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 :

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

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