Yudishtira holds a renowned position in the Indian epic,
Mahabharata. He was the son of
Pandu Dewanatha and
Kunti. He belonged to the race of King Kuru and was the eldest of the
pandava brothers. Yudishtira was a virtuous person who cared for all. He was a guide to his brothers. It is said that Yudishtira had never told even a single lie in his life.
In the great Kurukshetra war that was held between the Kauravas and Pandavas, Yudishtira played a key role. The Pandavas won the war and Yudishtira was made the king as well as lord of the entire kingdom of Kuru race. But after sometime, he lost interest in worldly affairs and after partitioning the kingdom to his descendants, Yudishtira left for 'Mahaprasthana' (a great journey) along with his brothers.
A dog followed them throughout their journey. Finally they reached Mount Meru. While climbing it, the dog too faithfully followed them. But on the way, all except Yudishtira fell down and gave up their mortal bodies. Then Indra, the king of gods, came with a chariot to take Yudishtira to heaven. But he refused to go without the dog.
Then in the place of the dog, there appeared Yamadharma, the god of death. Everyone was happy with his love towards companions. At last, in heaven, he was happy to see his friends and relatives.
