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{{short description|Mother of the Kauravas in Mahabharata}}
{{Other uses|Gandhari (disambiguation)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2016}}
{{Use Indian English|date=January 2016}}
{{Infobox character
| image    = Gandhari with maids.jpg
| caption  = [[Pahari painting]] of Gandhari with maid-servants, by Purkhu, c. 1820 CE
| info-hdr = Personal information
| position = Queen of [[Kuru kingdom]]
| family   = 
* [[Subala]] (father)
* [[Shakuni]], Ashvaketu, Achala, Gaja, and various other brothers
| spouse   = [[Dhritarashtra]]
| children = 
* 100 [[Kauravas]] including [[Duryodhana]], [[Dushasana]] and [[Vikarna]] (sons)
* [[Duhsala]] (daughter)
* [[Yuyutsu]] (step son)
| origin   = [[Gandhara Kingdom]]
| name     = Gandhari
}}

'''Gandhari''' ({{Langx|sa|गान्धारी|lit=of [[Gandhara]]}}, {{IAST3|Gāndhārī}}) is a pivotal character in the ancient [[Hindu]] epic ''[[Mahabharata]]''. She is introduced as a princess of the [[Gandhara (Mahabharata)|Gandhara Kingdom]], the daughter of King [[Subala]], and later becomes the queen of the [[Kuru kingdom|Kuru Kingdom]]. Gandhari is married to [[Dhritarashtra]], the blind king of Kuru, and in a symbolic gesture of solidarity, she voluntarily blindfolds herself for life. Through the miraculous intervention of the divine-sage [[Vyasa]], she becomes the mother of one hundred sons  collectively known as the [[Kaurava|Kauravas]], with the eldest, [[Duryodhana]], emerging as a principal antagonist in the epic.

Besides her hundred sons, Gandhari also has a daughter, [[Dushala]]. Her brother, [[Shakuni]], becomes a central figure in aiding Duryodhana's schemes against his cousins, the [[Pandava]]s. An ardent devotee of the god [[Shiva]], Gandhari is portrayed as a woman of great virtue and moral strength, who nonetheless struggles to dissuade her sons from their destructive path. She speaks out at pivotal moments in the narrative, including during the humiliation of [[Draupadi]] and peace talks before the [[Kurukshetra War]]. Despite condemning the actions of Duryodhana, the longstanding rivalry between the Kauravas and the Pandavas ultimately leads to the catastrophic Kurukshetra War, where all of Gandhari's sons perish.

After the war, she becomes the voice of women who suffer due to the devastation caused by the conflict. While she refrains from cursing the Pandavas, recognising the righteousness of their victory, her overwhelming grief drives her to curse [[Krishna]], the Pandavas' counselor, whom she holds accountable for the war's devastation despite his divine ability to prevent it. She foretells the downfall of his [[Yadava]] dynasty. In the aftermath, Gandhari retires to the forest with other Kuru elders—Dhritarashtra, [[Vidura]] and [[Kunti]]—living her final days in austerity until she perishes in a forest fire.

Gandhari epitomizes the ideal of ''[[pativrata]]'' (devoted wife) in Hindu tradition, her intense asceticism believed to have granted her great spiritual power. Though initially a silent presence, she transforms into a powerful symbol of the anguish endured by women in times of war. Beyond the epic, she features in various adaptations and retellings. Her legacy endures as a testament to maternal love, conjugal fidelity, and selfless sacrifice.

==Epithets==
In the ''[[Mahabharata]]'', ''Gāndhārī'' is referred to by various names, including:<ref name="PE">{{Cite book |last=Mani |first=Vettam |url=https://archive.org/details/puranicencyclopa00maniuoft/page/274/mode/1up |title=Puranic encyclopaedia : a comprehensive dictionary with special reference to the epic and Puranic literature |date=1975 |publisher=Delhi : Motilal Banarsidass |others=Robarts - University of Toronto |isbn=978-0-8426-0822-0 |page=274}}</ref>

* '''Gāndhārarājaduhitā''' — 'daughter of the King of Gāndhāra'
* '''Saubaleyī''', '''Subalajā''', '''Subalāputrī''', and '''Subalātmajā''' — 'daughter of Subala'

