DHITRASHTRA
Dhritrashtra
is name of two characters mentioned in Mahabharat.
1.
Dhritrashtra of Nagavansh,
2.
Dhritrashtra of Hastinapura, son born to Vichitravirya's first wife
Ambika. This blind king of Hastinapura was father to a hundred children
by his wife Gandhari. These children came to be known as the Kauravas.
Duryodhana and Dushasana were the first two sons.
Dhritrashtra
of Nagavansh :
Dhritrashtra, the Nagavanshi King is mentioned in Mahabharat
(I.31.13), (I.52.13), (I.59.41), (II.9.9), (V.101.15).
Adi
Parv, Mahabharat / Mahabharat Book I Chapter 31 mentions Names of
Chief Nagas. Dhritrashtra is listed in in verse (I.31.13).
Adi
Parv, Mahabharat / Mahabharat Book I Chapter 52 gives Names of all
those Nagas that fell into the fire of the snake-sacrifice. Dhritrashtra
is listed in in verse (I.52.13).
Adi
Parv, Mahabharat / Mahabharat Book I Chapter 59 gives origin of
the celestials and other creatures. Dhritrashtra is listed in in
verse (I.59.41).
Sabha
Parv, Mahabharat / Book II Chapter 9 mentions name of Nagavanshi
King Dhritrashtra, along other Kings who attended Sabha of Varun.
Dhritrashtra is listed in in verse (II.9.9).
Udyog
Parv / Mahabharat Book V Chapter 101 describes about Bhogavati city
and innumerable Nagas who live there. Dhritrashtra is listed in
in verse (V.101.15).
Dhetarwal
gotra of Jats are descendant of this mahapurush Dhritrashtra of
Nagavansh.
Dhritrashtra
of Hastinapur :
![](Dhritarashtra_ancestry.jpg)
Dhritrashtra
ancestry
In the Mahabharat Dhritrashtra was the son born to Vichitravirya's
first wife Ambika. He was fathered by Vyas. This blind king of Hastinapur
was father to a hundred children by his wife Gandhari. These children
came to be known as the Kauravas. Duryodhana and Dushasana were
the first two sons. Andari gotra Jats live in Jaipur district in
Rajasthan. They are descendants of Raja Andh (Dhritrashtra).
Birth
:
After Vichitravirya's death his mother Satyavati sent for her first
born, Vyasa. According to his mother's wishes, he visited both the
wives of Vichitravirya to grant them a son with his yogic powers.
When Vyasa visited Ambika, she saw his dreadful and forbidding appearance
with burning eyes. In her frightened state, she closed her eyes
and dared not open it. Hence her son, Dhritrashtra was born blind.
His brother Pandu, ruled the kingdom for him due to his blindness.
After Pandu's death, he became king of Hastinapur.
Reign
as king :
At the birth of his first son Duryodhan, Dhritrashtra was advised
by Vidura and Bhishma to abandon the child due to bad omens surrounding
the child but his love for him stopped him. Dhritrashtra was advised
by his elders to be fair to the Pandavas, who were returning from
the forest with their mother, Kunti.
The
succession crisis :
Duryodhan was focused on making sure that the he would be the next
heir for the kingdom. The king himself wanted his son to be his
heir but he was also forced to consider the eldest Pandav, Yudhisthir
who was older then Duryodhan.
Against
his will, he named Yudhisthira his heir which left Duryodhana frustrated.
As a solution Bhishma suggested the partition of Hastinapur. Trying
to maintain peace, Dhritrashtra gave Yudhisthir half the Kuru kingdom,
albeit the lands which were arid, unprosperous and scantily populated,
known as Khandavaprastha. He purposely kept the better half of the
kingdom for himself so that his son may one day rule his half of
the kingdom.
The
dice game :
Dhritrashtra was one of the many men present when Yudhisthir lost
the dice game against Shakuni, Duryodhan, Dushasan and Karn. With
each throw, the king lost everything gambling away his kingdom,
his wealth, his brothers and finally his wife. Dhritrashtra was
silent when Dushasan tried to disrobe Draupadi (the Pandavs wife)
in front of the court. Finally, the blind monarch conscience was
stirred, in part fearing the wrath of Pandavas against his sons.
Fearing retribution from the five brothers he returned all the things
they lost in the dice game.
However,
Shakuni challenged Yudhisthir one more time, and Yudhisthira once
more lost. This time, he, his brothers and his wife were forced
to discharge the debt by spending fourteen years in exile in the
forest before they could reclaim their kingdom. Dhritrashtra was
warned by many that the Pandavas will not forget their humiliation.
He was constantly told by many that he needed to remember that his
responsibilities as king must be placed before his affection as
a father.
