Indian traditions, Nivedita and Coomaraswamy
Yudhishthira
At the threshold of heaven Yudhishthira refuses to abandon the dog who has followed him. The creature then reveals itself as Dharma, and his refusal is recognised as the completion of a test. Inside heaven he cannot accept glory apart from his companions. Led to a place of torment and hearing their voices, he chooses to remain where his presence relieves them rather than return alone to the gods.
Also known as Yudhiṣṭhira · Yudhishthira the just
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In the sources
Principal account
TraditionalAt the threshold of heaven Yudhishthira refuses to abandon the dog who has followed him. The creature then reveals itself as Dharma, and his refusal is recognised as the completion of a test.
Further detail
TraditionalInside heaven he cannot accept glory apart from his companions. Led to a place of torment and hearing their voices, he chooses to remain where his presence relieves them rather than return alone to the gods.
Context & interpretation
The entry selects the closing tests of the collection’s Mahabharata account. Heaven, hell and the transforming dog are traditional narrative settings. The interpretation follows the decisions made in those scenes rather than asserting a documented journey into an afterlife.
Original passages
Source 1
Myths of the Hindus and Buddhists
Yudhishthira has refused Heaven for the sake of a dogOpen this page in the book
Passage & edition details
Location recorded at citation review: Nivedita and Coomaraswamy, Myths of the Hindus & Buddhists (1914), active reader leaf 261
Exact passage checked against the active edition text and original-leaf mapping; whitespace and scan line breaks normalised.
- Edition
- IMJ-0109-E001
- Reader page
- IMJ-0109-E001-P0261
- Original scan leaf
- 261
- Recorded leaf number
- 261
- Current Reader position
- 252
- Reader verification
- Source-preserving update confirmed
Source 2
Myths of the Hindus and Buddhists
Here with my friends, in HellOpen this page in the book
Passage & edition details
Location recorded at citation review: Nivedita and Coomaraswamy, Myths of the Hindus & Buddhists (1914), active reader leaf 262
Exact passage checked against the active edition text and original-leaf mapping; whitespace and scan line breaks normalised.
- Edition
- IMJ-0109-E001
- Reader page
- IMJ-0109-E001-P0262
- Original scan leaf
- 262
- Recorded leaf number
- 262
- Current Reader position
- 253
- Reader verification
- Source-preserving update confirmed
Continue exploring
Dharma
The ordering of conduct, expressed through duty and tested through loyalty.
Same subject and traditionArjuna
The Pandava archer whose skill and moral hesitation make him central to the Mahabharata.
Same subject and traditionBhagiratha
The royal descendant whose persistence brings Ganga to his ancestors’ ashes.
Same subject and traditionBharata
The brother who refuses to profit from Rama’s exile and waits for his return.