==Literary background==
Gandhari is a character of the ''Mahabharata'', one of the [[Sanskrit]] epics from the [[Indian subcontinent]]. The work is written in Classical Sanskrit and is a composite work of revisions, editing and interpolations over many centuries. The oldest parts in the surviving version of the text may date to near 400 BCE.<ref name="SE">{{cite book |last=Brockington |first=J. L. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HR-_LK5kl18C&pg=PA26 |title=The Sanskrit Epics |publisher=Brill Academic |year=1998 |isbn=978-9-00410-260-6 |page=26}}</ref>

The ''Mahabharata'' manuscripts exist in numerous versions, wherein the specifics and details of major characters and episodes vary, often significantly. Except for the sections containing the ''[[Bhagavad Gita]]'' which is remarkably consistent between the numerous manuscripts, the rest of the epic exists in many versions.<ref>{{cite book |last=Minor |first=Robert N. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ru_RjwEACAAJ |title=Bhagavad Gita: An Exegetical Commentary |publisher=South Asia Books |year=1982 |isbn=978-0-8364-0862-1 |pages=l–li |access-date=28 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230416075912/https://books.google.com/books?id=ru_RjwEACAAJ |archive-date=16 April 2023 |url-status=live}}</ref> The differences between the Northern and Southern recensions are particularly significant, with the Southern manuscripts more profuse and longer. Scholars have attempted to construct a [[critical edition]], relying mostly on a study of the "Bombay" edition, the "Poona" edition, the "Calcutta" edition and the "south Indian" editions of the manuscripts. The most accepted version is one prepared by scholars led by [[Vishnu Sitaram Sukthankar|Vishnu Sukthankar]] at the [[Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute]], preserved at [[Kyoto University]], [[Cambridge University]] and various Indian universities.<ref>{{cite book |last=McGrath |first=Kevin |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YkmXk3-1j7UC&pg=PA19 |title=The Sanskrit Hero: Karna in Epic Mahabharata |publisher=Brill Academic |year=2004 |isbn=978-9-00413-729-5 |pages=19–26 |access-date=28 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230416075934/https://books.google.com/books?id=YkmXk3-1j7UC&pg=PA19 |archive-date=16 April 2023 |url-status=live}}</ref>

The ''Mahabharata'' centres on the intense rivalry between the groups of brothers—five [[Pandavas]] and the hundred [[Kauravas]], culminating in the epic [[Kurukshetra War]], which forms the narrative's core. A significant portion of the text is devoted to detailing the battles fought between the warriors of both sides during this conflict. The ''Mahabharata'' is structured into eighteen parvas or 'books', starting with the ''[[Adi Parva]]'', in which Gandhari is introduced.<ref name="SE" />

==Biography==
Gandhari is introduced in the ''[[Adi Parva]]'' of the ''[[Mahabharata]]'' as the daughter of King [[Subala]], the ruler of the Gandhara kingdom and a descendant of [[Turvasha|Turvasu]] (son of [[Yayati]]) of the [[Lunar dynasty|Lunar Dynasty]]. This region spanned from the [[Sindhu River]] to [[Kabul]] in [[Afghanistan]].<ref name="PE" /> Gandhari is regarded as an incarnation of a goddess named Mati ('intellect').<ref>{{cite book |title=Mahabharata Book 1 |page=139 |chapter=Adi Parva Sambhava Parva : Section LXVII}}</ref> She had several brothers, but she shared a particularly close bond with [[Shakuni]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Ray |first=Himanshu Prabha |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MiBBDwAAQBAJ&q=G%C4%81ndh%C4%81r%C4%AB&pg=PT162 |title=Buddhism and Gandhara: An Archaeology of Museum Collections |date=2017-12-01 |publisher=Taylor & Francis |isbn=978-1-351-25274-4 |language=en}}</ref><ref name="EE" />

