The difference between Dhritarastra & Pandu

It's really interesting how this show has highlighted the difference between Pandu and Dhritarastra's characters!

Dhritarastra, despite being monogamous throughout his life, never respected his wife Gandhari and even had an affair with her maid because she was unable to deliver her child on time.

On the other hand, Pandu who was polygamous and had two wives, always respected both of them and treated them like equals.

It gives us an interesting perspective into monogamous and polygamous marriages in those days. Monogamous marriages did not ensure happiness for the wife, as we can see from Gandhari's struggles throughout life. Polygamous marriages also did not ensure happiness, but when the husband was as capable and righteous like Pandu, even competitive wives like Kunti and Madri were kept happy.

Janki so true u r right I totally agree with u But still I consider 1 more difference Pandu was understanding, intellectual, n righteous but dhitrashtra was ambitious n had inferiority complex as he was blind

A person who isnt at peace with himself is hardly ever able to give happiness to others. Dhriti was unhappy because he felt that he had been denied the right to be king because of his blindness (something over which he had no control) . He had grown up believing that one day he would be the monarch of Hastinapur but that had been shattered when Vidur and other elders declared him unfit due to his blindness. He was desperate to ensure that at least his son should get that privillege of the hastinapur throne which could have been possible if his son was elder to Pandu's son.Hence the desperation of having a son before Pandu. Gandhari's unusually long pregnancy made Dhriti all the more tense and restless.

Janki,love your post. @ peridot,agree with you.But, no matter however much a person is desperate and ambitious he has no right to have an affair with someone else just because his wife couldn't give a child as per his wishes.And,even after making Duryodhan King did he survive? The throne eventually went to Yudishtir.

Janaki, very well said👏

Dhridhurashtra had a very mean streak in him.. whatever the circumstances, it was only Gandhari who stood by him at all times but to make her go through that was very cruel of him. It shows the type of man he was.. 🤢

As for Pandu, I think he had the patience to be someone who would be fair. He knew he was actually being unfair to his wives.. The way he sadly turned away when saying that even Niyog cannot be an option to become a mother when the husband was alive, I had a feeling that it was more than just Hastinapur he had at heart.. Pandu's sadness at being the reason for his wives distress was apparent.

That talks about volumes of how Pandu was.. It is a great sadness that Gandhari got happiness neither from her husband nor from her sons.. She had the boon of a 100 sons and they did not save her from the sadness..

Pandu could never give Kunthi the happiness she was entitled to, But his sons made up for that later.

Absolutely agree its not the act that matters its the intention and nature of the person that matters.An act which many seem wrong from the outside(like pandu's second marriage) but done with right intention and pure heart will be right.I agree with justlikethat Gandhari after being a dutiful wife and so many sacrifices never got any happiness.Life was so unfair to her

Originally posted by: fatssrilanka

Janki,love your post. @ peridot,agree with you.But, no matter however much a person is desperate and ambitious he has no right to have an affair with someone else just because his wife couldn't give a child as per his wishes.And,even after making Duryodhan King did he survive? The throne eventually went to Yudishtir.

What Dhriti did was despicable but being the proxy king and a man he clearly got away with it ! He seems to have faced no opposition from either the elders or his wife who besides being blindfold seems to have been forced to turn mute as well.

Brilliant post Janaki and excellent analogy. I agree 👍🏼

I will post based on what Janaki has told in her first post.

nice post.