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| {{other uses|Gāndhārī (disambiguation)}}
| | #REDIRECT [[Gandhari]] |
| {{short description|Mother of the Kauravas in Mahabharata}}
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| {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2016}} | | {{Redirect category shell| |
| {{Use Indian English|date=January 2016}} | | {{R from move}} |
| {{Infobox character
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| | info-hdr= Information
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| | image =
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| | caption =
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| | family = {{ubl|[[Subala]] (father)|[[Shakuni]] and other brothers<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MiBBDwAAQBAJ&q=%C5%9Bakuni+acala+g%C4%81ndhara&pg=PT162|title = Buddhism and Gandhara: An Archaeology of Museum Collections|isbn = 9781351252744|last1 = Ray|first1 = Himanshu Prabha|date = December 2017}}</ref>}}
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| | spouse = [[Dhritarashtra]]
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| | children = 100 [[Kauravas]] including [[Duryodhana]], [[Dushasana]], [[Vikarna]] (sons) and [[Duhsala]] (daughter)
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| | color = #FFC569
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| | alt = Gandhari
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| | name = Gandhari
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| }} | | }} |
| '''''Gandhari''''' ({{Lang-sa|गांधारी}}, {{lit|A girl from [[Gandhara]]}}) is a prominent character in the [[India]]n epic the ''[[Mahabharata]]''. She was a princess of [[Gandhara Kingdom|Gandhara]] and the wife of [[Dhritrashtra]], the blind king of [[Hastinapura]], and the mother of a hundred sons, the [[Kauravas]], and a daughter.<ref name="Ganguli">Ganguli, Kisari Mohan. The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa Translated into English Prose by Kisari Mohan Ganguli. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Web.</ref>
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| ==Early life and marriage==
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| Gandhari was born to [[Subala]], the king of [[Gandhara Kingdom|Gandhara]]. As a maiden, Gandhari was noted for her piety and virtuous nature. Gandhari is regarded as an incarnation of the goddess [[Mati (goddess)|Mati]].<ref>{{cite book |title= Mahabharata Book 1|chapter= Adi Parva Sambhava Parva : Section LXVII |page= 139}}</ref> She was the sister of [[Shakuni]].
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| During her maiden days, she is said to have impressed Lord [[Shiva]] through penance and received a boon to bear 100 children. However, the reason for her penance and her receiving such boon is unknown. In alternative versions, she is said to have impressed [[Vyasa|Veda Vyasa]] with her gracious and generous nature. One of the main reasons of Bhishma choosing Gandhari to be the elder daughter-in-law of the [[Kuru Kingdom|Kuru kingdom]] is said to be this boon, which would put an end to his worry of the throne remaining vacant.
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| Gandhari's marriage was arranged to [[Dhritarashtra]], the eldest prince of the [[Kuru Kingdom|Kuru kingdom]], a region in [[Delhi]] and [[Haryana]] region. The ''Mahabharata'' depicted her as a beautiful and virtuous woman and a very dedicated wife. Their marriage was arranged by [[Bhishma]]. When she found out that her would-be husband was born blind, she decided to blindfold herself in order to be like her husband. What went through the young girl's mind when she found out that she was to marry a blind man is not depicted in the epic. Popular narration said that the act of blindfolding herself was a sign of dedication and love. On the contrary, [[Irawati Karve]] and many modern scholars debated that the act of blindfolding was an act of protest against [[Bhishma]], as he intimidated her father into giving away her hand in marriage to the blind prince of [[Hastinapur]].<ref>[[Irawati Karve]], [[Yuganta: The End of an Epoch]], Chapter:3</ref>
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| The [[Mahabharata]] depicts her marriage as a major reason for the story's central conflict. Her brother, [[Shakuni]], was enraged that Hastinapur, already having humiliated Gandhar in a war of conquest where all of Shakuni's brothers were killed, would offer for his prized sister a blind man. Shakuni swore to destroy the Kuru dynasty and played an instrumental role in fueling the flames of conflict between the cousins.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Mahabharata, Book 1: Adi Parva: Sambhava Parva: Section CX|url=https://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m01/m01111.htm|access-date=2020-09-01|website=www.sacred-texts.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=varunthelannister|date=2019-05-17|title=Why Shakuni Wanted To Destroy Hastinapur - Was It Love For His Sister or Something More?|url=https://www.bonobology.com/was-it-love-for-his-sister-that-drove-shakuni-to-destroy-hastinapur/|access-date=2020-09-01|website=Bonobology.com|language=en-US}}</ref>
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| Her husband Dhritarashtra was denied the throne because of his blindness, despite being eldest son. The throne went to [[Pandu]], the younger brother of Dhritarashtra. After being cursed by Sage Kindama, Pandu renounced his kingdom in order to repent. After that, her husband was crowned King of Hastinapur and she became the de facto Queen.<ref>{{cite book |title= [[Yuganta: The End of an Epoch]] |page=29 |author= Irawati Karve}}</ref>
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| == Pregnancy and birth of her children ==
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| [[File:Vyas ki vardhan.jpg|thumb|Gandhari receiving boon from Vyasa]]
