Character

Dhritarashtra

धृतराष्ट्रDhṛtarāṣṭra

verses
6,797
books
19
chapters
815
Parent of
Duryodhana

What the texts say

In the Mahabharata, Dhritarashtra is the blind Kuru king, born to the sage Vyasa, and father of a hundred sons beginning with Duryodhana. Mahabharata (Gita Press) 1.67.85Mahabharata 1.57.99 Because of his blindness, his younger brother Pandu became king. Mahabharata 5.145.36Mahabharata (Gita Press) 1.109.24 His wife Gandhari bound her own eyes, resolving not to see more than her husband. Mahabharata 1.103.13 The Bhagavad Gita opens with his question about what his sons and the sons of Pandu did on Kurukshetra. Bhagavad Gita 1.1 Narada tells Yudhishthira, Kunti's son, that Dhritarashtra, Gandhari and Kunti entered the fire of their own accord. Mahabharata (Gita Press) 15.36.383

Where to read

Every verse that names Dhritarashtra, book by book.

  1. Mahabharata

    6,576 verses · 728 chapters

    All 6,576 verses in the Mahabharata

    Also in the Gita Press edition: 25,436 verses

    • 9.55.1

      Vaishampayan ne kaha. Janamejaya, tab ek bada shor macha. Sab log baaton hi baaton mein ladne lage. Usme Raja Dhritarashtra bahut dukhi hua. Unhone yeh kaha.

    • 9.54.1

      Vaishampayan ne kaha, are Janamejaya, woh bada bhayanak yuddh hua. Usme Raja Dhritarashtr ko bahut dukh hua. Unhone yeh kaha.

    • 8.4.1

      Vaishampayan ne kaha. Maharaj, yeh sab sun ke Dhritarashtra ka dil bhar gaya. Woh Ambika ka beta tha. Usne apne sarathi Sanjay se baat ki, woh bahut dukhi tha.

  2. Bhagavatam

    77 verses · 17 chapters

    All 77 verses in the Bhagavatam
    • 10.49.1

      Shukadeva ne kaha, Akrur Hastinapur gaya. Yeh shehar Puru vansh ke raja logon ke liye famous hai. Wahan usne Dhritarashtra ko dekha, Bhishma Pitamah ko, Vidur ko, aur Kunti ko. Bahlik aur unka beta Somdatt bhi wahan the. Dronacharya…

    • 1.13.3

      Jab Vidur wapas aaye toh sab log bahut khush hue. Yudhishthira aur unke bhai, Dhritarashtra, Yuyutsu, Sanjay, Kripacharya, Kunti, Gandhari, Draupadi, Subhadra, Uttara, Kripi aur bachhon ke saath aur bhi bahut auratein sab milke unse milne…

    • 3.1.6

      Shukdev ne kaha, Dhritarashtra raja ne apne beton ko bachane ke liye galat kaam kiya. Uski nazar bigad gayi thi. Usne apne bhai ke beton ko, jo ab baap ke bina the, ek ghar mein jalaya tha. Woh ghar laakh se bana tha, aag laga ke unko…

  3. Devi Bhagavatam

    37 verses · 7 chapters

    All 37 verses in the Devi Bhagavatam
    • 2.7.7

      Dhritarashtra ke saare bete mar gaye the. Woh bahut dukhi tha. Pandavon ke rajya mein rehne laga. Par Bhim ki baatein usse badi takleef deti thi.

    • 1.20.1

      Rishiyon ne kaha ki Shuka ne sabse badi siddhi paa li. Ab batao, uske baad Vyas ne kya kiya? Sab kuch detail mein sunao.

    • 2.6.2

      Dhritarashtra andha paida hua kyunki uski maa ne Vyas ko dekh ke aankhen band kar li thi. Vyas ki wajah se woh paida hua, lekin andha tha.

  4. Skanda Purana

    33 verses · 16 chapters

    All 33 verses in the Skanda Purana
    • 1.1.34.34

      Shankh naag Shiv ke paon ke paas khada tha. Dhritarashtr bhi wahan tha. Takshak khaas karke unke paas tha. Padma aur Shesh naag bhi unki sewa mein the.

    • 1.2.2.12

      Abhi abhi Bhimsen ne ek raja ko maara hai. Uska naam Viravarma tha. Woh Kuru parivar ke liye bada problem tha. Dhritarashtra ne order diya tha toh Bhimsen ne usey maara.

    • 1.2.59.7

      Baad mein Dhritarashtra ke kehne pe Pandav Indraprastha mein rehne lage. Wahan Vasudev unki hifazat karte the kabhi-kabhi.

Also named in

Key chapters

The chapters where Dhritarashtra matters most.

  1. Vāg-yuddha and Nimitta-darśana before the Gadāyuddha (Verbal Duel and Omens)

    Mahabharata 9.55 · 15 verses

    Grief-stricken father whose lament interprets Duryodhana’s…

  2. Commencement of the Mace-Duel Proceedings

    Mahabharata 9.54 · 14 verses

    Grief-driven inquirer whose fear for Duryodhana shapes the…

  3. Karṇa-nidhana-śravaṇa, Kṣaya-Varṇana, and Śeṣa-sainika-nirdeśa (Hearing of Karṇa’s Fall, Accounting of Losses, and Naming of Remaining Warriors)

    Mahabharata 8.4 · 47 verses

    Grief-stricken auditor and political father confronting the…

  4. Karṇa’s Pressure on the Pāñcālas; Duryodhana Disabled; Arjuna’s Counter-Advance

    Mahabharata 8.40 · 47 verses

  5. उद्योगपर्व · अध्याय 33: धृतराष्ट्र-विदुर संवादः (विदुरनीतिः)

    Mahabharata 5.33 · 45 verses

    चिन्ताग्रस्त राजा

  6. Kṛṣṇa’s Counsel to Dhṛtarāṣṭra in the Assembly

    Mahabharata 5.93 · 47 verses

    लक्षित श्रोता और निर्णायक सत्ता

  7. Udyoga-parva Adhyāya 34: Vidura’s Counsel on Deliberation, Speech-Discipline, and Dharmic Kingship

    Mahabharata 5.34 · 43 verses

    Anxious sovereign seeking a remedy for looming catastrophe

  8. Timely Counsel, Association, and Kin-Duty

    Mahabharata 5.39 · 41 verses

    Anxious ruler seeking moral and political clarity while feeling…

  9. Arjuna’s Lament on Guru-Dharma and the Opening of the Sātyaki-Karṇa Duel

    Mahabharata 7.122 · 41 verses

    Anxious auditor whose questions frame the aftermath of…

  10. Sabhā-parva Adhyāya 63: Draupadī’s Contested Status, Vidura’s Warning, and Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s Boons

    Mahabharata 2.63 · 11 verses

    Anxious sovereign seeking containment

Key episodes

  1. The Gita Begins: Arjuna's Despair on the Battlefield

    Bhagavad Gita 1-2

  2. Kurukshetra War

    Mahabharata 6-10

  3. The Game of Dice

    Mahabharata 2.53-2.63

  4. Draupadi Dragged into the Assembly

    Mahabharata 2.60-2.63

Also known to Wikipedia · Wikidata Q926150