Was Gandhari's decision correct?

Hello, I'm new to this forum. I've always wondered whether Gandhari's decision to blindfold herself was a right one.. As others pointed out, wouldn't she have been a better wife and support to her husband by being his eyes to the world? Both of them being blind will only make life more difficult for the both of them. I would appreciate the views of other members in this regard.

Of course considering today's pOV and the way women think today it was wrong.Dhridhrashtra's blindness was his weakness and she should have tried to complete that But if you think for that era's POV and pati is parameshwar POV of that era.It was understandable.I wont be able to say right or wrong it was taken out of complete devotion towards her husband and cant be classified as right or wrong

In the same time that it was a selfless act to blindfold herself forever, it was also not, in that did she @ the time of so doing take into account the affect this act would have on her children?
Consider the trouble of raising her children, because both parents were blind, they couldn't give due attention and a normal upbringing that might have been afforded had she chosen to unblindfold herself for that duty as a mother. one might ask, did she love her husband more than her son?
Who knows for sure, but clearly Duryodhana lacked the proper nurture than can only be given by a mother, instead he was raised by mama shakuni who intended on poisoning the child's mind from the start and you can't help but feel that fault on her part where she might have been more there for him and his brothers.
So it was @ cost of her offspring upbringing when she chose to remain blinded, it would have been difficult to undo the act because she proclaimed in all solemnity akin to a vow that she would never take it off. However she does much later for her son's sake, in attempt to save him from death.

In the old mahabharat, Krishna or someone had said in the end that Gandhari's decision was totally wrong. She should have not blindfold herself and instead she should have advised Dritrast and her kids in a right path, but since she blindfold herself, she was unable to guide them in the right direction.

It was not a decision, it was a pratigya, which would make sense because both Gandhari and Bhishma did the same, they made very awe-inspiring vows but didnt think about the consequence as she today said that vows are made with feelings; Both their vows led to situations that would have been avoidable, but vows are vows; Even Shri Krishna made a taunt- you Kuru dynasty members have a hobby of making vows, because your vow comes in between you and your duty

If u ask me whether I agree I do not because she shld be his strength and her eyes wld provide him the right direction but Gandhari reasoned yesterday that how can she be a perfect life partner if she is not able to feel what he does and that can be only achieved if she also follow the path of darkness so that she can be a perfect wife to him
But in a rational world and times like today nobody can or will be like Gandhari.

Originally posted by: ratilal22192

It was not a decision, it was a pratigya, which would make sense because both Gandhari and Bhishma did the same, they made very awe-inspiring vows but didnt think about the consequence as she today said that vows are made with feelings; Both their vows led to situations that would have been avoidable, but vows are vows; Even Shri Krishna made a taunt- you Kuru dynasty members have a hobby of making vows, because your vow comes in between you and your duty

Yeah I was thinking the same when she taunted Bheeshma yesterday. 😆 So it all started with Bheeshma's pratigya technically speaking. Btw, the vardhan of 100 putra makes sense now... cuz Dhritarashtra doesn't seem to accept her as his wife for her vow.

Gandhari was a selfish woman just as Bheeshm was.
Yes they took their bheeshn Pratigya thinking their selfless act would make everything alright
but actually opposite happened they ignored their duty
Bheeshm ignored his responsibilities to his praja
where as Gandhari ignored responsibility to her husband and children and her own brother took advantage of this situation and destroyed his beloved sister and her children's life.

A king's responsibility comes before his own family and same goes for a yuvraj at that time the kind had made Bheeshm Yuvraj so how could such an intelligent boy and king to be forgot this fact and took such a selfish decision pratigya

How could Bheeshm over look the wrong upbringing of Satyavati's children, couldnt he see that she is spoiling them well chitrangad was killed in war that is something else entirely but vichitra virya ????? how come he ended up a drunkard prince he couldnt even lift a sword ????? how he must have been in his 20s when he died what was Bheeshm doing till that time??????

For his country's sake he should have stopped the raj mata he cared only for his family quite clearly

After all the knig was Samrat and raj mata was a samragi of entire bharat varsh

A wife is supposed to complete her husband and vice versa how could Gandhari feel pain for her husband's blindness without thinking that she is goign to be even more burden to him and his family
If I had been in place of Raj mata I would have felt the same that I am getting my son married so that he could get his eyes back through his wife his companion for life but Gandhari due to her so called pratigya shirked that responsibility. She became burden to the king and her in laws her servants her maids

If she had not covered her eyes then there would not have been a communication gap between her husband and her children and there was one a huge one she would have brought up her kids in a right manner with restrictions and she would have with love and nurchured doused Dhritrashtras ambition and his inferiority complex

Well personally I have a feeling that had Gandhari not closed her eyes then there would have been no Mahabharat

She also would have been able to protect her family from being killed by Either Dhritrashtra or Duryodhan or Bheeshm whoever did it.

She would have helped her brother in lessening his pain and his intentions to destroy his sisters family for revenge

So I have always thought ever since I read Mahabharat a long time ago that Gandhari and Bheeshm have always been the culprits behind the Mahabharat.

Mahabharat started from the point Gandhari covered her eyes she ignored her duties her dharm to a country the royal family

Gandhari was a "Pativrata" and hence she chose to blindfold herself thinking this would be the best way to match steps with her husband as she was unaware of what Dhritrashtra wanted. In today's world many would argue and say she was wrong. But the era was different and she had no personal desires. It was a selfless act.

Bhishma took an oath but didn't he fulfil his responsibilities? Yea he wasn't the king but did more than any king would have done for the kingdom. Mahabharat is about Bhishma's "Pitra-prem" which led to his "Pratigya". Wouldn't he have been selfish in case he'd have ignored the situation and accepted the crown? Someone like Bhishma would never have done this.

One can think that it was a wrong decision on her part.But the reason she gave to justify her act was very strong as she wanted to share the pains and fears of her husband and did not want him to feel inferior than him.