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| Once, an exhausted [[Vyasa|Veda Vyasa]] came to Gandhari's palace. Vyasa was impressed by Gandhari's hospitality and gave her a boon which she desired that "she should have century of sons each equal unto her lord in strength and accomplishments".<ref name="sacredtext"/> She became pregnant but carried the child for an unusually long period of two years. Later, when she hears that [[Kunti]] (queen of king [[Pandu]], younger brother of [[Dhritarashtra]]) has given birth to the eldest of the [[Pandavas]], she struck on her stomach in frustration only to result in the birth of a "hard mass of flesh" like an "iron ball,” not a child.<ref name= "sacredtext"/>
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| Just as she was about to throw away the mass of flesh, Veda Vyasa arrived (knowing every occurrence with his spiritual power.) Before Vyasa, she admitted her jealousy of Kunti and complained about the boon he had given her. Veda Vyasa assures her that he has never spoken "untruth" and ordered that a "hundred pots full of clarified butter be brought instantly, and let them be placed at a concealed spot. In the meantime, let cool water be sprinkled over this ball of flesh".<ref name="sacredtext">{{cite book|title=The Mahabharata, Book : Adi Parva:Sambhava Parva : Section:CXV|publisher=Sacred-texts.com}}</ref> During this process, Gandhari professed her wish of having a daughter to the ascetic; the daughter, [[Dushala]], would be youngest of her all children. The lump of flesh was originally cut into one hundred parts, but when Gandhari revealed she wanted a daughter the mass was cut once more to make one hundred and one parts. Then, Vyasa "brought another pot full of clarified butter, and put the part intended for a daughter into it." These cuts of flesh "sprinkled over with water" developed to become a hundred and one children; from which after two years, her hundred sons and only daughter were born in a month.<ref>{{cite book|title=The Mahabharata, Book : Adi Parva:Sambhava Parva : Section: CXVI|publisher=Sacred-texts.com}}</ref>
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| After the birth of her first son [[Duryodhana]], many ill omens occurred: the child "began to cry and bray like an ass” and caused "violent winds" and "fires in various directions." A frightened Dhritarashtra summoned [[Vidura]], [[Bhishma]] and all other [[Kuru Kingdom|Kurus]] and countless Brahmanas regarding his firstborn's possibility of succession to the throne. Observing ill omens, Vidura and the other brahmanas suggested the king forsake his first born, since the child might cause destruction to the Kuru clan, but out of paternal love for his first child he ignored the advice.<ref name="sacredtext"/>
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| == Later life and death ==
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| [[File:Kunti Gandhari Dhrtarashtra.jpg|thumb|left|Kunti leading Dhritarashtra and Gandhari as she goes to the forest in exile]]
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| [[File:Death of gandhari, dhritarastra and kunti and escape of vidhura from fire.jpg|thumb|Death of gandhari, dhritarastra and kunti and escape of vidhura from fire]]
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| After the [[Mahabharata War]],
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| Gandhari cursed [[Krishna]] that his clan, the [[Yadavas]], would perish the way her children perished. [[Krishna]] gladly accepted the curse and it came true 36 years after the war, when the [[Yadavas]] were drinking and enjoying life. They started teasing [[rishis]], who cursed Krishna's son into birthing an iron club. The iron club was broken down, thrown in the ocean, but found its way back onto land and into the weapons that destroyed every member of the clan— including Krishna.
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| It is believed that Gandhari made a single purposeful exception to her blindfolded state, when she removed her blindfold to see her eldest son Duryodhana. She poured all her power into her son's body in one glance, rendering Duryodhana's entire body, except his [[loins]], as strong as a [[thunderbolt]]. [[Krishna]] foiled Gandhari's plan by asking Duryodhana to cover up his private part before meeting his mother.<ref>{{cite journal |title= Gandhari, the Rebel |publisher= Economic and Political Weekly
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| |volume= 29 |pages=1517–1519}}</ref> On their decisive encounter on the eighteenth day of the Kurukshetra battle, [[Bhima]] smashed Duryodhana's thighs, a move both literally and figuratively below the belt. Despite its popularity the story is not mentioned in the original version of the ''Mahabharata'' written by Veda Vyasa. As per Vyasa's ''Mahabharata'', Duryodhana, while fighting against Bhima, displayed his superior mace skills, due to which Bhima could not defeat him and had to break rules to kill him.<ref>{{cite book |title= Mahabharata Book 9 |volume= Shalya Parva |section= 60-61}}</ref>
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| All of Gandhari's sons were killed in the war against their cousins, the [[Pandavas]], at [[Kurukshetra]], specifically at the hands of [[Bhima]]. Upon hearing the news, it is said that through a small gap in the blindfold, her gaze fell on Yudhishthira's toe. His clean toe was charred black due to her wrath and power. When she heard the news of the death of all the sons of Pandavas ([[Upapandavas]]), she embraced the Pandavas and consoled them for their losses. Later her wrath turned to Krishna for allowing all this destruction to happen.<ref name=kmg>[https://archive.org/stream/mahabharataofkri06royp#page/n3/mode/2up Stri Parva] The Mahabharata, Translated by Kisari Mohan Ganguli, Published by P.C. Roy (1889)</ref> She cursed that he, his city and all his subjects would be destroyed. Krishna accept the curse. Her curse took its course 36 years after the great war when Yadu dynasty perished after a fight broke out between [[Yadavas]] at a festival. Lord Krishna ascended to his heavenly abode after living for 126 years. The golden city of [[Dwarka]] drowned exactly seven days after his disappearance. Gandhari along with her husband Dhritarashtra, brother-in-law Vidura and sister-in-law Kunti, left Hastinapur about 15 years after the war to seek penance. She is said to have died in the [[Himalayas]] in a forest fire along with Dhritarastra, Vidura and Kunti and attained [[moksha]].
