Yamawidura - (Wayang Kulit)

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Yamawidura - adopted son of Prabu Abyasa
Yamawidura.png


TitleYamawidura - (Raden) - Mahabharata
Other names
Size50 cm
Personal dataYamawidura is the son of Citrasena and a slave girl, dayang Drati, a Sudra woman in the Astina palace. He is fathered by Prabu Abiyasa (Prabu Krisnadwipayana ) as his third son. Yamawidura is the younger brother of Pandu Dewanata and Drestarastra. Yamawidura is highly respected by his nephews as a counselor, namely Kurawa and Pandawa because of his fairness and wisdom. The nature of fairness and always upholding the truth was inherited from Batara Darma, who was incarnated in him. According to Abiyasa, Yamawidura is the most honest and just person in the world. Raden Yamawidura was once asked for his help by Prabu Dipacandra, the king of Pengombakan, to fight the enemy. After the enemy was defeated, Yamawidura married the daughter of Prabu Dipacandra, named Dewi Padamarini (in the Yogyakarta puppetry, Yamawidura's wife is named Dewi Suranji alias Dewi Malyapati). From that marriage, Sanjaya and Yuyutsuh were born.
AppearanceYamawidura has a lame leg but he is sakti and is quite hot-tempered. He has narrow eyes, a rather calm face and a pointed nose. With a bun, decorated on the back with a garuda and decorated with kembang kluwih. Long necklaces, bracelets, pomto and kroncong. Bekan (Javanese: benjo).
CollectionPrivate collection


Yamawidura – (Raden) – Mahabharata

Each of the three brothers was born with one unique characteristic :
According to the story, the reason why the three sons of Prabu Abyasa became disabled was that when Dastarastra's mother saw Abiyasa for the first time, she was so scared that she closed her eyes and when Raden Dastarastra was born, he was blind.
Moreover, when Pandudewanata's mother saw Abiyasa for the first time, she threw her face away and after Pandu was born, it turned out to be a sore throat.

Like his two brothers, Yamawidura was also born with a disability. His legs are one-legged long and he walks with a limp. This happened because of the curse of the gods on Danyang Drati, his mother. When she had to serve Abiyasa, Danyang Drati felt disgusted and afraid to see the face of Prabu Krisnadwipayana. She always wiggled her legs, because of that, the baby she gave birth to had one leg long.

Before Prabu Pandhu Dewanata died, Yamawidura asked his brother Drestarastra to give the kingdom of Astina to the five Pandhawa brothers when they became old enough. He was very disappointed with Drestarastra when he gave Astina Kingdom to his own sons (the Korawa) rather than to five Pandhawa brothers, thereby dishonoring the wish of his dead brother. Dewi Kunthi Talibrata (mother of the five Pandhawa brothers) stayed in the palace at Pagombakan after a failed peace negotiation with king Duryudana to prevent the Bharatayuda war. King Kresna picked her up just before the Bharatayuda began (in the story of Kresna Duta).

Even though he was actually a relative of the Korawa, Raden Yama Widura was always an ally to the Pandhawa brothers. During the Bharatayuda, he even sent his Army to help the Pandhawa brothers. During the reign of Drestarastra, he helped point the king in the right direction, due to the fact that he was blind, until he fled the kingdom of Astina, because the kingdom was being manipulated by Gendari’s younger brother Raden Suman (Sengkuni), with whom he did not get along.

Raden Yamawidura is a wise man and a jurist. He was appointed as a public prosecutor in the country of Astina. During the Baratayuda war, he always settled the matters he had to settle honestly, without thinking whether he was facing friends or opponents. He always acted fairly with both the Kurawa and the Pandawa. Every time a dispute arose between the Kurawa and the Pandawa, he always tried to find a fair way out. Unfortunately, his power was limited, so many of his suggestions could not be implemented.

In the Mahabarata book, when the Kurawa, at the instigation of the prime minister Sengkuni, wanted to destroy the Pandawa and Dewi Kunti by burning the Bale Sigala-gala, Yamawidura accidentally found out about the plan. So he ordered a trusted person named Kanana to make a tunnel to save the Pandawa from the danger of fire.
However, in the puppet version, the one who saved the Pandawa and Dewi Kunti was Sang Hyang Antaboga who transformed into a white garangan.

When the Pangombakan Kingdom was led by a just but weak king, namely Prabu Dipacandara, an invasion came from the Parangawu Kingdom which threatened the kingdom. Fortunately, a young knight named Yamawidura came to help fight the attack. Yamawidura successfully drove out the enemy.

From the marriage of Yamawidura and Dewi Padamarini Sanjaya and Yuyutsuh were born. In the Astina palace, Sanjaya served as a companion and guide to his uncle, the blind Prabu Drestarastra. Sanjaya was still alive when Parikesit was crowned king of Astina. However, Yamawidura's youngest son, Yuyutsuh, died on the Pandawa side in Baratayuda. After the great war had been going on for several days, Yuyutsuh left the Kurawa camp and crossed over to the Pandawa side with his father's blessing. The Duke viewed him as a traitor and killed him on the battlefield.

When the Pandawa and Kurawa were at odds, Yamawidura had actually tried many times to find a peaceful way with various suggestions and advice. He gave a lot of advice to Prabu Drestarastra, but the king of Astina preferred to listen to the persuasion of his wife and Patih Sengkuni.
When Pandawa and Drupadi were exiled because they lost at gambling, Yamawidura protested to his brother, Prabu Drestarastra. However, the king of Astina ignored the protest, he considered that the exile was because of the Pandawa themselves who wanted to gamble. Because he was annoyed and felt that he was no longer needed in Astina, he preferred to follow the Pandawa in the forest. Drestarastra asked Sanjaya, Yamawidura's son to pick up his father. However, he refused the invitation. He only returned to Astina after Begawan Abiyasa came and advised him to return to Astina.

Until the outbreak of Baratayuda, together with Resi Bisma, Yamawidura tried to make Duryudana realize that war was of no benefit to both parties. However, Duryudana ignored his efforts. Yamawidura was not involved in the Baratayuda war. It is said that after Baratayuda was over and the throne was handed over to Yudhistira, Yamawidura along with Dewi Kunti, Prabu Drestarastra and Dewi Gendari went to the forest to isolate themselves to meet their death. A few moments later, there was a great fire in the forest. They all died.


Source: History of Wayang Purwa - Hardjowirogo - PN Balai Pustaka - 1982 Blog: Hadisukirno – Yogyakarta - 2012