Mahabharata – 177
by
Sankar Mukherjee
&
Dr Ramesh Chandra Mukhopadhyaya
    Aadivamsavatarana Parva

Wedding of Dhritarastra`

In course of time Dhritarastra, Pandu and Vidura attained their youth.Vidura was wisest of the three and Bhisma the pater familias of the race of Santanu also respected the young Vidura for his wisdom.

One day Bhishma the foremost of those acquainted with the duties of a statesman and dictates of morality, addressed the virtuous Vidura as follows. Bhishma said --- Oh Vidura! our celebrated race, glittering with  virtue and achievement, has all along dominated all other kings on earth. Its glory was maintained by many virtuous and illustrious kings in the past. The illustrious Vedavyasa, Satyavati and myself have raised you three up, in order to see that the race may not be extinct. Therefore you also take such steps so that this our dynasty may expand again as the sea.It has been heard by me that there are three maidens worthy of being similar to our race. One is the daughter of the Yadava race, the other is the daughter of Subala, and the third is the princess of Madra. They are possessed of beauty and they will fit in with our family of the Kshatriya race. I think we should choose them for the continuation of our race.Tell me what you think.

Thus addressed, Vidura replied ---You are our father and you are our mother, too. You are our spiritual instructor. Therefore, do what may be the best for us in your thinking.

Soon after Bhishma heard from the Brahmanas that fortunate Gandhari, the daughter of Subala, having worshipped Siva   obtained from Mahadeva,the boon, that she should have hundred sons.Having heard this, Bhisma sent messengers to Subala the king of Gandhara or what we call Kandahar of Afganisthan. The king at first hesitated on account of the blindness of the bridegroom, but taking into consideration the blood of the Kurus,their fame and behaviour, he gave consent to give his virtuous daughter to the hand of Dhritarashtra.

Gandhari  on hearing that Dhritarashtra was blind and that her parents had consented to give her hands to  Dhritarashtra,out of  respect for her future husband,she deprived her sight by tying a piece of cloth round her head so as to cover her eyes. Sakuni,the son of Subala, accompanied his sister to Hastinapur. And formally gave her away to Dhritarashtra. And Sakuni,after having bestowed his sister along with many valuable clothes, and having received Bhishma's affection, returned to his own city.

The beautiful Gandhari gratified all the Kurus by her behaviour and respectful attentions. And Gandhari, by her good conduct was devoted to her husband, and she never met any man other than her husband and never referred even by words to men other than her husband or such superiors.