How could King Yudhisthira have been virtuous, if he was a gambler?

[Guest guest]

I never understood why King Yudhisthira of the Mahabharatha was considered by all to be so virtuous. Didn't he gamble away his entire kingdom and his wife? Isn't gambling a vice? How can such a man be considered virtuous enough to be able to walk into heaven?

[Guest guest]

how virtuous one can be.

the scale is from zero to infinity.

 

so, yodhisthir was far mor virtuous than many.

 

he had to gamble because of social custom of the time that a kshatriya cannot refuse to gamble if challanged for it.

scripture however does not say gambling is good.

also, it can be said he had one durguna.

 

also remember that he chose to live in hell

because byhis virtuous presence the jivas ther felt peace.

beause vishnu dootas could not put him in hell, they took all the inhabitants of hell to haven along with yudhisthir.

 

so here is the phala of satsanga.

 

 

[Narayanidd]

My dear vaisnava,

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

 

Maharaja Yudhisthira was a pure devotee of Lord Krsna. Remember the purpose of the Lord's appearance? To destroy all of the sinful folk who were hurting mother earth. In order for this to happen there had to be a war (the battle of kuruksetra). The gambling match was one of the causes that made this war unpreventable thus fulfilling the Lord's will. Maharaja Yudhisthira was indirectly helping the Lord to fulfill His promise to Bhumi. When one is working in the will of the Lord how can there be a question of sin?

 

Hope this helps. Hari Bol!

 

Your servant,

Narayani d.d.

[Guest guest]

If Krsna's purpose was to destroy all the sinful folk, why did he kill his own children and devotees ~36 years after the end of war?

[Narayanidd]

When the Lord completed His mission He no longer desired to remain in this material world. The Lord is complete and wherever He is His devotees and companions are. Since the Yadus were the Lords devotees and family they could not be killed by ordinary means or by ordinary people. Thus by the Lord's design they eradicated themselves with the help of a brahmin's curse and in doing so returned back home back to Godhead.

 

Your servant,

Narayani d.d.

 

Another example is the chrariot of Arjuna. When the battle of Kuruksetra was over Arjuna and Krsna got off the famous chariot and as soon as they did, the chariot burned to the ground. Arjuna was astonished and asked Lord Krsna why this happened. The Lord told His dear friend the charoit had served it's purpose and returned to Agni (who had provided Arjuna with it in the first place).

[Guest guest]

thank you for your very good answers to my questions!

[ShegavichaRana]

of the chariot story goes like this. When the war was completed, Lord Krishna asked Arjuna to alight first, who little perplexed alighted. Then Lord alighted, as soon as He did so, the chariot was in flames. When astonished Arjuna asked him about it, the Lord said, due to His presence on the chariot, all the Astras directed on the Arjuna, by various great warriors were ineffective, until He was aboard. Had Lord alighted first, Arjuna would have been burnt to ashes, that is why, Lord asked him to alight first.

[Guest guest]

I am very curious to know the name of the chariot used by arjuna in kuruskhetra. I could find the names of the horses, but not the charoit.

[Guest guest]

 

of the chariot story goes like this. When the war was completed, Lord Krishna asked Arjuna to alight first, who little perplexed alighted. Then Lord alighted, as soon as He did so, the chariot was in flames. When astonished Arjuna asked him about it, the Lord said, due to His presence on the chariot, all the Astras directed on the Arjuna, by various great warriors were ineffective, until He was aboard. Had Lord alighted first, Arjuna would have been burnt to ashes, that is why, Lord asked him to alight first.

 

 

Which scripture mentions this? I would really like to know.

 

To be perfectly frank, the only source from which I heard this information was a Sai Baba devotee quoting from one of her Sai Baba books. Even that book didn't mention the source. And to be honest, I didn't particularly like how it depicted Arjuna in this "pastime."

 

I hope I'm not getting into trouble again for saying "Sai Baba." Anyway, the question is sincere.