===Early life and marriage===
The ''Adi Parva'' describes Gandhari as a devout worshipper of the god [[Shiva]] from a young age. Pleased by her unwavering devotion, Shiva grants her a boon, promising that she will bear one hundred sons. After becoming aware of the divine boon bestowed upon Gandhari, [[Bhishma]], the patriarch of the [[Kuru kingdom|Kuru dynasty]], proposes her marriage to [[Dhritarashtra]], his eldest nephew who is born blind. Subala initially hesitates due to Dhritarashtra's blindness but later agrees to the marriage, prioritizing the prestige of an alliance with the Kuru dynasty. Gandhari's brother, Shakuni, accompanies her to the capital of Kuru Kingdom, [[Hastinapura]], where the marriage is solemnized. On marrying Dhritarashtra, she blindfolds herself with a silk shawl, choosing to live without sight for the rest of her life.<ref name="PE" /> Gandhari is welcomed by the Kuru elders. Shakuni returns to his kingdom, but frequently visits Gandhari to help her and her children.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Mahabharata, Book 1: Adi Parva: Sambhava Parva: Section CX|url=https://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m01/m01111.htm|access-date=2020-09-01|website=www.sacred-texts.com}}</ref>

Gandhari's husband, Dhritarashtra, is denied the throne due to his blindness, despite being the eldest son. The throne is instead given to his younger brother, [[Pandu]], but he later renounces the kingdom. As a result of these events, Dhritarashtra is crowned King of Kuru kingdom, and Gandhari becomes queen.<ref name="EE">{{cite book |title=[[Yuganta: The End of an Epoch]] |page=29 |author= Irawati Karve}}</ref>

===Pregnancy and birth of her children===
Gandhari's children were born in a [[Miraculous births|miraculous]] manner. According to the ''Adi Parva'', once when the sage [[Vyasa]] visits Hastinapura, Gandhari serves him with great respect and care. Impressed by her hospitality, Vyasa blesses her, reaffirming Shiva's boon.<ref name="sacredtext">{{cite book |title=The Mahabharata, Book : Adi Parva:Sambhava Parva : Section:CXV |publisher=Sacred-texts.com}}</ref> Shortly after, Gandhari conceives, but her pregnancy lasts two years without delivery. During this time, [[Kunti]], the wife of Pandu, gives birth to her first son, [[Yudhishthira]]. Overwhelmed by frustration and envy upon hearing this, Gandhari strikes her womb, but instead of a child, a "hard mass of flesh" like an "iron ball" emerges from it. When the Kuru elders were about to discard the mass of flesh, Vyasa intervenes and instructs that the lump be divided into one hundred pieces and placed in jars of [[ghee]] for incubation. At Gandhari's request, an additional piece is prepared to produce a daughter, resulting in 101 jars. In due time, the jars yield one hundred sons collectively referred to as the [[Kaurava]]s, and a daughter named [[Dushala]]. During Gandhari's prolonged pregnancy, Dhritarashtra had fathered another son, [[Yuyutsu]], through a maidservant of Gandhari in fear of not having a child.<ref name="PE" /><ref name="sacredtext" /><ref>{{cite book|title=The Mahabharata, Book : Adi Parva:Sambhava Parva : Section: CXVI|publisher=Sacred-texts.com}}</ref>

===In Kuru court===
[[File:The Dice Game from Razmnama.jpg|thumb|An illustration from the ''[[Razmnama]]''—the Persian translation of the ''Mahabharata'' depicting the episode of the attempted disrobing of Draupadi. Gandhari and Kunti (both bottom right) tries to stop the act]]
As the queen in the Kuru court, Gandhari witnesses many pivotal events leading to the [[Kurukshetra War]], the central plot of the epic. She remains largely silent, like at the weapon display of her sons and the [[Pandavas]]. However, Gandhari exerts moral influence in critical moments. For instance, during the infamous dicing match narrated in the ''[[Sabha Parva]]'', she intervenes after [[Draupadi]]'s attempted disrobing, compelling Dhritarashtra to grant Draupadi a boon that ultimately secures the freedom of the Pandavas.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last1=Brodbeck |first1=Simon |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YLB8AgAAQBAJ&pg=PT8 |title=Gender and Narrative in the Mahabharata |last2=Black |first2=Brian |date=2007-08-09 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-134-11994-3 |pages=62–64 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=The Mahabharata, Book 2: Sabha Parva: Sisupala-badha Parva: Section LXX |url=https://sacred-texts.com/hin/m02/m02070.htm |access-date=2024-11-25 |website=sacred-texts.com}}</ref><ref name="DM">[https://interactionsforum.com/images/pdfs/newacademia/v9/i4/Deepa.pdf DYNAMICS OF MOTHERHOOD: THE CURIOUS CASES OF SATYAVATI, KUNTI AND GANDHARI IN THE MAHABHARATA]</ref>

