Mantralaya-2029
(Gandhari, her power and fate)
Date : Feb 13, 2025
Dear Devotees : Namaskara.
| Sri MannMoolaRamastu Mannmathe Moolamahasamsthhaana Mantralaya Sri Rayaramathe||
|| OM SRI RAGHAVENDRAAYA NAMAHA||
Background
Why
is Gandhari not considered among the five divine women, and despite all
her positive karma, why did she not attain moksha? Sri Raghavendra
Teertharu and Sri Madhvacharyaru’s explanation of this is described in
Mantralaya (2029).
Meaning
Today,
let’s unravel a fascinating dilemma in the Mahabharata that arises upon
a surface level reading, the enigma of Gandhari. Why is Gandhari, the
devoted queen of Hastinapura, not counted among the revered women like
Ahalya, Draupadi, Kunti, Tara and Mandodari? And more intriguingly, was
Gandhari truly powerful enough to curse Lord Krishna, the very
embodiment of absolute truth and the Supreme Being of the universe?
Let’s explore these questions with a deeper understanding of dharma,
destiny and divine will.
Sri RaghavendraTeertharu and
Madhvacharyaru provide insightful answers to the confusions surrounding
Gandhari in the Mahabharata through Tatparya Nirnaya.
Gandhari
was a princess of Gandhara , modern day Kandahar. Today’s Kandahar is a
city and province in southern Afghanistan. It's the second largest city
in Afghanistan, after Kabul.
Gandhari was the daughter
of Subala, king of Gandhara and was named 'Gandhari' by her
father.Gandhari was the beloved daughter of King Subala. Gandhari was
not only graceful but also deeply devoted and strong-willed.
When
the time came for her marriage, the great Bhishma arranged her wedding
with Dhritarashtra, the eldest prince of the mighty Kuru dynasty.
However, there was one truth that could not be hidden: Dhritarashtra
was born blind. Upon learning this, Gandhari made a decision that would
define her forever. Out of immense devotion and love, she blindfolded
herself, vowing never to see the world since her husband could not.
This act was not just a sacrifice, it was a symbol of unwavering
loyalty, selflessness, and deep commitment.
Gandhari devotion
impressed none other than the revered sage, Sri Vedavyasa. Pleased with
her dedication, he granted her a rare boon, she would be the mother of
a hundred sons. However, unknown to her, powerful demonic souls from
the Ramayana - Indrajit, Atikaya, Kharasura and even the mighty Kali
himself entered her womb.
Despite being a kind and caring woman,
Gandhari harbored jealousy towards Kunti, the other queen of the Kuru
dynasty. Gandhari and her husband, Dhritarashtra, desperately wished
for their child to be born first so that their son could inherit the
throne. But destiny was always on the side of righteousness (Dharma).
Before Gandhari could give birth, Kunti delivered Yudhishthira, the
eldest Pandava, who was destined to be a just and noble ruler.
When
Gandhari heard this news, her heart burned with frustration. Overcome
with grief and helplessness, she struck her own stomach in anguish. To
her horror, instead of a child, a lifeless grey mass emerged from her
womb.
At that moment, Sri Vedavyasa happened to be in
Hastinapura. Seeing Gandhari's despair, Sri Vedavyasa felt deeply
saddened. With his divine wisdom, he carefully divided the lifeless
mass into a hundred parts and placed each piece into a special pot. A
smaller portion was set aside separately.
As time passed, the
pots began to break open, one by one, revealing Gandhari’s children the
Kauravas. But these were no ordinary children. The asuras (demons) who
had fought against Lord Rama in the Ramayana had now taken birth in new
forms.Kali, the spirit of darkness and discord was born as Duryodhana,
the leader of the Kauravas.Indrajit, Ravana’s mighty son, took birth as
Dushasana, Duryodhana’s most loyal brother.Atikaya, a powerful warrior
of Lanka, was reborn as Vikarna.Kharasura, a fierce demon, returned as
Chitrasena.Many other demonic souls followed, each taking form as one
of Gandhari’s hundred sons.The final portion, which had been kept
separate, was born as a girl Dushala. She was, in reality, the
reincarnation of the demoness Mrusha, a being known for deceit and
falsehood.
Thus, Gandhari became the mother of 101 children, all
of whom carried the essence of the asuras within them. Though she loved
them deeply, their very nature was rooted in darkness, and their
actions would one day lead to the great war of Kurukshetra.
Sri
Veda Vyasaru’s method of growing the Kauravas outside the womb can be
considered an extraordinary example of divine wisdom and advanced
knowledge.These pots acted as artificial wombs, nurturing each fragment
until they grew into fully formed babies. This process, described in
the Mahabharata, can be seen as an ancient form of incubation
technology, far ahead of its time. It suggests a level of knowledge
about embryonic development, controlled growth, and external gestation
that modern science is only beginning to explore.
Gandhari was
no ordinary woman. Her unwavering devotion to her blind husband,
Dhritarashtra, had earned her immense spiritual power. The years of
self sacrifice living in darkness by blindfolding herself had
accumulated a vast reserve of punya (positive karma). She was powerful,
far beyond what anyone imagined.
