MAARKANDEYA presents MAHAABHAARATHAM

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"After praying to Naaraayana, Nara, Sarasvathi and Vyaasa, then one should read the Jayam."

DEDICATED TO MY DEAR NIECE VYSHNAVI KRISHNA

DHRITHARAASHTRA

( the DH in the beginning of this name is pronounced like a hardened sound of 'th' in 'brother'. The RI is the special vowel pronounced like 'ri' in Krishna. The 'th' is pronounced like 'th' in 'with'. The 'sh' like 'sh' in 'she' and 't' like 't' in 'ten'.)

As is common in Mahaabhaaratham, several people bear the same name. Likewise, Dhritharaashtra is also the name of a serpent lord (mentioned in mousala parva), a gandharva ( mentioned in aadi, ashvamedha,aashramavaasa and svargaarohana parvas) .

Dhritharaashra was the son of Vichithraveerya and Ambika. When his father died childless, his mother got him as a son fom the sage Vyaasa, according to the custom of those days.He was born blind. His father had another wife Ambaalika too. She too similarly gave birth to Paandu. Thus Dhritharaashra and Paandu were half brothers. The story says he was a Gandharva named Hamsa in the previous birth.

Dhritharaashra had 100 sons from Gaandhaari who were generally called Kouravas and Paandu had 5 sons from his 2 wives, 3 from Kunthi and 2 from Maadri. Those 5 were called Paandavas.

Paandu predeceased Dhritharaashra. That brought his sons into the care of his brother Dhritharaashra. As for himself, Dhritharaashra was impartial to all the children in the beginning but began to favour his sons as time passed. But he was never open about this but extended his cooperation to his sons covertly.

He yielded to the pressure of his sons and sent the Paandavas to a place called Vaaranaavatham so as to give a chance to his sons to gain public support for future access to the throne. But his son Duryodhanaa planned to burn them alive in a wax house while asleep. That failed and the Paandavas surfaced only when they married Droupadi in a contest. Again, Dhritharaashra called them back and gave them their due share of the kingdom.

Duryodhana got jealous of his cousins' growing wealth and feeling incensed about his getting confused in their magestic magic hall, he forced his father to call them for a game of dice, which was preplanned to clinch their kingdom by strategem. Dhritharaashra remained a mute witness to the dice game won by his sons who tried to disrobe Droupadi . Even after the return of the Paandavas from their successful exile, he did not firmly recommend for truce with them. He was internally confident of his sons' victory. but the result was different. All his sons died in the war. He remained with the Paandavas for a few years after the war and then retired to the forests with his wife followed by Kunthi and Vidura, where they all died in a forest fire.

Dhritharaashra was a bad and cunning father. His doting to his son made him a bad father. Even after the war was over, he tried to kill Bheema by crushing with his hands. By the way, his physical strength was enormous, as much as that of 10,000 elephants. He had the fortune of having the company of elders like Bheeshma and the learned like Vidura. He had the luck of having listened to the lectures of such great ones as Vyaasa, Sanathsujaatha and Krishna. Yet, his wordly bonds and human natural weaknesses dominated, making him an example of a bad student and worse father.

His character resembles many of today's parents in power who try to ignore their children's mistakes however grave they are. He was as dangerous then to the society as the current day uncultured rulers are now.

"After praying to Naaraayana, Nara, Sarasvathi and Vyaasa, then one should read the Jayam."

DEDICATED TO MY DEAR NIECE VYSHNAVI KRISHNA