Battle
of Kurukshetra :
Sanjay, Dhritrashtra’s charioteer was blessed by Sage Vyas
with the ability to see the past,present and the future, narrated
important events of the Kurukshetra War, a war fought between the
Kauravs (the sons of Dhritrashtra) and the Pandavs, to the blind
king.
Dhritrashtra's
sorrow increased day by day as an ever increasing number of his
sons were slain by Bhima. He frequently bemoaned his ineffectiveness
in preventing Duryodhan from going to war. Sanjaya often consoled
the bereaved king but reminded him every time that dharma was on
the Pandava side and a war against Krishna and Arjun could not be
humanly won regardless of the strength of the opposing force.
Crushing
of Bhim's Metal Statue :
At the end of the great battle, Dhritrashtra was overcome with grief
and rage at the loss of his hundred sons. When the blind king met
the Pandavs who had come to seek his blessing prior to ascending
the throne, he embraced all of them. When it was Bhima's turn, Krishna
knew that the king was blind and possessed the strength of a hundred
thousand elephants from the boon granted by Vyasa. He was quick
to move Bhima aside and push an iron figure of Bhima into Dhritrashtra's
embrace. When the thought entered Dhritrashtra's mind that the man
in his embrace had killed every one of his hundred sons without
mercy, his anger rose to such a pitch that the metal statue was
crushed into powder. Thus, Bhim was saved and Dhritrashtra composed
himself and gave the Pandavas his blessing.
Later
years and death :
Yudhisthir was crowned king of both Indraprasth and Hastinapur.
The war had killed many great warriors and millions of soldiers
were killed on each side. Yudhisthir once again showed his kindness
when he decided that the king of the city of Hastinapur should be
Dhristarashtra. He offered the blind king complete respect and deference
as an elder, despite his misdeeds and the evil of his dead sons.
After many years as the ruler of Hastinapur, Dhristarashtra along
with Gandhari, Kunti and Vidur left for their final journey into
the forest. They died in a forest fire in the Himalayas.
The
first stanza of the Bhagavad Gita is a question from Dhritrashtra
to Sanjay asking him to recount the Kurukshetra War.
Names
of Dhritrashtra's sons :
Here are the names of Dhritrashtra's sons according to the order
of their birth beginning from the eldest. :
1.
Duryodhan
2. Yuyutsu
3. Dushashan
4. Duhsah
5. Duhshal
6. Vivinsati
7. Vikarna
8. Jalasandh
9. Sulochna
10. Vind
11. Anuvind
12. Durdharsh
13. Suvahu
14. Dushpradharshan
15. Durmarshan
16. Dushkarn
17. Karn
18. Chitra
19. Vipchitra
20. Chitraksh
21. Charuchitra
22. Angad
23. Durmad
24. Dushpradharsh
25. Vivitsu
26. Vikat
27. Sama
28. Urananabh
29. Padmanabh
30. Nand
31. Upanandak
32. Sanapati
33. Sushen
34. Kundodar
35. Mahodar
36. Chitravahu
37. Chitravarman
38. Suvarman
39. Durvirochan
40. Ayovahu
41. Mahavahu
42. Chitrachap
43. Sukundal
44. Bhimveg
45. Bhimval
46. Valaki
47. Bhimvikram
48. Ugrayudh
49. Bhimear
50. Kankayu
51. Dridhyudh
52. Dridhvarman
53. Dridhkshatr
54. Somkirti
55. Anadar
56. Jarasandh
57. Dridhsandh
58. Satyasandh
59. Sahsravaeh
60. Ugrasrav
61. Ugrasen
62. Kshemamurti
63. Aprajit
64. Panditak
65. Visalksh
66. Durdhar
67. Dridhhast
68. Suhast
69. Vatveg
70. Suvarchas
71. Adityaketu
72. Vahvasin
73. Nagdatt
74. Anuyain
75. Nishangi
76. Kuvachi
79. Dandi
78. Dandadhar
79. Dhanugrah
80. Ugra
81. Bhimrath
82. Vir
83. Virvahu
84. Alolup
85. Abhay
86. Raudrakarman
87. Dridharath
88. Anadhrishya
89. Kundved
90. Viravi
91. Dhirghalochan
92. Dirghavahu
93. Mahavahu
94. Vyudhoru
95. Kanakangan
96. Kundaj
97. Chitraka
There
was also a daughter named Duhsala who was over and above the hundred.
And Yuyutsu who was Dhritrashtra's son by a Vaisya wife, was also
over and above the hundred.
Ref
- Adi Parva, Mahabharat/Mahabharat Book I Chapter 67
Source
:
https://www.jatland.com/
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