Now that she is under the 'Retelling' gaze of star Cvs, maybe it's relevant to visit her. Gandhari strictly as per Vyas...😆
"...Vaisampayana said,--'O monarch, it was then that the virtuous Gandhari, afflicted with grief on account of her affection for her sons, addressed king Dhritarashtra and said, "When Duryodhana was born, Vidura of great intelligence had said, 'It is well to send this disgrace of the race to the other world. He cried repeatedly and dissonantly like a jackal. It is certain he will prove the destruction of our race..."
Gandhari- a princess, sister of a sly brother, wife of an unjust king, mother of an evil son...Is she only this? Are they her definers? Are these relations her choice? Ok, keeping aside relations thrust on her by birth or fate, what about her sons?...Her firstborn...whom she did wish well as a mother...But how??! Is she rejoicing in his actions? Had she ever been remotely encouraging ANY of it? Strictly per Vyas-NONE. In fact, She lashes at Duryodhan's actions in no uncertain terms..
"...Then the daughter of king Suvala, alarmed at the prospect of the destruction of a whole race, said, ... in the presence of the assembled monarchs, 'Let all the kings present in this royal assembly and let the regenerate Rishis that form the other members of this conclave, listen (to me) as I proclaim the guilt of thy sinful self backed by all thy counsellors.."
And an alarmed denouncement:
"...Therefore, at my word, O king, abandon this wretch of our race. Thou couldst not, O king, from parental affection, do it before. Know that the time hath come for the destruction of race through him. Err not, O king. Let thy mind, guided by counsels of peace, virtue, and true policy, be what it naturally is. That prosperity which is acquired by the aid of wicked acts, is soon destroyed; while that which is won by mild means taketh root and descendeth from generation to generation."
...
So how far do we convict her of an evil son? Could all blames of heedless adult son- or his wilful crimes be traced to parenting? What about innate nature and other influences? In case of Duryodhan, who is more modifying? Which agency is more evincing: A mother who has been side-lined from the beginning or a slighted father's chafed ambitions? Dhritrashtra's one point agenda is to see him installed his successor. His suppressed desires are rubbed thick on this son. So whom would he listen more: A pious mothers or a powerful, regent father?? (Add a vengeful maternal uncle's poisonous influences). And still let us implicate her due. She is 'mother' after all. But then which other influences should also be implicated for this evil turn out'? Bhishma? Who is in direct control of all Kuru princes' upbringing as soon as they reach about five? Kripa? Or later on- Drona- who was the teacher shaping their physical as well as moral growth? Why none of them are called for Dury's evilness? Because they are not parents? Why, in each of these later cases, we easily- and correctly- accept his innate nature (evil) but not in case of parents? Now this is too big a crime for being a parent!
But how is Vyas penning this particular parent throughout? What are her counsels'...as per Ved Vyas? Encouraging or forbidding?
-Post VH, she is the one who not only undoes her son's evil gains, she enforces the reverse.
- She strongly objects after second dice game...
"...Vaisampayana said,--Take this to heart, O king of the Kurus. O Bharata, sink not, for thy own fault, into an ocean of calamity. O lord, accord not thy approbation to the counsels of the wicked ones of immature years. Be not thou the cause of the terrible destruction of this race. Who is there that will break an embankment which hath been completed, or re-kindle a conflagration which hath been extinguished? O bull of the Bharata race, who is there that will provoke the peaceful sons of Pritha? Thou rememberest, O Ajamida, everything, but still I will call thy attention to this. The scriptures can never control the wicked-minded for good or evil. And, O king, a person of immature understanding will never act as one of mature years. Let thy sons follow thee as their leader. Let them not be separated from thee for ever (by losing their lives).
-Then, while Pandavs are leaving for 13 years Vanvaas, she is truly sorry...
"...The wives of the Bharatas, uniting with Gandhari upon beholding virtuous Krishna, the wedded wife of the Pandavas, endued with beauty and youth, dragged into the court, set up frightful wail. Even now, along with all my subjects, they weep every day."
- on return of Pandava, she again exhorts the king...
"...Hearing these words of her husband, that princess of great fame, Gandhari, desirous of what was highly beneficial, said these words, 'Bring hither, without loss of time, that kingdom-coveting, sick son of mine. He that is of uncultivated heart and sacrificeth both virtue and profit, doth not deserve to govern a kingdom. For all that, however, Duryodhana, who is destitute of humility hath, by every means, obtained a kingdom. Indeed, O Dhritarashtra, thou so fond of thy son, art very much to be blamed for this, for knowing well his sinfulness, thou followest yet his counsel. That son of thine, completely possessed by lust and wrath is now the slave of delusion, and is, therefore, incapable, O king, of being now forcibly turned back by thee. Thou art now reaping the fruit, O Dhritarashtra, of having made over the kingdom to an ignorant fool of wicked soul, possessed by avarice, and wicked counselors..."
-Her astonishingly clear views about Pandavs' rights...
"...Indeed, the high-souled Bhishma, in consequence of his righteousness, doth not desire the sovereignty. It is for this reason that this invincible kingdom became Pandu's. His sons, therefore, are masters today and no other. The extensive kingdom, then by paternal right, belongeth to the Pandavas, and their sons and grandsons in due order. Observing the customs of our race and the rule with respect to our kingdom, ... Keeping virtue in front, let Yudhishthira, the son of Dharma, guided by king Dhritarashtra and urged by Santanu's son, rule for many long years this kingdom of the Kurus lawfully obtainable by him.'"
-And what does she repeatedly counsel her son?...
"...Gandhari said, 'O Duryodhana, attend, O dear son, to these words of mine that are beneficial to thee as also to all thy followers...One that hath not his senses under control, cannot enjoy sovereignty for any length of time. ...Those that are of wicked souls may easily desire to win a kingdom, but they are not competent to retain a kingdom (when won)...He who conquereth his own self first, taking it for a foe, will not seek in vain to conquer his counsellors and enemies afterwards..."
-Repeatedly she urges him reconciliation with Pandavs.
"...A quarrel with the sons of Pandu who are all endued with prosperity, who have their souls under complete control, who are possessed of great intelligence and have conquered their passions, will only divest thee of thy great prosperity...Uniting thyself with those chastisers of foes--the heroic sons of Pandu--who are all endued with great wisdom, thou canst, O son, enjoy the earth in happiness..."
So here is unambiguous and unflinching tone of her convictions. So how do we assume, she might NOT have tried to drill the same during his earlier years? As pointed out earlier, what could she do, if other factors override her effect?🤢
-And most astonishing- During the war, every time her Son comes to her seeking blessings for a win, she refuses an unjust win.
Here is Vyas himself;
"...Thy son, desirous of victory, had besought thee every day for the eighteen days that battle lasted, saying O mother, bless me who am fighting with my foes." Implored every day in these words by thy son desirous of victory, the answer thou always gavest him was, "Thither is victory where righteousness is!"
(witnessing - "Yato Dharma tato Jaya..")
It takes a lot of courage for a mother obviously loving her son, not to bless him '(an unjust) win' on which hinges his 'life'. Not many could have done so.
So on what ground is she being scripted asking for 'adharm' Cvs? Where from is coming this??🤢🤢
Disclaimer; this is not to glorify her, but certainly to understand humane tragedy about her and her valiant efforts to stay correct. To summarily indict her of an evil son is just not confirming to any part of Vyas's portrayal...(Cvs please spare her your creativity. Thank god! they are 'listening' at the moment- until next 'slaughter'.)
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