Who was Yuyutsu? How did he come from the Kaurava side to the Pandava side?

Transcription by– Keshavgopal Das & Ambuj Gupta

Question: Who was Yuyutsu and how did he come over to side of pandavas?

Answer: When Gandhari was pregnant with the Kauravas at that time her pregnancy became prolong for a long time. At that time Dhritrashtra united with a maid servant and through that union Yuyutsu was born. The tradition at that time was polygamy was allowed and the important principle is that if a man united with a women he should take responsibility for taking care of woman and they having children. Dhritrashtra did take care of Yuyutsu and his mother. Yuyutsu did not share the evil mentality of his brothers and he send the message over just before the war started that he did not want to fight from the side of Kauravas. Then Yudhisthira told him that you can come over but instead of coming before the war starts let’s do it on the battle field, so that will like a slap on the face of Duryodhana. It is not just the skill of fighting but even the spirit of fighting or the morale that matters. So just before the war started Yudhisthira _______ and he said Oh warriors all of you know that my thoughts are virtuous. If any of you want to come over that side of virtue we will welcome with open hearts. At that time Yuyutsu said that I will come over. Will you welcome me? Yes, please come over Yuyutsu. You will have a very important task at the end of the war. You will have to light the fire to the funeral pyre of your brothers. That’s how he came over to his side and that’s what happened actually. From the Dhritrashtra side everybody was Slained. It was Yuyutsu who consoled Dhritrashtra and Gandhari and he cared for them and he did the last rites of his Kaurava brothers. Thank you.