At the end of the masterpiece, the Mahabharata, Yudhisthira and a dog meet Indra. Indra tells Yudhisthira that he will take Yudhisthira to heaven if Yudhisthira leaves the dog behind. Yudhisthira refuses and it is revealed that the dog was really Dharma. For passing this test, Yudhisthira is rewarded with heaven. This scene perfectly encapsulates the themes of duty, loyalty, fairness and dharma and being justly rewarded for such actions that were present throughout the Mahabharata. It is important to note that the dog followed Yudhisthira throughout the journey to heaven. Even when Yudhisthira's brothers, Arjuna, Bhima, Nakula and Sagadeva and their wife, Draupadi, were falling from the Himalayan mountain range, that is why there was only Yudhisthira and the dog when Indra appeared, the dog continued to follow Yudhisthira. Since the dog was so “…highly devoted…” (Mahabharata, p. 109), it was Yudhisthira’s duty to show loyalty to the dog. This is very similar to how Krishna proposed to Karna to fight alongside the Pandavas against the Kauravas since he was a Pandava brother. However, because he was abandoned at birth by Kunti and "enjoyed sovereignty for thirteen years without any hindrance" (Mahabharata, p. 111) with the Kauravas, Karna decided that he was its duty to fight alongside the most vulnerable people. loyal to him, the Kauravas. At the time of the Mahabharata, dogs were far from being man's best friend. Dogs were considered unclean. Most people would have passed up a humble dog for a chance at heaven, especially after being told by Indra himself that "there would be no cruelty in doing so" (Mahabharata, p.209). However, Yudhisthira chose loyalty over what many people would have considered Indra's sensible option....... middle of paper ...... fighting the Pandavas, he and Gandhari always supported their children once the war began. . Dhrtarastra even tried to kill Bhima after the Pandavas defeated the Kauravas. In a very symbolic way, Yudhisthira resembles Dhrtarastra. He couldn't see his father even when Dharma was standing right next to him. However, Dharma supported Yudhisthira throughout the journey as only a family member would. Therefore, Yudhisthira's duty was to treat the dog with the same loyalty that he would treat a known member of his family. Yudhisthira's journey to heaven was a trying one. He lost his brothers and his wife during this adventure, but a random dog followed him along the way. When given the chance to go to heaven if he rejected the dog, Yudhisthira demonstrated the fairness, duty, loyalty and dharma that were present in the rest of the Mahabharata and was rightfully rewarded..