 

[krishnasgopi]

I'am afraid to tell you that you are sadly mistaken.

It is true that gambling is a vice and Yudishtira knew as much.But according to The Kshaatra Dharma or the rules of the Kshtriyas of the royal family , when a king or a royal member asks another or invites him to play a game of dice you cannot refuse him being a king.If you do, you will be considered a coward and a violator of the rules.So Yudishtira had to play the game of dice even though he knew it was a trick they were planning before they invited him and he also knew that they would make Shakuni play against him .You must realise that Yudishtira's every step will seem to be a wrong one at a glance.But when you study the subtle shades of Dharma you will know what a great king he was.If it was not for him , the pandavas would not have been as united as they were.It is not the question of a scale of one to ten.when a person does something wrong he gets punished for it no matter if he has a one or a nine on the scale.

[Guest Mahabharata]

You are absolutely right. Yudhishtira could not have been a virtuous king at all. He was not supposed to be taken to heaven instead of his brothers and his wife draupadi. What shocked me the most that draupadi was also accused of partiality and preference for Arjuna. I think it was natural for her as any one would feel more love for the man who had actually won her. How could she part her love for Arjuna? And do u know that the other brothers were accused of thinking themselves as the most handsome, wise, and the greatest warrior of the world though they themselves did not declare it but others did say that to them. It was not their fault being good or having a good quality. When bheem asked yudhisthira that why was he dying then he replied that he was a glutton! It's seriously not appropriate! Then why did yudhishtira go to heaven, u ask me? As said in the Mahabharata, yudhistira was the son of the dharma god. Then why was his temptation so much for gambling at the stake of his brothers and his wife draupadi? Couldn't he reject the game of dice as the great bheeshma also opposed his actions? And what about his brothers? They also were his pawns! They couldn't have rejected HIS ORDERS,COULD THEY? And if he had entered once, then why wouldn't he just reject the second game of dice having experienced a fresh embarrassment of his brothers and his wife draupadi? I guess, yudhistira was supposed to die first. But unfortunately the most powerful character in Mahabharata, draupadi, died first.

[arjun krishna]

Yudishtira and rest of the pandavas were not virtuous ,but compared to rest of others they are better .Against popular believes they had to sufferer next 36 years after kurukshetra war.The bad karmas accumulated by the heinous adharmic crimes against Bhishma,Drona,karna,bhurbuvsena and duryodhana caused them to suffer a lot.All these mentioned kauvarava maharathas were killed unfairly against the rules of engagement of war.This was because there were no other way bcoz they are best in their respective field and cannot be won over in a fair fight. Yudishtira went to hell for his role in taking part in the heinous crime against guru drona,Arjun suffered massively for the rest of his life against the unfair fights and deaths of   Bhishma,karna,bhurbuvsena. Arjuna lost all his powers and skill after the war and he was defeated by mere robbers and took away the wifes of lord krishna and their wealths,.Arjuna was defeated and killed by his own son bcoz arjuna killed karna and bhishma unfairly against kashtriya code and rules of engagements of war and against social laws at that time.Arjuna was brought alive back by using mritunjaya mantra.Later arjuna become so powerless that he cannot even lift his gandiva.Bhima was cused by his guru balaram for fighting and striking duryodhana in his thighs which was against the law of gaddha fight.Bhima did this bcoz Duryodhana was the best mace fighter in the whole world and bhima cannot win over him without using deceit.Balaram cursed bhima to be known as a crooked warrior for eternity.

 

From a k gangulys translation of mahabarath 

 

After the great war was over, Duryodhana was struck with mace by Bhima in the thighs(which is highly forbidden in mace fight) and facing death.Pandavas along with Lord Krishna become very much ashamed and afraid  when Balarama,the brother of Lord Krishna took his weapon( the plough) and came to kill Bhima.Lord Krishna consoled Balarama,but angry Balarama cursed Bhima that he shall be reputed in the world as a crooked warrior. Balarama blessed Duryodhana that he will obtain eternal blessedness and glory.

