Puranic encyclopaedia
by Vettam Mani | 1975 | 609,556 words | ISBN-10: 0842608222
This page describes the Story of Dhritarashtra included the Puranic encyclopaedia by Vettam Mani that was translated into English in 1975. The Puranas have for centuries profoundly influenced Indian life and Culture and are defined by their characteristic features (panca-lakshana, literally, ‘the five characteristics of a Purana�).
Story of ٳṛtṣṭ
Father of the Kauravas.
Genealogy.
(See the genealogy of Arjuna).
Birth.
ŚԳٲԳ, a king of the Lunar dynasty, had two wives Ҳṅg and ٲⲹī. ṅg, gave birth to eight sons. But seven of them were thrown into the river Ҳṅg. Giving the eighth son īṣm to ŚԳٲԳ Ҳṅg disappeared. ŚԳٲԳ then married ٲⲹī, a fisher-woman. ٲⲹī gave birth to two sons, 侱ٰṅg岹 and վٰīⲹ. When ŚԳٲԳ grew old, 侱ٰṅg岹 was anointed as King, as īṣm had taken Brahmavrata (vow of celibacy). Once when 侱ٰṅg岹 went to the forest for hunting, a Gandharva of the name 侱ٰṅg岹 killed him. So վٰīⲹ became the King of Ჹپܰ. īṣm took the three daughters of the King of ś, , and likā by force into his chariot and brought the last two, to Ჹپܰ to be given as wives to վٰīⲹ. On the way he sent back. վٰīⲹ married and likā. But shortly after that he also died, before any children were born to him. Fearing that the Lunar dynasty would come to an end, ٲⲹī brought her son ձ岹, who was born to her from hermit ʲś, before her marriage, to Ჹپܰ. In the night ٲⲹī sent adorned with ornaments and costly garments, to the bedroom of ղ. But she could not bear to lie with ղ who was clad in barks of the tree and wearing matted hair. Still thinking that it was not right on her part to stand against the wish of her mother, she approached ղ and lay with him with closed eyes. became pregnant. The child she gave birth to, was blind. That child was Dhṛtarāṣṭṛa. Next night likā approached ղ. When she saw ղ she turned pale at his uncouth figure and her face became bloodless. So the child born to her was pale and was called ṇḍ. Next night the maid of the queen approached ղ with a joyful heart and so she got Vidura as son, who was extremely wise and intelligent. Thus ٳṛtṣṭ, ṇḍ and Vidura became sons of the same father.* (Ѳٲ Ā徱 Parva, Chapters, 63 and 105).
Up to marriage.
After the birth of ٳṛtṣṭ ղ returned to forest and since then īṣm stood in place of father to the children. īṣm performed 'Upanayana' (investiture with Brahma-string) and other rites of the children. ٳṛtṣṭ, ṇḍ and Vidura had their education in Ჹپܰ. (Ѳٲ Ā徱 Parva, Chapter 108).
"dhṛtarāṣṭra, pāṇḍu and the wise vidura the three were brought up as sons by bhīṣma, they became well educated, cultured and devotional, respectful towards vows and fasts, and of good physique earnest in work and they became valiant youths. learned the vedas and veda of archery, clubbing, shield and swords play, elephant-keeping, laws of chastisement, veda śٰ, allied works and epics and the ܰṇa, pāṇḍu came out expert archer, dhṛtarāṣṭra the strongest of all. none in the three worlds was equal to vidura, in wisdom and knowledge and righteousness." (m.b. ādi parva, chapter 109)."
Because of his blindness ٳṛtṣṭ was not anointed as King. It is stated in Ѳٲ Ā徱 Parva, Chapter 108 Stanza 25, that in the place of ٳṛtṣṭ, ṇḍ was anointed the King.
Marriage and birth of children.
