Sometimes a man is torn between his duties and his love for his dear ones. In the Hindu epic Mahabharata such a dilemma is reflected in the character of Dhritarashtra. Dhritarashtra was the king of the kingdom of Hastinapura at the time of Kurukshetra war. Known to be an able and ethical king, Dhritarashtra is often seen to have sacrificed his ethics for the love of his son Duryodhana and supported his son in many of his wrong doings.
Dhritarashtra was born to Queen Ambika and was fathered by the sage Ved Vyasa. Ambika was the wife of King Vichitravirja but the king died before giving birth to a son. Satyawati, the mother of Vichitravirja called upon her first born Ved Vyasa to father a son with the king’s widowed wives. Ambika was terrified by Vyasa’s appearance and closed her eyes. On being insulted by this act, Vyasa curse Ambika that her son would be blind and hence Dhritarashtra, the blind king was born to Ambika.
Family
Dhritarashtra had two half brothers, Pandu and Vidura. All three of them received education from various gurus and Dhritarashtra became an efficient warrior and politician. However, since the entire state was against a blind man becoming a king, Dhritarashtra left the throne and blessed his brother, Pandu as the king of Hastinapura. Dhritarashtra was married to Gandhari, the daughter of King Subala of Gandhara, which was a vassal to the state of Hastinapura. Gandhari, as a sign of devotion to her husband, tied a blindfold across her eyes so that she would see the world as her husband sees it, in darkness. Together, the couple gave birth to hundred and one sons and a daughter. Unfortunately, all of his sons, except Yuyutsa, died. Yuyutsa was born to Sughada, and fought for the Kauravas.
Pachisi - The dice game
The Kauravas, especially the eldest Kaurava, Duryodhana, Karna and Shakuni involved the Pandavas in a dice game in which the Pandavas lost everything, including their wife Draupadi or Panchali. When his son Dushashana went on to disrobe Draupadi, the king Dhritarashtra remained silent, mainly because he loved his sons very much and didn’t consider any deed of theirs to be wrong.
The battle of Kurekshetra
Dhritarashtra on account of being blind didn’t partake in the war. However, he asked Sanjaya, who was blessed with divine sight, to narrate the incidents of the war to him. Every passing day, as all his sons died one by one in the hands of Bhima, Dhritarasthra became more and more grief-stricken. After the war was over, he blessed the victorious Pandavas and left for his final journey along with Gandhari, Kunti and Vidura. He died in a forest fire in the Himalayas.
Dhritarashtra was born to Queen Ambika and was fathered by the sage Ved Vyasa. Ambika was the wife of King Vichitravirja but the king died before giving birth to a son. Satyawati, the mother of Vichitravirja called upon her first born Ved Vyasa to father a son with the king’s widowed wives. Ambika was terrified by Vyasa’s appearance and closed her eyes. On being insulted by this act, Vyasa curse Ambika that her son would be blind and hence Dhritarashtra, the blind king was born to Ambika.
Family
Dhritarashtra had two half brothers, Pandu and Vidura. All three of them received education from various gurus and Dhritarashtra became an efficient warrior and politician. However, since the entire state was against a blind man becoming a king, Dhritarashtra left the throne and blessed his brother, Pandu as the king of Hastinapura. Dhritarashtra was married to Gandhari, the daughter of King Subala of Gandhara, which was a vassal to the state of Hastinapura. Gandhari, as a sign of devotion to her husband, tied a blindfold across her eyes so that she would see the world as her husband sees it, in darkness. Together, the couple gave birth to hundred and one sons and a daughter. Unfortunately, all of his sons, except Yuyutsa, died. Yuyutsa was born to Sughada, and fought for the Kauravas.
Pachisi - The dice game
The Kauravas, especially the eldest Kaurava, Duryodhana, Karna and Shakuni involved the Pandavas in a dice game in which the Pandavas lost everything, including their wife Draupadi or Panchali. When his son Dushashana went on to disrobe Draupadi, the king Dhritarashtra remained silent, mainly because he loved his sons very much and didn’t consider any deed of theirs to be wrong.
The battle of Kurekshetra
Dhritarashtra on account of being blind didn’t partake in the war. However, he asked Sanjaya, who was blessed with divine sight, to narrate the incidents of the war to him. Every passing day, as all his sons died one by one in the hands of Bhima, Dhritarasthra became more and more grief-stricken. After the war was over, he blessed the victorious Pandavas and left for his final journey along with Gandhari, Kunti and Vidura. He died in a forest fire in the Himalayas.
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