Yesha Desai

Mahabharata is an ancient Indian epic about the brothers, Pandavas and kauravas. It describes the battle between them in the Kurukshetra war for the throne of Hastinapura. It is an epic tale that combines war, religion, philosophy and Hindu history. Following is a story from The Mahabharata. Gandhari was the Princess of Kandahar, now in modern day- Afghanistan. When she was of age, she was married to the&nbsp;Prince of Hastinapur,&nbsp;Dhritarashtra.Dhritarashtra was the cousin brother of the King of Hastinapur. He was blind from birth.She chose to not see because her husband could not and that is why after marriage she always tied a cloth around her eyes.She gave birth to a hundred Kauravas and also a daughter called Dussala.After years of not using her vision she achieved Siddhi.When Bheema was going to fight a duel of mace with her only living son Duryodhana, Gandhari asked Duryodhana to visit her without any clothes so that she can strengthen his body parts.Duryodhana covered his waist part of the body and went to visit his mother. As Duryodhan’s body below the waist was covered, this part remained weak. Bheema hit that area breaking the rule of mace fight. After feeling severe pain, Duryodhan died.

This is a story of Gandhari and Dhritarashtra.

How Gandhari gave up her eyesight

Pallavi Hota

Mahabharata is an ancient Indian epic about the brothers, Pandavas and kauravas. It describes the battle between them in the Kurukshetra war for the throne of Hastinapura. It is an epic tale that combines war, religion, philosophy and Hindu history. Following is a story from “The Mahabharata.” When Jayadratha, the husband of Dushala, the only sister of the Kauravas, was killed by the clever plan of Krishna, Duryodhana was pacing up and down in the night and he was thinking, “What is this? The clouds just came and then went! I am not a weather-man. This Krishna is just too much.” Gandhari, his mother, was thinking, “I must protect my son. This is cheating. With Krishna on their side, Pandavas will get victory.” Gandhari thought, “I have my siddhi.” So she said, “My dear Duryodhana, come and see me in the night without any clothes. When you stand before my eyes, I will take off the blindfold and by the force of my siddhi over the years, I will make you so strong that no one can touch you.” So in the dead of the night Duryodhana went to see his mother.He saw Krishna. Duryodhana was thinking, “Of all the people in the world, why should I see this personality?” Krishna saw him and started smiling. Duryodhan became ruffled. He asked, “why are you smiling?” Krishna said, “Why do you think I am smiling? Grown up man with no clothes walking in the dead of the night. Are you mental?” Duryodhana was embarrassed and said, “No no. I am just going to see my mother.” Krishna then said, “Your mother! You are going to see your mother with no clothes on? Where have you learned your etiquette? Some decency is required. At least wear some gumcha or something and then go to see your mother. I know you have had a bad day in the battlefield but that does not mean you have to become mental.” Duryodhana thinks, “Yes, it is very bad. I am very embarrassed.” He thought to himself , “I will wear my gamcha and when I stand before my mother, I will take it off. Then everything will be alright.” So he went before his mother. Gandhari asked, “Are you ready son? Is everything as I told you?” He replied “Yes.” She opened her eyes and saw him. She went all the way down and she saw the gamcha. At the end, Duryodhana’s thighs could not be strengthened because they were covered. Gandhari tells Duryodhana, “I gave you a simple instruction to take off your clothes and stand.” He said, “I met Krishna.” Gandhari thought, “why of all people must my son meet Krishna? In the night, the Pandavas were very happy and they must have all gone to sleep. Why was Krishna roaming around?” She asked his son, “What did Krishna tell you?” He replied, “Krishna told me to wear a gamcha as it is not right to walk around without any clothes. Mother, I agreed to Him and I decided to remove the gumcha when I came to you.” But Gandhari realized with an air of resignation that no matter what she planned for her son, the truth is Krishna in a very simple and cheeky way was teaching her something that whatever plans she had for her son, were not within His line of vision. It was not going to help. She was only going to be disturbed. But till the end of the war, Gandhari could not accept this.

gandhari stories

Kids moral stories help in improving their imagination & relate to real-world life. Here are age-specific bedtime stories for children by renowned storytellers.

How Gandhari gave up her eyesight

Naked Duryodhana in front his mother Gandhari

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