Gandhari
Gandhari has been born on to Subala, the king of Gandhar. As a maiden, Gandhari is observed for her piety & virtuous nature. Gandhari is regarded as an incarnation of Mati. She has been sister of Shakuni.
Gandhari’s marriage has been provided to Dhritarashtra, the eldest prince of the Kuru kingdom. The Mahabharata portrayed her as a beautiful & virtuous lady & a quite committed spouse. Their own marriage has been organized by Bhishma. When she identified out that her would-be spouse has been born blind, she ruled to blindfold herself in order to be like her spouse.
What went using the young lady’s mind when she identified out that she has been to marry a blind person is not portrayed within the epic. Famous narration stated that the act of blindfolding herself has been a sign of commitment & love.
On the other hand, Irawati Karve & numerous modern scholars discussed that the act of blindfolding has been an act of dissent over Bhishma as he intimidated her dad into granting far away her hand in marriage to the blind prince of Hastinapur.
Throughout her maiden days, she’s stated to have impressed Lord Shiva using penance & got a boon to bear 100 kids. Although, the reason for her penance & her getting such boon is unfamiliar. One such main reasons of Bhishma choosing Gandhari to be the elder daughter in law of the Kuru kingdom is stated to be this boon, that would put an end to his own worry of the throne rest vacant.
She gets carrying however carries the child for an unusually long period of two yrs. Thereafter, when she hears that Kunti (queen of king Pandu, younger brother of Dhritarashtra) has given birth to the eldest of the Pandavas, she pounds on her stomach in frustration & helplessness only to result within the birth of a grey mass & not her sons.
Veda Vyasa divides this into 101 parts & stores them in earthen pots to incubate for the other two yrs.. 1st to be born amongst these is Duryodhana, succeeded by 99 brothers & 1 sister, Dushala.
During this birth of her 1st son Duryodhana, numerous ill omen occur. Dhuryodhana initiated crying like a Donkey after the birth & because of this, vulture & crows initiated creating noise. Vidhur informed Dhritshashtra to murder Duryodhana as he’ll destroy his own family (4) however he couldn’t accomplish it in love for his own child.
Here are the names of all this Kauravas:
Duryodhan, Dussashan, Dussah, Jalsandh, Sam, Sah, Vind, Anuvind, Dudrdharsh, Subahu, Dushpradharshan, Durmurshan, Durmukh, Dushkarn, Karn, Vivinshati,Vikarn, Shal, Satva, Sulochan, Chitr,Upchitra, Chitraksh, Charuchitr, Shrasan, Durmud, Durvigah, Vivitsu, Viktanan, Urnanabh, Sunabh, Nand, Upnand, Chitrban, Chitravarma, Suvarma, Durvimochan, Aayobahu, Mahabahu, Chitrang, Chitrkundal, Bhimveg, Bhimbal, Ugrayudh, Sushen, Kunddhar, Mahaodar, Chhitrayudh, Nishangi, Pashi, Vrindarakm, Dridhvarma, Dridhkshatra, Somkirti, Anudar, Dridhsandh, Jarasandh, Satyasandh, Sad: suvak, Ugrashrava, Kundashayi, Dushparajay, Ugrasen, Vishalaksh, Duradhar, Dridhhast, Suvarcha, Adityaketu, Bahvashi, Batveg, Suhast, Nagdatt, Agrayayi, Kavchi, Krathan, Kundi, Alolup, Bhimrath, Dridhrathashray, Raudrakarma, Virbahu, Abbey, Anadhritya, Kundabhedi, Dirgharoma, Dirghabahu, Pramathi, Pramath, Mahabahu, Vyudhorask, Kankadhvaj, Kundashi.
The Kauravas weren’t actually righteous hence they have been all mis-named due to their own bad repute. Duryodhana has been really called Suyodhana, Dusshasana has been really Sushaasana, Dusshala has been really Suchala etc..
It’s believed, that Gandhari made a single exception to her blindfolded state, when she eliminated her blindfold to watch her eldest son Duryodhana. She poured all her power into her son’s body in 1 glint, rendering Duryodhana’s overall body, except his own loins, as powerful as thunderbolt. Krishna foiled Gandhari’s schedule by requesting Duryodhana to cover up his own privates before gathering his own mom. On their own decisive encounter on the eighteenth day of the Kurukshetra battle, Bhima crashed Duryodhana’s thighs, a move both literally & figuratively below the belt.
In spite of its fame the post is not mentioned within the original version of the Mahabharata written by Veda Vyasa. According to Vyasa’s Mahabharata, Duryodhana, awhile fighting over Bhima, displayed his own superior mace skills, because of that Bhima couldn’t defeat him & had to break regulations to murder him.
All of Gandhari’s sons have been died within the war over their own cousins, the Pandavas in Kurukshetra, specifically in the hands of Bhima. Upon hearing the information, it’s stated that using a small gap within the blindfold, her gaze fallen on Yudhishthira’s toe. His own clean toe has been charred black because of her wrath & power. When she heard the information of the demise of all this sons of Pandavas (Upapandavas), she embraced the Pandavas & consoled them for their own losses. Thereafter her wrath changed to Krishna for allowing all this destruction to happen.
She cursed that he, his own city & all his own subjects would be destroyed. Krishna accept the curse. Her curse taken its course 36 yrs. after the nice war when Yadu dynasty perished after a fight erupted between Yadavas in a festival. Lord Krishna ascended to his own heavenly abode after residing for 126 yrs.. The golden city of Dwarka drowned exactly 7 days after his own disappearance.
Gandhari with her spouse Dhritarashtra, brother-in-law Vidura & sister-in-law Kunti, left Hastinapur regarding 15 yrs. after the war to seek penance. She’s stated to have passed away within the Himalayan in a forest fire with Dhritarastra, Vidura & Kunti & attained moksha.
The Mahabharata attributes high moral rules to Gandhari, though her sons are depicted as villains. She repeatedly exhorted her sons to follow dharma & make peace with the Pandavas. Gandhari promoted a big-little sister relationship with Kunti. Popularly, when Duryodhana would inquire for her blessing of victory during this Kurukshetra war, Gandhari would only say “may victory locate the side of righteousness”. Gandhari’s main flaw has been her love for her sons, specially her 1st born, Duryodhana, that frequently blinded her to his own flaws.
After the nice war of Mahabharat, the grief-stricken blind king with his own spouse Gandhari, sister-in-law Kunti, & half brother Vidura left Hastinapur for penance. It’s believed that all of them (except Vidura who predeceased him) perished in a forest fire & attained Moksha.