Gandhari: An exemplary personality
By KK Shanmukhan
Gandhari was a rare specimen for womanhood. She underwent untold agonies and pains because of the adharmic thoughts and deeds of her sons particularly of her eldest son Duryodhana.
Daughter of the King of Gandhara and queen mother of the Kauravas, she spoke very little and her voice was also heard very little. As a young maiden, a princess adolescent, she came to know that she was destined to wed Dhritarashtra, the young and mighty scion of Puru dynasty who is blind by birth. She instantly decided to take back her rare fortune of having blessed with vision and eyesight. She took a ribbon and covered her eyes. What privilege my husband does not enjoy, I also do not! What a paragon! What a virtuous Pativarata! How many of such chaste ladies can be seen either in real life or in the Puranas?
If such a lady of the greatest dharmic background uttered a word that would become an inevitable order of event. No doubt.
When Duryodhana appraoached her daily, seeking benediction before the terrible war, she wished him every day with the same greeting: Yato dharma:, tato jaya, i.e. where there is dharma, there is victory.
Any mother, however wicked and unrighteous her son may be, only wishes for his success. But Gandhari, the matcheless purity among mother wished: “My son, victory will be there, where there is dharma!”
And dharma had the final victory which she saw on the battle field after the war. She was broken hearted and cried vociferate.