ٳṛtṣṭ came of marriageable age. īṣm had heard about Իī, daughter of Subala, the King of Ի, as a beautiful damsel of good qualities. Moreover she had acquired a boon from Ś that hundred sons would be born to her. īṣm sent a messenger to Subala with a request to give Իī as wife to ٳṛtṣṭ. Subala was not much pleased at the aspect of getting a blind man as son-in-law. Still he thought of the prestige his family would get by a marriage alliance with the kings of the ū Dynasty, and finally agreed. Իī submitted to the will of her father, and to live with a husband who was blind. She tied her eyes with a cloth. ŚܲԾ the son of Subala brought Իī to Ჹپܰ, and gave her to ٳṛtṣṭ. With the sanction of īṣm their marriage took place.
Once Իī feasted ղ who came tired with hunger and thirst. The hermit was pleased with her and blessed her to have hundred sons. Իī became pregnant. But even after two years no delivery took place. She crushed her womb by force and a lump of flesh came out. At that time ղ came there. He cut the lump into hundred pieces and kept them in ghee-pots. ҲԻī had a desire to get a daughter also. ղ who had known it had cut the lump in such a way that there was a small piece in excess. The pots broke by themselves in due course and hundred sons and a daughter were born. The daughter was named ٳśś. A son named Yuyutsu also was born to ٳṛtṣṭ of a ղśⲹ woman. Duryodhana was the eldest of the hundred sons. The children grew up. ٳśś was given in marriage to Jayadratha, the King of Sindhu. (Ѳٲ Ā徱 Parva, Chapters 109 to 116).
Till ٲ-battle.
At this juncture ṇḍ incurred a curse from a hermit that he would die if his wife touched him. With that ṇḍ retired to forest with his wives. ٳṛtṣṭ was grieved at the separation of his brother. ṇḍ died in the forest and ī jumped into fire and died with her husband. ٳṛtṣṭ asked Vidura to perform their cremation rites. After that ۳ܻṣṭ became King. The ṇḍ became more and more prosperous. This made the heart of ٳṛtṣṭ cloudy. He gave sanction to Duryodhana to transfer the ṇḍ to the lac house in ṇāvٲ. The lac house caught fire and it was rumoured that the ṇḍ died in the lac house fire, and ٳṛtṣṭ shed crocodile tears, and ordered for the mourning and oblation to be performed. After the marriage of ñī, it came to be known that the ṇḍ were alive and that they were living with Drupada. ٳṛtṣṭ recalled them and gave them half of the country. The ṇḍ made Indraprastha their capital and began to rule the kingdom. ۳ܻṣṭ performed the sacrifice of Ჹūⲹ (royal consecration). ٳṛtṣṭ also took part in the sacrifice.
Duryodhana wanted to challenge ۳ܻṣṭ to a game of dice. ٳṛtṣṭ agreed but advised Duryodhana not to live in enmity with the ṇḍ. The game of dice was played, and ۳ܻṣṭ lost everything the ṇḍ had. ٳṛtṣṭ called ñī and told her that she might ask any boon. She requested that her husband Dharmaputra might b{??} exempted from servitude and the ṇḍ made free. ٳṛtṣṭ compelled her to ask for more boons. She replied that according to law ղśⲹs were eligible for one boon, ṣaٰⲹ women two boons, Kings three boons and ṇa hundred boons, and since she had already taken two boons, she wanted no more. ٳṛtṣṭ who was pleased at this reply gave the ṇḍ freedom and returned all their lost wealth.
Duryodhana wanted to challenge the ṇḍ for a game of dice again. ٳṛtṣṭ agreed. This time also ۳ܻṣṭ lost the game. The ṇḍ who had lost everything, were ordered to go to forest for twelve years and to live incognito for one year. The ṇḍ went to the forest with ñī. ٳṛtṣṭ was grieved.
