Yudhishthira - Unknown Facts

Although the 18 days of Mahabharata war was fought to make Yudhishthira the king of Hastinapur, we have very little knowledge about the character than his brothers Bheem, Arjun and other characters of the epic. Here are something you might not know about him.-

• Yudhishthira means " the one who is steady in battle or tough conditions " .His father king Pandu held dharma above all other qualities in a human especially for being a king ,therefore when Kunti told him about his boon he desired his eldest son and heir to be born righteous and truthful.
• Although being the eldest son he was less martial than his brothers prefering diplomacy and politics. He was a polyglot knowing languages which no other human knew.Nevertheless he was a master in the use of spear only second to Karna. It was said that he could pierce a stone wall with spear as it was a piece of paper.
• He had two wives Draupadi and Devika who was of Sivi kingdom. Draupadi bore him Prativindya his heir and Devika Yaudheya. Yaudheya survived Kurukshetra but was not made king. Instead he ruled his mother's kingdom.
• After loosing in the dice game during his banishment he never left the game and kept practicing. He learnt from sage Bridashwa to control the dices. He became so good at it that he was never defeated again at it.
• He married his brother Bheem to a rakhsashi Hidimbi and denounced casteism saying actions mattered more than birth.

Kurukshetra war would have been longer if he had'nt killed Shalya king of Madra and uncle of Nakul and Sahdev. Shalya was an extraordinary fighter with a range of weapons.

He had this gift that whenever his opponent got angry his strength will increase therefore making him very difficult to fight. Only a person with a calm mind could have defeated him Therefore Yudhishthira had to do that and justified his name.

• Yudhishthira cursed women that they will never be able to withold secrets after he came to know about Karna and his mother hiding about him.
• His chariot had a flag of a golden moon surrounded by planets. He was also an expert charioteer.