Gandhari attends the discussions and negotiations that preceded the war, hoping for peace, as mentioned in the ''[[Udyoga Parva]]''.<ref name=":1" /><ref name="DM" /> When [[Krishna]], as Pandavas' envoy, urges peace, Dhritarashtra summons Gandhari, acknowledging her wisdom and foresight, and hopes she might persuade their son Duryodhana to abandon his destructive ambition. Gandhari criticizes Dhritarashtra for failing to curb their son's reckless ambitions and does not shy away from speaking against injustice. She delivers a stern appeal, condemning Duryodhana's pride, avarice, and defiance of elders. She stresses the dangers of wrath and the importance of self-control, urging him to listen to the counsel of respected elders like [[Bhishma]] and [[Drona]] and to make peace with the Pandavas. Gandhari warns that war will bring ruin to the [[Kuru dynasty]] and pleads for a just division of the kingdom, emphasizing that peace and shared rule are preferable to a devastating conflict. Despite her plea, Duryodhana remains unmoved, setting the stage for the catastrophic war to follow.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Mahabharata, Book 2: Sabha Parva: Sisupala-badha Parva: Section LXXIV |url=https://sacred-texts.com/hin/m02/m02074.htm |access-date=2024-11-25 |website=sacred-texts.com}}</ref>

===Kurukshetra war===
During the [[Kurukshetra War|war]] itself, Gandhari remains within the Kaurava palace, listening to Sanjaya's divinely aided narration of battlefield events. Vyasa had offered Dhritarashtra the divine eye to witness the war, but the king declined, choosing instead to rely on Sanjaya's oral account—a decision that positions Gandhari and the women of the palace as integral listeners to the epic's unfolding tragedy. Throughout ''[[Bhishma Parva]]'' to ''[[Shalya Parva]]'', the text notes Gandhari's presence among the royal women who responded with visible grief to Sanjaya's accounts of key deaths: [[Drona]], [[Karna]], and finally [[Duryodhana]]. All of Gandhari's sons are killed in the war, specifically at the hands of the second Pandava, [[Bhima]].<ref name="DM" /><ref name=":1" />

===Post-war lamentation===
[[File:The mourning of Dhritarashtra.jpg|thumb|The mourning at Kurukshetra battlefield after the war]]
Gandhari assumes the central role in the ''[[Stri Parva]]'', the eleventh book of the epic, which portrays the aftermath of the Kurukshetra War. After winning the war, the Pandavas visit Gandhari to seek her blessings. By this time, Gandhari has lost all her sons, including Duryodhana, and is overwhelmed with grief and anger. Gandhari contemplates cursing [[Yudhishthira]]. Vyasa intervenes to prevent this, reminding her of her earlier declaration that righteousness would prevail in the war. Gandhari accepts this truth and acknowledges that the destruction of her sons and the Kuru dynasty is the result of the misdeeds of Duryodhana, Shakuni, [[Karna]], and [[Dushasana]]. Calming herself, she refrains from cursing the Pandavas. During this encounter, Bhima admits to fighting unfairly against [[Duryodhana]], defending his actions as necessary in war. However, he lies to Gandhari about drinking the blood of [[Dushasana]] after killing him. In a moment of supplication, [[Yudhishthira]] bows to Gandhari and touched her feet. From beneath her blindfold, some of the energy from her anguished, downward gaze escapes, turning Yudhishthira's big toe permanently blue. The Pandavas are also reunited with their mother, [[Kunti]], for the first time in over thirteen years. Kunti introduces a devastated [[Draupadi]]—who has also lost all her sons—to Gandhari and Gandhari consoles her.<ref name="PE" /><ref name="kmg">{{Cite book |last1=Roy |first1=Pratap Chandra |url=http://archive.org/details/mahabharataofkri06royp |title=The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa |last2=Kisari Mohan Ganguli |date=1884–1894 |publisher=Calcutta : Bharata press |others=Princeton Theological Seminary Library}}</ref><ref name=":1" />