After thirteen years the ṇḍ returned. Duryodhana said that not an inch of land would be given to the ṇḍ. ٳṛtṣṭ felt sorry at this Śrī ṛṣṇa came to talk about conciliation. Duryodhana wanted to take him a prisoner. But ٳṛtṣṭ opposed it. Śrī ṛṣṇa showed ٳṛtṣṭ his վśū貹 (cosmic form) to see which, ṛṣṇa gave him sight for the time being for which ٳṛtṣṭ was very thankful. The ṇḍ and the Kauravas came to ܰܰṣeٰ for ٲ-battle. ٳṛtṣṭ called ñᲹⲹ to him and asked him about the preparations the parties had made for war. ñᲹⲹ gave a true description of the battle arrays of both parties. (Ѳٲ Ā徱 Parva. Parva, Vana Parva, and Udyoga Parva).
ٳṛtṣṭ and the battle of ٲ.
The terrible battle began. The heart of ٳṛtṣṭ was grieved with sorrow. When Arjuna vowed that he would kill Jayadratha, ٳṛtṣṭ cried aloud. When he knew that Śātyaki had destroyed the army of the Kauravas he became dumb with grief. He praised ī’s valour and blamed his sons. When ñᲹⲹ told him about the fall of ṇa, ٳṛtṣṭ fell down unconscious. He rose up again and attended to the noises from the battlefield. He fell down again when he knew that Śⲹ and Duryodhana were killed. He rose again and cried for a long time. He gathered the women-folk, his people and went to the battlefield. He broke the metal statue of ī and embraced the ṇḍ. He asked ۳ܻṣṭ to do the mourning and offerings for the dead. It was done accordingly. The ṇḍ respected ٳṛtṣṭ. But ī scolded them. ٳṛtṣṭ and Իī were greatly depressed and asked ۳ܻṣṭ to permit them to live in forest. ۳ܻṣṭ tried to prevent it. He kissed on the head of ۳ܻṣṭ. Seeing that they did not eat food he asked them to eat. ۳ܻṣṭ saw that they would eat only if he permitted them to live in forest. At last ۳ܻṣṭ agreed. ٳṛtṣṭ accepted money from Dharmaputra and performed mourning and offerings for the dead on a large scale (Ѳٲ ٰṇa Parva, ṇa Parva, ٰī Parva, ŚԳپ Parva and Āśramavāsika Parva).
Journey to forest and death.
Afterwards ٳṛtṣṭ and Gāndharī went to forest. Kunti followed them. All the subjects followed them a long way, crying. ٳṛtṣṭ sent them back and entrusted the teacher ṛp and Yuyutsu with the ṇḍ. ٳṛtṣṭ, Իī and ܲԳī lived on the Ganges. From there they came to ܰܰṣeٰ and lived in the hermitage of Śatayūpā for a time. During that period 岹 visited them. The ṇḍ and the subjects visited them again. ղ also came there. He took ٳṛtṣṭ and the rest of them to the river Ganges and evoked the spirits of those who died in the battle. ղ gave ٳṛtṣṭ divine eye to see the departed spirits. After this, at the request of ղ they all returned. ٳṛtṣṭ, Իī and ܲԳī went to Ҳṅgdvāra and performed severe penance and were burnt to death in a wild fire. The relatives put their remains in the Ganges. The spirits of the three—ٳṛtṣṭ, Իī and ܲԳī entered the realm of Kubera. (Ѳٲ Āśramavāsika Parva, Svargārohaṇa Parva).
The names of ٳṛtṣṭ.
ĀᲹīḍh, suta, Āⲹ, ٲ, Bharataśārdūla, Bharataśreṣṭha, Bharatarṣabha, Bharatasattama, Kaurava, Kauravaśreṣṭha, Kauravarāja, Kauravendra, Kauravya, Kuruśārdūla, Kuruśreṣṭha, Kurūdvaha, Kurunandana, Kururāja, Kuruvaṃśavardhana, Kuruvṛddha, Vaicitravīrya, Prajñācakṣus etc. have been used as synonyms of ٳṛtṣṭ.
*) It is stated in Ѳٲ Āśramavāsika Parva, Chapter 31, Stanza 7 that ٳṛtṣṭ was born as the incarnation of a Gandharva having the name ٳṛtṣṭ. (See under ٳṛtṣṭ III).