But fate had dealt her a cruel
hand. The Mahabharata war had ended, leaving behind an ocean of sorrow.
The battlefield was silent, and all one hundred of Gandhari’s sons lay
lifeless, slain by the Pandavas. The mother who had once nurtured them
with love now stood as a grieving queen, her heart burning with agony.
The
victorious Pandavas, bound by dharma, came before their elders to seek
blessings. Yudhishthira, the eldest, stepped forward with his head
bowed in sorrow. "Maatrudevi," he said softly, "I am deeply sorry for
what has happened" . But sorrow was not enough to heal a mother’s
grief. Gandhari, overwhelmed with rage and pain, lifted her blindfolded
eyes. She directed her gaze toward Yudhishthira’s feet just for a
moment. And in that moment, the toe of Yudhishthira burned instantly,
reduced to ashes.
A wave of realization struck Gandhari. She had
never known the extent of her power. The tapasya (austerities) of a
lifetime had made her capable of destroying even the righteous with a
mere glance.
Then came Bhima, the warrior who had slain her
beloved son Duryodhana. Unlike Yudhishthira, Bhima did not seek
forgiveness. He stood tall, unwavering, and declared,"Maatrudevi, I did
what had to be done. Your sons followed the path of adharma
(unrighteousness). It was my duty to stop them". Tears streamed
down Gandhari’s face as she asked, "All my hundred sons… were they all
evil?". "Yes," Bhima replied firmly. "Every single one of them
walked the path of adharma. They even dared to attack Lord Krishna
Himself." . Gandhari’s voice trembled with fury. "And what about you,
Bhima? Did dharma teach you to drink my son’s blood?". Bhima,
unshaken, answered, "I did not drink his blood, Maatrudevi. I only held
it in my mouth to strike fear into the Kauravas. It was a strategy to
ensure victory. I never broke dharma."
At that moment, Sri
Krishna Himself stood before Gandhari. Unlike the others, He remained
silent, His divine smile unwavering.Gandhari turned her grief and rage
toward Lord Krishna. "Krishna! You could have stopped this war! You are
the one who orchestrated all of this. My sons are dead because of you!
I curse you, just as I have lost my entire family, so shall you! The
Yaduvamsha, your own clan, will destroy itself!". A deep silence fell
over the gathering. Everyone trembled at the weight of her words. A
curse upon Krishna was such a thing even possible?. But Sri Krishna
remained unshaken. With a serene smile, Krishna bowed slightly and
spoke in His ever-calm voice, "Maatrudevi, I accept your curse.
Tathastu ,Let it be so."
The gathering was stunned. Why would the Supreme Lord accept a curse when He had the power to render it ineffective?
Sri
Raghavendra Swamy and Sri Madhvacharya explain the deeper meaning
behind this divine moment.Lord Krishna, being the Supreme, had two
reasons for accepting Gandhari’s curse:
1) The End of Yaduvamsha
Was Necessary – Krishna had already decided that His own lineage, the
Yadavas, had fulfilled their role on earth. Their time had come to an
end. Gandhari’s curse was merely a medium to fulfill this divine will.
2)
Burning Away Gandhari’s Punya – Gandhari, despite her immense tapasya,
was not a mukta jeeva (liberated soul). She had gained extraordinary
spiritual power, but she was not eligible for moksha (liberation). The
door to moksha opens only for those who surrender to the Supreme Lord
with pure devotion.By cursing Krishna, Gandhari spent all of her
accumulated punya in one instant. In that moment, she lost all her
divine power and became an ordinary woman. She, who had once been
mighty, was now left with nothing but grief. Sri Krishna accepted her
curse not because He had to, but because He wanted to. Sri Krishna used
it as a means to balance the karmic scales and ensure that only true
devotion, not mere power would lead to liberation.
This is why
Gandhari, despite her greatness, is not counted among the top five
divine women of scriptures. Unlike Kunti, who surrendered herself
completely to Lord Krishna, Gandhari was bound by attachment and
resentment.
In the end, the Mahabharata was not just a war of
arrows and warriors. It was a battle between dharma and adharma,
between devotion and ego, between destiny and free will.Krishna did not
merely defeat the Kauravas; He revealed the eternal truth only love,
surrender, and devotion to Him can lead to liberation.This is the
wisdom that Sri Raghavendra Swamy and Sri Madhvacharyaru impart to us.
It was never about winning or losing. It was about realizing the
ultimate truth—that only through Krishna’s grace can one attain eternal
peace.
The devotion towards
Sri Raghavendrateertharu is the ultimate truth and is the most simple
and effective way to reach Sri Hari - "NAMBI KETTAVARILLAVO EE
GURUGALA"! “Those who have complete faith in this Guru will never be
disappointed.”
|| BICHALI JAPADAKATTI SRI APPANACHARYA PRIYA MANTRALAYA
SRI RAGHAVENDRATEERTHA GURUBHYO NAMAHA||