Just before the war, Gandhari gained divine sight. With this 'divine eye', she surveys the battlefield from a distance and later visits the battlefield of Kurukshetra, accompanied by other family members. Gandhari emerges as a central voice among the bereaved women, expressing her sorrow and outrage over the destruction wrought by the war. There, Gandhari delivers a lament upon witnessing the devastated field strewn with the bodies of her sons and many other warriors. Upon witnessing Duryodhana's corpse, she momentarily faints. Standing beside [[Krishna]], she describes the anguish of the bereaved women from both sides as they mourn their fallen kin, expressing profound sorrow over the ruinous consequences of the conflict. Seeing the vast destruction and death, Gandhari condemns Krishna, holding him responsible for the devastation. Though aware of his divine status—having been present when Sanjaya revealed Krishna's nature and when Krishna manifested his cosmic form—she accuses him of failing to prevent the war despite his divine powers. In a moment of profound emotional anguish, she curses Krishna, foretelling that thirty-six years from then, he will witness the destruction of his [[Yadava|Yadava dynasty]] and die a lonely death, killed by trickery. Krishna accepts this curse, asserting that only he can bring about his end, but also admonishes Gandhari for shifting blame away from herself.<ref name="PE" /><ref name="DM" /><ref name=":1" />

===Later life and death===
[[File:Kunti Gandhari Dhrtarashtra.jpg|thumb|Kunti leading Dhritarashtra and Gandhari as they go to the forest—an illustration from the ''Razmnama'']]
After Yudhishthira is crowned as the Emperor of Kuru, Gandhari continues to reside in [[Hastinapur]], cared for by the queens of the [[Pandavas]]. The ''[[Ashramavasika Parva]]'' recounts that fifteen years after the war, Gandhari, along with Dhritarashtra, Kunti, her brother-in-law [[Vidura]], and aid [[Sanjaya]], retires to the forest near the ashram of Shatayupa, on the banks of the [[Ganga]]. The Pandavas, deeply affected by the separation, visit them after six years. At Gandhari and Kunti's request, Vyasa uses his yogic powers to enable them to briefly see the spirits of their deceased relatives. Shortly afterward, a wildfire engulfs the forest, consuming Dhritarashtra, Gandhari, and Kunti.<ref name="PE" />

The ''[[Svargarohana Parva]]'' mentions that Yudhishthira performs the final rites for those who perish in the forest fire. After their deaths, the souls of Dhritarashtra and Gandhari ascend to [[Kubera]]loka, the celestial [[Loka|realm]] associated with wealth and contentment.<ref name="PE" />

==Assessment and legacy==
Gandhari is identified as a quintessential exemplar of ''[[pativrata]]''—the ideal of a devoted wife—in Hindu tradition. Scholar [[Arti Dhand]] argues that her exceptional spiritual powers stem from this commitment, as scriptures emphasize ''pativrata-dharma'' as a form of discipline akin to asceticism, and thus, believed to yield similar spiritual rewards, such as being able to curse [[Krishna]] himself.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Dhand |first=Arti |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Kq1JvDXJ5EwC&q=G%C4%81ndh%C4%81r%C4%AB&pg=PA75 |title=Woman as Fire, Woman as Sage: Sexual Ideology in the Mahābhārata |date=2009-01-08 |publisher=SUNY Press |isbn=978-0-7914-7140-1 |language=en}}</ref>

Brian Black emphasizes Gandhari's narrative and interpretive authority within the ''Mahabharata'', portraying her as a moral critic of the war whose presence as a listener to [[Sanjaya]]'s war accounts establishes her as a witness to its devastating consequences. While often silent, Gandhari intervenes at key moments—such as criticizing [[Dhritarashtra]], attempting to dissuade [[Duryodhana]] from war, and helping secure [[Draupadi]]'s release—demonstrating subtle but effective agency. Her role culminates in the ''Stri Parva'', where, granted divine vision, she becomes the primary speaker in a dialogue with Krishna. Here, Black argues, Gandhari transforms from a passive listener into a voice for collective female suffering, articulating the pain of the widows and the consequences of war with prophetic gravitas. Her condemnation of Krishna and the subsequent curse she places on him, which is later fulfilled, underscores her elevated moral and spiritual status. Black highlights that Gandhari's narration stands in parallel to Sanjaya's, but her position as a grieving mother and ascetic lends her speech a deeper emotional and theological resonance.<ref name=":1" />