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| <ref name="Tears of Gandhari">{{cite web|last1=Pattanaik|first1=Devdutt|title=Tears of Gandhari|url=http://devdutt.com/articles/indian-mythology/mahabharata/tears-of-gandhari.html|website=Devdutt}}</ref>
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| ==Portrayal in the ''Mahabharata''==
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| [[File:Gandhari reprimands Duryodhana.jpg|thumb|150px|Gandhari reprimands Duryodhana]]
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| The ''Mahabharata'' attributes high moral standards to Gandhari, although her sons are portrayed as villains. She repeatedly exhorted her sons to follow [[dharma]] and make peace with the Pandavas. Gandhari fostered a big-little sister relationship with Kunti. Famously, when Duryodhana would ask for her blessing of victory during the Kurukshetra war, Gandhari would only say "may victory find the side of righteousness". Gandhari's major flaw was her love for her sons, especially her first born, Duryodhana, which often blinded her to his flaws.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Kumar|first=Manisha|date=2014-10-15|title=Kunti And Gandhari - The Two Matriarchs Of Mahabharata|url=https://www.dollsofindia.com/library/kunti-gandhari/|access-date=2020-08-20|website=Dolls of India|language=en}}</ref>
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| ==Legacy==
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| In Hebbya village, [[Nanjangud]], Mysore, India there is a temple called [[Gāndhārī temple]] dedicated to her. This temple honours her devotion and loyalty as she epitomized the goodness of a mother and a loving wife. The foundation stone of the temple was laid on June 19, 2008. It was expected to cost Rs 2.5 crore (INR 25 million).
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| <ref>{{cite news|title=Gandhari temple: a testimony to loyalty and womanhood|url=http://www.hindu.com/2008/06/20/stories/2008062057760200.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081007090621/http://www.hindu.com/2008/06/20/stories/2008062057760200.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=7 October 2008|work=[[The Hindu]]|date=20 June 2008}}</ref>
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| [[Rabindranath Tagore]] wrote a Bengali poetic play about her, named ''Gandharir Abedon'' (Bangla: গান্ধারীর আবেদন, Translation: Supplication of Gandhari). Gandhari, her husband [[Dhritarashtra]] and their son [[Duryodhana]] are central characters in the play.<ref>Sanchayita by Rabindranath Tagore</ref> Aditi Banerjee wrote a novel named ''The Curse of Gandhari'', which depicts the story of the Mahabharata through the perspective of Gandhari.<ref>[https://www.thehindu.com/books/books-authors/a-queen-of-iron-will/article29690374.ece Decoding Gandhari, the queen of iron will] ''The Hindu''</ref>
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| ==In media and television==
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| *In B.R.Chopra's [[Mahabharat (1988 TV series)|Mahabharat]] Gandhari was portrayed by Renuka Israni
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| *In Ramanand Sagar's [[Shri Krishna (TV series)|Shri Krishna]] Gandhari was portrayed by Neela Patel
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| *In [[Mahabharat (2013 TV series)|Star Plus's Mahabharat]] Gandhari was portrayed by [[Riya Deepsi]]
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| *In [[Mahabharatham (TV series)|Mahabharatham]] Gandhari was portrayed by [[Pavithra Janani]]
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| *In [[Dharmakshetra]] (2014) Gandhari was portrayed by Maleeka R. Ghai
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| *In Suryaputra Karna (2015 TV Series) Gandhari was portrayed by Smriti Sinha Vatsa
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| *In [[RadhaKrishn|Radhakrishn]] (2018–present) Gandhari was portrayed by Via Roy Choudhury
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| ==References==
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| {{reflist}}
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| {{Wikisource|The Mahabharata}}
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| {{Mahābhārata}}
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| {{HinduMythology}}
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| ==See also==
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| {{Commons category}}
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| [[Category:Ancient Indian women]]
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| [[Category:Characters in the Mahabharata]]
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| [[Category:Female Characters in the Mahabharata]]
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| [[Category:Hinduism in Afghanistan]]
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| [[Category:Indian queen consorts]]
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| [[Category:People related to Krishna]]
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