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Pandavas, along with Draupadi, at the end of the Mahabharata, traveled through Himalayas. It should be remembered that they travelled through Yoga.

Consider the following excerpt

Vaishampayana said: "Those princes of restrained souls and devoted to Yoga, proceeding to the north, beheld Himavat, that very large mountain. Crossing the Himavat, they beheld a vast desert of sand. They then saw the mighty mountain Meru, the foremost of all high-peaked mountains. As those mighty ones were proceeding quickly, all rapt in Yoga, Yajnaseni, falling of from Yoga, dropped down on the Earth. Beholding her fallen down, Bhimasena of great strength addressed king Yudhishthira the just, saying, ‘O scorcher of foes, this princess never did any sinful act. Tell us what the cause is for which Krishna has fallen down on the Earth!’

[Section 2, Mahaprasthanika Parva, The Mahabharata]

But is it mentioned any where in earlier parts of the Mahabharatha about Yudhistira practicing yoga or becoming an yogi?

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    I am aware that your question is more about mentioning Yudhishthira becoming Yogi or did he practiced yoga. My answer is a clarification answer and it is quite possible that not only he but all five of them peacticed yoga as they were well versed in Dharma. It is also quite possible that this mentioning is present somewhere.I will look for 5hat and will update the answer if found. Aug 2, 2020 at 14:54

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As you have mentioned in the question that Pandavas reached to Himalaya through Yoga i.e. by means of Yog-Siddhi. But as we can see from the previous chapter i.e. Chapter No. 1 of Mahaprasthanika Parva, as it is mentioning that all the Pandavas including Yudhisthita walked all the way to their destination. They travelled on foot. But before proceeding they took the vow of keeping the fast all the way as they were on their last journey and on the religion of Renunciation. What Vyasa mean by Yoga here is this vow of fasting and this vow of fasting is called yoga here. as we can see from the verses below.

योगयुक्ता महात्मानस्त्यागधर्ममुपेयुष:|
अभिजगमुर्बहुन देशान सरिता सागरांस्तथा ||30 ||
युधिष्ठिरो ययावग्रे भीमस्तु तदनन्तरम |
अर्जुनस्त चान्वेव यमौ चापि यथाक्रमम ||31 ||

Setting themselves on Yoga, those high-souled ones, resolved to observe the religion of Renunciation, traversed through various countries and reached diverse rivers and seas. Yudhishthira proceeded first. Behind him was Bhima; next walked Arjuna; after him were the twins in the order of their birth; behind them all, O foremost one of Bharata’s race, proceeded Draupadi, that first of women, possessed of great beauty, of dark complexion, and endued with eyes resembling lotus petals. While the Pandavas set out for the forest, a dog followed them.


This is also more clear from the passage you quoted -

As those mighty ones were proceeding quickly, all rapt in Yoga, Yajnaseni, falling of from Yoga, dropped down on the Earth.

falling off from Yoga here means because of the vow of fasting.


So all the Pandavas including Draupadi was keeping a vow of fasting till death as they were on their last journey. This vow is called here as Yoga or devoted to Yoga and not as Yoga siddhi or they travelled through yoga. So they all and not only Yudhisthira here are called as yogis. But this did not mean that they were Yoga-Siddhas. The word Yoga is here used in a different limited context to Pandavas vow only and not like we use in general as a practitioner of yoga or becoming a yogi.

Yoga means union and Pandavas were keeping union with fasting that is what the author most probably is intending to say here.

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  • Seems nice interpretation, is it your own interpretation or did you get from somewhere?
    – hanugm
    Aug 2, 2020 at 14:50
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    @hanugm- Yes this is my interpretation but mostly come to conclusion by looking at verses only and not as a random though. Aug 2, 2020 at 15:00

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