According to scholar [[James L. Fitzgerald]], who translated ''The Book of the Women'' (''[[Stri Parva]]''), Gandhari is a poetic creation of [[Vyasa]], representing an ideal of unwavering devotion, distinct from other women like [[Draupadi]]. Unlike Draupadi, who is drawn into conflicts between men, Gandhari exemplifies the faithful and ascetic wife, akin to [[Sita]] from the ''[[Ramayana]]''. Her self-imposed suffering and ascetic dedication (''ugra [[Tapas (Indian religions)|tapas]]'') accumulate spiritual power over time, giving her a formidable presence in the epic. Despite her anger, notes Fitzgerald, Gandhari consoles the [[Pandava]]s, shifting from rage to compassion. She empathises deeply with Draupadi, who has also lost her [[Upapandavas|sons]], and their shared grief, mediated by [[Kunti]], reflects the immense emotional toll of the war on women. Gandhari's lament—"It was my wrong that brought this eminent family to extinction"—reveals her sense of moral responsibility for the Kuru tragedy. Fitzgerald also examines Gandhari's sudden acquisition of ''divya chakshus'' (divine vision), which Vyasa grants, enabling her to see the battlefield and mourn the fallen warriors. This vision, Fitzgerald suggests, is rooted in her asceticism, raising questions about whether Vyasa's intervention diminishes her autonomous power. He posits that the epic's attribution of her clairvoyance to Vyasa may reflect the discomfort of the [[Brahminical|Brahminical tradition]] with the spiritual power of non-Brahmins, especially women.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last1=Buitenen |first1=Johannes Adrianus Bernardus |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=p9SzCuLIlQ0C&q=fitzgerald+indologist+mahabharata |title=The Mahabharata, Volume 7: Book 11: The Book of the Women Book 12: The Book of Peace, Part 1 |last2=Fitzgerald |first2=James L. |date=1973 |publisher=University of Chicago Press |isbn=978-0-226-25250-6 |language=en}}</ref>

In Hebbya village, [[Nanjangud]], Mysore, India, there is a temple called [[Gāndhārī temple]] dedicated to her. This temple honours her devotion and loyalty as she epitomized the goodness of a mother and a loving wife.<ref>{{cite news|title=Gandhari temple: a testimony to loyalty and womanhood|url=http://www.hindu.com/2008/06/20/stories/2008062057760200.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081007090621/http://www.hindu.com/2008/06/20/stories/2008062057760200.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=7 October 2008|work=[[The Hindu]]|date=20 June 2008}}</ref>

==In derivative works==
One widely circulated narrative in various retellings portrays Gandhari making a single deliberate exception to her lifelong blindfolded state, underscoring the enduring love of mothers for their children, regardless of their moral failings.<ref>{{cite journal |title= Gandhari, the Rebel |publisher= Economic and Political Weekly |volume= 29 |pages=1517–1519}}</ref> According to this version, during the final days of the [[Kurukshetra War]], she visits the Kaurava camp and asks Duryodhana to present himself before her without clothing. Her intention is to remove her blindfold and direct the immense [[Yoga|yogic]] power she had accumulated through years of austerity and devotion into his body through a single, potent gaze, thereby rendering him invulnerable—his body becoming as hard as a [[vajra]] (thunderbolt). However, [[Krishna]], aware of Gandhari's intent, secretly advises Duryodhana to maintain modesty and cover his loins before meeting his mother. Obeying Krishna, Duryodhana drapes a cloth over his loin, leaving that part of his body unexposed to Gandhari's gaze. As a result, while the rest of his body becomes impenetrable, his thighs remain vulnerable, later resulting in his defeat and death. While this version of the story has gained popularity in modern media adaptations and oral traditions, it does not appear in the original Sanskrit Mahabharata, where Bhima is compelled to strike Duryodhana's thighs—a move considered illegal in mace combat—to ensure victory and fulfill his earlier vows.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Y8rjAAAAMAAJ&q=g%C4%81ndh%C4%81r%C4%AB+Duryodhana+naked |title=Folk-lore |date=1976 |publisher=Indian Publications |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3" /><ref>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jQUNAQAAMAAJ&q=g%C4%81ndh%C4%81r%C4%AB+Duryodhana+naked |title=Asian Folklore Studies |date=1980 |publisher=Asian Folklore Institute; [sold by Cellar Book Shop, Detroit, Mich.] |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Williams |first=David |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XuN4EAAAQBAJ&dq=g%C4%81ndh%C4%81r%C4%AB+Duryodhana+naked&pg=PT155 |title=Peter Brook and the Mahabharata: Critical Perspectives |date=2022-09-01 |publisher=Taylor & Francis |isbn=978-1-000-64940-6 |language=en}}</ref>

