Dhritarashtra’s sorrow

The Kurukshetra war is over, and the Kauravas have been totally wiped out. An anguished Dhritarashtra expresses his sorrow to Sanjaya, said Kidambi Narayanan in a discourse. Dhritarashtra says he never wanted the war, for he was afraid that the Kuru clan would come to an end. Dhritarashtra says he had no animosity towards the Pandavas. But his sons were angry with him on this count. Duryodhana lacked sense, Dhritarashtra says. Dhritarashtra could have advised his son against taking a disastrous route. But Dhritarashtra was equally foolish. He admits that he had been wrong to have allowed Duryodhana to wage war against his cousins. Had he thought about the consequences of the war, he would have acted decisively. But Dhritarashtra’s common sense deserted him at the crucial moment. This, Dhritarashtra says, was due to his karma.

Responding to Dhritarashtra mourning the death of his sons, Sanjaya asks why Dhritarashtra should cry for such unworthy sons. Death is a part of life, and many people die, including those who are educated, who have jnana, and who are ethical. Kings who gave generous daanas like Manu and Manthatha too died eventually. But Dhritarashtra’s sons had none of these good attributes. Why does Dhritarashtra shed tears over them, asks Sanjaya.

As for Dhritarashtra’s role in the war that left so many dead on both sides, he, as a father, had failed to guide his sons to take the right path. Brahma sends us to earth having charted the course of our lives. Kaala is witness to all this. We cannot win against Kaala. Dhritarashtra had not realised this and had thought he could change the course of events. That was his major failure. Dhritarashtra’s sons had been the embodiment of adharma, and yet he had failed to take note of this.