North India Statesman
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News India Live, Digital Desk: The story of Mahabharata is as vast as it is surprising. An important character in this epic is Gandhari, who was the wife of Dhritarashtra of Hastinapur and mother of hundred Kauravas. But how can a pregnant woman give birth to a hundred children? Did she have a normal nine-month pregnancy? Let us know the mysterious and supernatural mythological story related to the birth of Kauravas.
Blessings of Maharishi Vedvyas and unique vow of Gandhari
According to mythology, Dhritarashtra was blind from birth, so when he got married to Gandhari, Gandhari also took a vow to keep her eyes blind for the rest of her life. She was such an ideal wife, who stood by her husband in all his sorrows and pains. Once, Gandhari pleased Maharishi Vedvyas with her selfless service. Vedavyas blessed her and said, “You will have the good fortune of becoming the mother of a hundred powerful sons.” Gandhari was very happy with this blessing, because she also had a strong desire to have a child.
Mystery of conception and birth of Yudhishthira
After some time, Gandhari became pregnant. But her pregnancy period was not normal. Instead of nine months, she remained pregnant for almost two years. Meanwhile, Queen Kunti (Pandu’s wife) gave birth to Dharmaraja Yudhishthir. Seeing this, Gandhari became very upset and impatient. She thought that if she did not have a son, she would not be able to fulfill the blessings of her husband and Vedvyas. In this worry, she impulsively hit her stomach hard, due to which she miscarried.
Earthen flesh and the miracle of Vedvyas
A mass of flesh came out of Gandhari’s womb, in which there was no child. Seeing this, Gandhari was very disappointed. Then Maharishi Vedvyas appeared there. When he came to know the whole story, he calmed Gandhari and instructed him to cut the meat into 101 equal parts. Vedvyas placed all those pieces in pitchers and chanted special mantras and asked them to bury them secretly in the ground. It was also said that a hundred sons and one daughter (Dushala) would be born from these pitchers.
Due to this amazing miracle of Ved Vyas, after some time a boy and a girl were born one by one from those pots, who came to be known as Kauravas. In this way, Gandhari, with a gestation period of two years instead of nine months and with the blessings of Vedavyas, gave birth to a hundred sons (Kauravas) and a daughter Dushala. Dhritarashtra and Gandhari were freed from the sorrow of childlessness, but it was because of these sons that the disastrous war of Mahabharata later took place.
This story tells us how even natural laws can be changed due to divine power and extraordinary determination. It also shows Gandhari’s sacrifice, devotion to her husband and her intense love for her children.
