Gandhari: A Mother Blinded by Love (the reading guide is linked here)
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| Cover of the comic Image Source: Blogger |
- Princess Ghandari is the daughter of King Subala of Gandhara.
- Gandhari was VERY devout, always submitting to rigorous fasting and penance and prayer
- She is visited by Lord Shiva who promises her a hundred sons for her great devotion.
- Later the king receives a marriage proposal from Bheeshma on behalf of King Dhritarashtra.
- Gandhari's father contemplates the pros and cons. The only set back is the fact that Dhritarashtra is blind.
- King Subala accepts the marriage proposal.
- Gandhari feels it is unfair for her to not share in her future husband's lack of sight so she decided to tie a silk scarf around her eyes much to her father's confusion.
- Gandhari's brother, Shakuni escorted her to her new home.
- Gandhari and Dhritarashtra were married. Bheeshma and Dhirtarashtra's brothers, Pandu and Vidura were present at the ceremony
- Gandhari was an amazing wife.
- Vyasa came to the palace for a visit in need of rest and food.
- He saw that Gandhari was an ideal woman and granted her one hundred sons.
- Many months passed and Gandhari had yet to give birth. Eventually King Pandu's wife, Kunti, gave birth before she did. Her son was to be named Yudhishtira.
- Eventually Gandhari did give birth but to a lifeless child with no form.
- The king and queen were questioning why Vyasa would not keep his promise to give her a hundred sons
- Vyasa called for cool water and also sensed that Gandhari also wished for a daughter.
- The lifeless child split itself into a hundred and one parts.
- Each part was put into a separate jar and were not to be opened for two years.
- After two years Gandhari opened the jars and found all the princes and one princess.
- The eldest son was to be named Duryodhana.
- His cry sounded like that of a donkey, which was a very bad omen.
- The King was warned that his child would be the death of everyone if he was not abandoned. Gandhari refused to do so.
- Later on Dhritarashtra's brother, Pandu, died so his widow Kunti came back with her five sons
- Yudhishthira
- Arujuna
- Bhima
- Nakula
- Sahadeva
- The cousins had a great hostility grow between them.
- Duryodhana tried to poison and down Bhima!!!
- Gandhari refused to believe this.
- Years passed and Yudhishthira was crowned heir-apparent
- the Kaurava brothers disagreed with this decision, but everyone else agreed for his father, Pandu had gained most of the kingdom.
- Duryodhana tried to burn the Pandavas house out of spite
- The Pandavas escaped and married Draupadi, the Panchala princess. Dhritarashtra gave the Pandava built a new impressive capital called Indraprastha.
- In a game of dice, Duryodhana and Shakuni took everything from the Pandavas and even tried to humiliate Draupadi by stripping her of her robes.
- Gandhari was in disbelief of what her son was capable of.
- Jackals and large birds cried out, yet again a really bad omen.
- Gandhari finally came to terms that her son is evil. She realized that love has literally blinded her to his actions.
- Gandhari begged her husband to please let the Pandavas have their freedom. He agreed.
- Dhritarashtra granted Draupadi a wish since she had been wronged.
- Draupadi asked for her husbands' kingdom to be returned.
- The Pandavas' were challenged to another dice game, they lost and were forced to go into exile for thirteen years in the forest and the fourteenth year would be incognito. If they were found they would serve another thirteen years.
- After their exile, the Pandavas prepared to battle.
- After the fierce battle, none of Gandhari's sons survived.
- Gandhari met with the Pandavas and asked them why they didn't even spare one of her sons.
- The Pandavas asked her for forgiveness.
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