Yudhishthira
/juːdɪˈʃtɪərə/noun
Yudhishthira is the eldest of the five Pandava brothers and a central king and hero in the Sanskrit epic Mahabharata.
Did you know?In the Mahabharata, Yudhishthira is so closely associated with dharma—righteous duty—that his moral choices become the epic’s central spiritual test.
Etymological Timeline
Vedic Sanskrit
Sanskrit
yudh-
“To fight or engage in battle”
Vedic Sanskrit
Sanskrit
yudhi
“In battle; during combat”
Vedic Sanskrit
Sanskrit
sthira
“Firm, steady, steadfast, or enduring”
Epic Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Yudhiṣṭhira
“A personal name formed from yudhi, “in battle,” and sthira, “steady””
c. 400 BCE–400 CE
Sanskrit
Yudhiṣṭhira
“The eldest Pandava prince and later king in the Mahabharata”
Modern English
English
Yudhishthira
“The conventional English transliteration of the Sanskrit name Yudhiṣṭhira”