 

 After the end of great, [[Duryodhana]] was struck with mace by [[bhima]] in the thighs, which was highly forbidden in mace fight and facing death. Duryodhana  afflicted [[Lord Krishna]] and [[Pandavas]] with keen and bitter words.He asked Lord Krishna about the unrighteousness killing of [[bhishma]],[[Drona]],[[Karna]] and the foul play of Bhima on him motivated by Krishna.

 

 

|"The dart that had been given by Lord [[indra]] to Karna for the slaughter of [[Arjuna]] was baffled by you through [[Ghatotkacha]]! Who is there that is more sinful than you?  Karna had done a great feat for vanquishing Partha(Arjuna). You, however, caused Aswasena, the son of that prince of snakes (Takshaka), to be baffled in achieving his purpose! When again the wheel of Karna's car sank in earth,you caused that Karna to be slain! If sons of Pandu had fought me ,Karna , Bhishma and Drona by fair means, victory then, without doubt, would never have been yours. By adopting the most crooked and unrighteous  means you caused many kings observant of the duties of their order and ourselves also to be slain!

 

'|Duryodhana speaking to Krishna and Pandavas|

 

 [http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m09/m09061.htm

 

The Mahabharatha,Book 9: Shalya Parva Section 61

 

 

Upon the conclusion of these words of  King [[Duryodhana]], a thick shower of fragrant flowers fell from the sky. The Gandharvas played  many charming musical instruments. The Apsaras in a chorus sang the glory of king Duryodhana.

The Siddhas uttered loud sound to the effect, "Praise be to king Duryodhana!" Fragrant and delicious breezes mildly blew on every side. Beholding these exceedingly wonderful things and this worship offered to Duryodhana, the Pandavas headed by Lord Krishna became ashamed. Hearing (invisible beings cry out) that Bhishma and Drona and Karna and Bhurishrava were slain unrighteously, they became afflicted with grief and wept in sorrow.

 

Beholding the Pandavas filled with anxiety and grief, Krishna addressed them 

 

 

|"All of them were great car-warriors and exceedingly quick in the use of weapons! If you had put forth all your prowess, even then you could never have slain them in battle by fighting fairly! King Duryodhana also could never be slain in a fair encounter! The same is the case with all those mighty car-warriors headed by Bhishma,Drona and Karna! From desire of doing good to you, I repeatedly applied my powers of illusion and caused them to be slain by diverse means in battle. If I had not adopted such deceitfulways in battle, victory would never have been yours, nor kingdom, nor wealth! Those four were very high-souled warriors and regarded as Maharathas in the world. The very Regents of the Earth could not slay them in fair fight! Similarly, the son of Dhritarashtra, though fatigued when armed with the mace, could not be slain in fair fight by Yama himself armed with his bludgeon! "|Krishna speaking to Duryodhanaand Pandavas|

 

http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m09/m09061.htm

 

 Krishna Speaking to Duryodhana and Pandavas The Mahabharatha,Book 9: Shalya Parva Section 61

 

 

Later gandhari, mother of duryodhana cursed krishna that his entire race will be destroyed.After few years entire yadavas perished.

 

 

 

Yudishtira blames himself for the death of Karna.Yudishtira remebers an incident on the occasion of dice match, where he lost the game and listening to the harsh and bitter words from sons of Dhritarashtra ,his wrath  cooled down at the sight of Karna's feet.It was because Karna's feet resembled the feet of his mother Kunti.Yudishtira remembers, even with his best exertions he failed to find out the reason of that resemblance between Karna and his mother, which kept him thinking  for a long time.Yudishtira became very sorry when learned about the truth behind Karna leaving him and his 3 brothers unharmed during the war eventhough he was able to take their lives.

 

http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m12/m12a001.htm