the son of Yama, the god of death and judgment. Yudhisthira and his brothers were favored by the Kuru elders like Bhishma, Vidura ,Kripa and Drona over Duryodhana and his brothers, the Kauravas, due to their devotion to their elders, pious habits and great aptitude in religion and military skills, and all the necessary qualifications for the greatest of the kshatriya order. He is a tragic hero in the Mahabharata, in a manner similar to Aristotle's literary category of "flawed good man".