The epic of Mahabharat is a testimony to innumerable personalities of a human. Where one can see virtuous persons like Yudhisthir, Vidur, there were the wicked and the greedy like Duryodhan, Shakuni. Each one of them had their own trait and became very important in teaching us lessons of life. While the good ones taught how to lead a virtuous life, the bad ones taught how not to fall for greed and jealousy. One such personality who teaches us the importance of withholding Dharma, although his own family was against it was the less known brother of Duryodhan, Yuyuts.
Yuyuts was believed to be born to the maid of Gandhari and Dhritarashtr, when Queen Gandhari was facing problems with progeny. Although he was raised as rest of the brothers, Yuyuts was different from them and he resented the arrogance Duryodhan. During the time of their Gurukul Ashram studies at Dronachary, Duryodhan was jelaous of Bheem’s power and wanted to poison him. Yuyuts comes to know about his evil scheme who came to known about this warned Bheem and saved his life. During the game of dice by Duroydhan and the evil Shakuni, Yudhishtir was cheated and had to lose his kingdom, brothers and even Draupadi as slaves to Duryodhan While all the wise and the great warriors like Bhishm, Dron were quiet about the injustice done to Draupadi, Yuyuts openly condemns the acts of his brothers and leaves the sabha warning Duryodhan that he would suffer for his consequences.
The Pandavas and Kauravas though were brothers were divided into this major conflict of good and bad. While Yudhishtir stood up for Dharma and was righteous, Duryodhan was caught in his own conflict of ego and arrogance and resorted to the path of Adharma. After the relentless patience and wait to avoid conflicts and bloodshed by the Pandavas, when Duryodhan did not step back on his injustice, it was time for Dharma to retain back its place and the war of Kurukhsetra became unavoidable.
When the battle of Kurukshetra was about to begin, Yudhisthir makes a call to all the warriors of both sides that they could exchange sides if they wanted and stand for them whom they liked. Yuyuts who was in the battlefield on the side of Duryodhan, immediately rode to the side of Yudhishtir and requested that he would fight on the behalf of Pandavas as Dharma was on their side. For the sake of Dharma, Yuyuts sacrificed his own family, kith and kin and fought bravely and helped the Pandavas win the war over the Kauravas. He was one of the few warriors who survived the war.
After the war of Kuruskhestra, Yuyuts was made the king of Indraprasth. He ruled over the kingdom as a just king and was devoted to Dharma and gained the love of all his subjects. When Yudhisthir started for the Swargarohan with his brothers, he called for Yuyuts and asked him to supervise the kingdom of Hastinapur when Yudhishtir’s grandson Parikshit was made king. Yuyuts till the end of his life served Dharma and retained his name of a loyal brother. His less known story speaks volumes of people who retain Dharma sacrificing their own kith and kin and their personal lives.