Jai Sriman Narayana !!
Rishi Vaishampayan narrates the birth of Kauravas
and Pancha Pandavas. Gandhari gave birth to hundred and one
children of Drutharashtra. Drutharashtra had a son in his illicit
relationship with a Vaishya woman. In the meantime Kunthi gave birth to
three sons and Madhri gave birth to two sons in the woodland. King
Janamejaya earnestly prayed to Rishi Vaishampayana to describe the whole
happenings in detail, how Gandhari gave birth to hundred sons and how many
years it took? How Pandu and his wives blessed with five children when
the King had already a curse upon him by Sage Kindhma ?
Rishi Vaishampayana continued, Maharishi Veda
Vyasa reached the palace of Gandhar with tired of hunger and thirst.
Gandhari received Maharishi Veda Vyasa with utmost reverence; she respectfully
served him with his needs and took good care of him. Maharishi Veda Vyasa
was pleased at the dedication and devotion of Gandhari and blessed her.
Maharishi Veda Vyasa offered her a boon as desired by her to have hundred sons
with the intelligence, power and strength of her husband. In due course
of time, Gandhari conceived with the child of Drutharashtra, she had to carry
the fetus for more than two years in her womb. Gandhari was extremely
disappointed and in a wretched state, she had to face sheer criticism of her
husband and the family due to the unusual stay of the fetus in her womb.
It was the moment Kunthi gave birth to a stunning child Yudhishtira, this
joyful news propelled Gandhari in a miserable state, she forcefully banged on
her stomach, and consequently she gave birth to a mass of flesh.
Maharishi Veda Vyasa envisioned the misfortune of Gandhari with his power of
meditation, arrived on the spot enquired the reason for the wreck.
Gandhari sorrowfully described her mental state after receiving the news
about the birth of Kunthi’s child. Maharishi Veda Vyasa comforted her
that the boon given to her would never go waste. At the instruction of
Maharishi Veda Vyasa the mass of flesh was divided into hundred in the size of
a thumb and each pieces were filled in hundred mud pots and poured ghee over
the top along with the exceptional herbs required for the growth of the
child. This hundred mud pots were carefully secured with the above
resources were moved to a cavern under the Earth. Before leaving
for penance Maharishi Veda Vyasa advised Gandhari to wait for another two years
to open the hundred pots. In due course of time, the eldest son
Duryodhana was born to Gandhari and Drutharashtra. It was predestined
that Yudhishtira, the elder son of King Pandu & Kunthi, the legal heir of
the throne of Hasthinapur was born elder to Duryodhana. Duryodhana’s
birth brought bad omens to the Kingdom, Bhishma and Vidura were shocked at the
ill fortune brought by the new born of Drutharashtra, it was on the same day
Kunthi gave birth to Bhima. Immediately after the birth Duryodhana
shrieked like a donkey, it provoked the donkey’s, foxes, owls and crows to
raise their loud cries correspondingly. The nature shown its
extreme dislike at the birth of Duryodhana, nature calamities like some parts
were engulfed in fire and windblown like tornado created a mayhem and dismay.
Immediately, Drutharashtra conducted an assembly of Kripacharya/
Acharya of Kurus, Bhishma Pithamaha, Vidur and Brahmin scholars to discuss
about the legal heir to the throne of Hasthinapur. Yudhishtira, son of
Pandu & Kunthi declared as the legal heir to the throne, Drutharashtra
raised a question about the successor to the throne and enquired the
intellectuals assembled whether his son would be eligible for the same?
Instantly, there were deafening screams of carnivores ruined the peace of the
assembly. Vidura replied that, on the basis of the time of birth of elder
son of Drutharashtra would destroy the sanctity of the Kuru Dynasty; he would
possess all evil character and annihilate the Kurus from the Universe. It
will be safe for the Kingdom to take away the life of the newborn. Vidura
comforted Drutharashtra that if he would sacrifice his first child, it will do
good for the Kuru dynasty, and the remaining ninety nine sons would remove the
grief caused. Vidura narrates Dharma Sastra briefly. A single
member can be sacrificed for the benefit of entire family, one family can be
sacrificed for the benefit of entire village, one village can be sacrificed for
the benefit of a country, and a person can be sacrificed the whole world for
the benefit of betterment of his soul. All the intellectuals
assembled were strongly agreed Vidura’s statement about the elder son of
Drutharashtra, encouraged him to take away the life the child for benefit of
the Kuru dynasty. Ultimately, Drutharashtra refused to follow any of the
advices of Kripacharya and the enlightened members of the assembly. All
the children were come out of the pot in a month. Thus,
Drutharashtra and Gandhari had hundred sons and a daughter Dusshala.
Drutharashtra also had a son Yuyutsu in his illicit relationship with a
Vaishya woman who was taking care of him during the pregnancy period of
Gandhari.
Jai Sriman Narayana !!