''[[Urubhanga]]'' by [[Bhāsa]] (c. 1st - 2nd century CE) is one of the earliest attempts to evoke ''[[Karuṇā|karuna rasa]]'' (pathos) for [[Duryodhana]], and as part of this transformation, Bhāsa expands the relationship between Duryodhana and Gandhari.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Cuppiramaṇiyan̲ |first=A. Ve |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9xIQJUU9jnEC&dq=G%C4%81ndh%C4%81r%C4%AB+maternal+love&pg=PA203 |title=The Aesthetics of Wonder: New Findings in Sanskrit Alaṅkāraśāstra |date=1988 |publisher=Motilal Banarsidass Publishe |isbn=978-81-208-0444-9 |language=en}}</ref> Here, Gandhari and other family members of Duryodhana are depicted visiting the battles while he is dying. For Gandhari, Duryodhana symbolises all her hundred sons and stands as the "golden pillar" of her sacrificial world, conveying that his downfall plunges her into symbolic darkness. Even in death, the maternal bond persists; Duryodhana requests that Gandhari be his mother again in the next life, to which she responds with affection, affirming that he had spoken the very desire of her heart.<ref name=":2">{{Cite book |last=Parmar |first=Arjunsinh K. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XKjO1f3mDv0C&q=Gandhari&pg=PA35 |title=Critical Perspectives on the Mahābhārata |date=2002 |publisher=Sarup & Sons |isbn=978-81-7625-273-7 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=www.wisdomlib.org |date=2021-07-05 |title=Status of Women in the Ūrubhaṅga [Part 13] |url=https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/essay/dasarupaka-critical-study/d/doc628632.html |access-date=2025-05-02 |website=www.wisdomlib.org |language=en}}</ref>

In [[Harivaṃśapurāṇa|Jain retellings]] of the ''Mahabharata'', a narrative emerges concerning Gandhari's early life and marriage, which, though absent from the canonical Sanskrit epic, provides a background that facilitates the later victimization and justification of the antagonist [[Shakuni]]. When astrologers predicts a brief lifespan for her future husband, [[Subala]], to avert this, arranges a symbolic marriage between Gandhari and a goat prior to her wedding with [[Dhritarashtra]], after which the goat is sacrificed. When [[Bhishma]] later learns of this ritual, he condemns the act, considering Gandhari a symbolic widow, and takes punitive measures against Subala's family. He starves all the men of Gandhari's family until only one—Shakuni—survives. In a different variant, Gandhari is taken captive as a bride and her family is punished when they refuse her marriage to the blind Dhritarashtra.<ref name=":3">{{Cite book |last=Pattanaik |first=Devdutt |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gzN2_fu0mIYC&q=+Gandhari |title=Jaya: An Illustrated Retelling of the Mahabharata |date=2010 |publisher=Penguin Books India |isbn=978-0-14-310425-4 |language=en}}</ref>

In modern period, [[Rabindranath Tagore]] wrote a Bengali poetic play about her, named ''Gandharir Abedon'' (Bangla: গান্ধারীর আবেদন, Translation: Supplication of Gandhari). Gandhari, her husband [[Dhritarashtra]] and their son [[Duryodhana]] are central characters in the play.<ref>Sanchayita by Rabindranath Tagore</ref> Aditi Banerjee wrote a novel named ''The Curse of Gandhari'', which depicts the story of the Mahabharata through the perspective of Gandhari.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Datta |first=Sravasti |date=2019-10-15 |title=Decoding Gandhari, the queen of iron will |language=en-IN |work=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/books/books-authors/a-queen-of-iron-will/article29690374.ece |access-date=2022-12-03 |issn=0971-751X}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
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[[Category:Characters in the Mahabharata]]
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[[Category:People related to Krishna]]
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