| Great Kings & Queens |
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| Biographies of Great Indians & Hindus |
YUDHISTIRA |
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| The
Great War The armies of the Kauravas and the Pandavas ranged on the battlefield of Kurukshethra. Both sides had huge armies. The Kurukshethra war was fiercely waged for eighteen days. Great heroes like Drona, Kama and Shalya were died in the war. Many heroes of the Pandava army, including Abhimanyu and Ghatot- kacha, also died fighting. Yudhishtira was heavy with sorrow at the loss of his kith and kin. On the last day of the war, Bhima killed Duryodhana in a due fought with maces, and fulfilled his vow. In the Great War of Kurukshetra, the Pandavas were always guided by Krishna, the very incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Yudhishtira never moved away from the path of Dhairna even in the most trying circumstances. When war became inevitable, he took up arms and entered the battlefield. He himself fought with the enemy on many occasions. He lived up to the name of Yudhishtira, and was firm in war and in peace. Thus, he won the war and became the lord of the entire kingdom of the Kuru race by virtue of his Dharma. He began to rule the kingdom along with his brothers. At the close of the war, Bhishma, the oldest and the wisest member of the royal family, had chooses to lie on a bed of arrows prepared by Arjuna. Krishna advised Yudhishtira to visit him. Yudhishtira went to the place where he lay and touched his feet with respect. The learned Bhishma explained to Yudhishtira the duties of a king and the means of securing the happiness of his subjects. Yudhishtira placed his doubts before the sage and Bhishma answered them all and enlightened the king. But Yudhishtira had won the victory after killing his cousins and a host of others. So he was not happy. He had no peace of mind. To atone for the sins he had committed, he performed the Ashwamedha of the horse-sacrifice, as suggested by Sage Vyasa. |
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