It is easy to criticise Yudhisthir and blame him for everything. Its very difficult to be in his position and remain unmoved by all the chaos that surrounded him. Trying to restrain the two giant amongst men – Bhim and Arjun – must have been a strain in itself. To keep a family as extensive and as highly strung as Kurus in check would have been strenuous.
From a young age, he lost his father and knew the weak position his family was in. Though they had support of key elders, he knew that their lives were in constant danger. Various murder attempts convinced him that he had very few real supporters in the kingdom. Though people supported him in principle, they had no trouble supporting Duryodhan either. The undecided mass was too great to ignore. That’s why after Varanavat, they did not come out straight away. They wanted to make sure they had sufficient back up before renewing their claim to the throne.
It was a tough job for Yudhisthir to maintain.
Even after Indra-Prastha was created, Arjun went away for 12 years. It must have been tough to rule without such an able brother by your side. Rajasuyagna was a test of patience, having to please and maintain the peace between so many rivals.
Yes, he erred in playing dice and loosing everything including himself, his brothers and their wife ! He was human. “Let he who has never sinned, cast the first stone.”
Yudhisthir was no Bhim or Arjun but he was Ydhisthir. He had un-ending patience and a sharp intellect. He was unswerving from his perceived call of duty and was unflinching in dealing justice. He was highly respected and very well received by everyone – including his enemies. He must have been a great man indeed to have been so highly thought of, that even his enemies expected truth and justice from him.