(The N in this name is pronounced like 'n' in 'on'. The 'dh' in this name is pronounced like a hardened sound of 'th' in 'brother'.)
( One of Krishna's wives was also mentioned - in Mousala parva - as Gaandhaari. Be careful in relating the similar names to their correct bearers.)
Gaandhaari was the wife of Dhritharaashtra. She was daughter of Subala,the king of the country Gaandhaara. Shakuni, one of the quartet of villians of Mahaabhaaratham, was her brother.
Her 9 sisters also marriied Dhritharaashtra. The word Gaandhaari means the daughter of the king of Gaandhaara country. Her actual name, if any, was nowhere mentioned. It seems it was common those days to call daughters after their father's name. The name Maadri in Mahaabhaaratham also means daughter of Madra king. Pritha was called and better known as Kunthi after her foster father Kunthibhoja's name. Krishna was often mentioned as Droupadi, meaning daughter of king Drupada. Similar names appear in Raamaayana too. Kaikeyi in Raamaayana was daughter of the king of Kekaya country.
Gaandhaari was one of the good lady characters in Mahaabhaaratham. Her role in the story bears no blemish and she was in contrast to her cunning husband .
Though her silly exhibition of womanish jealosy on this occassion was not commendable,
Gaandhaari was a noble and righteous woman. She was so extraordinarily devoted to her husband ( i.e. Pathivratha= true follower of husband) that she blindfolded herself voluntarily since her husband himself was blind.
Not an instance in the story could be found to say that she was biased against the rivals of her sons. When her son bowed to her and sought her benediction before going to war, she blessed that victory should go the right party ( Where righteousness,there victory). Her words remained as a saying till now.
Gaandhaari was the unluckiest woman in the story. Though she was a nice person by herself, her husband happened to be a born blind one, her brother was a wicked fellow, all her hundred sons were killed by Bheema in the war and her only daughter became a widow of the war. She always wished her son to be wise and reasonable to share the kingdom with the Paandavas. That did not happen at all due to her husband's cunning partiality and her sons' adamance. Yet, she never blamed anyone but silently suffered the concequences.
After the war was over, however, she held Krishna responsible for all the destruction that had taken place, saying that he had not been whole-hearted in his efforts for a compromise between her sons and Paandavas. She even cursed him that all the people of his race would also kill themselves and perish after 36 years from then. That actually happened like that too.Yudhishthira was so afraid of her wrath that he sent Krishna first to console her and then only he personally went to visit her. True, she was angry with him, but she did nothing more than heaving a sigh of despair and that air fell on his toes scalding them. Even when Bheema, the slaughterer of all her sons bowed to her, She just mildly reprimanded him for being so cruel to Dushshaasana and for not sparing even one son for her. Her kindness was well aware of what her brother and sons had done to the daughter-in-law of her house. That might be the reason for her sympathitical understanding of the harsh enemy !
In the end, she followed her husband to the forests and died there in a forest fire along with him and Kunthi.
No critic of the epic could blame her for any flaw on her part in the undesirable incidents that occurred . If any reader does not end up in showing sympathy to her, that means he could not properly understand her character.
"After praying to Naaraayana, Nara, Sarasvathi and Vyaasa, then one should read the Jayam."
DEDICATED TO MY DEAR NIECE VYSHNAVI KRISHNA