Saturday, April 4, 2015

A-Z April Challenge 2015: D for DRITHARASHTRA’S HEARTBREAK

D for Dritharashtra
Google Images
Dritharashtra thrashed around like a mad bull elephant. The servants stayed away from the prince for their own safety. He appeared capable of crushing someone with his bare hands. But no strength or intelligence of his had been enough to garner Dritharashtra the throne of Hastinapura. And all because he had been born blind!

Dritharashtra pressed both his hands against his blind eyes, wishing to pull them out of their sockets. Oh why! Why had he not been born normal? Why had he learned all the scriptures and the many methods of warfare? To what avail? Why had Bheeshma had him trained in all the virtues of a king if he had never meant him to become one? They could have killed him as a child. It would have been so much better. Dritharashtra rued his fate.

And hatred gushed from him towards Bheeshma, mother Satyavathi and his brother Pandu. Pandu had no qualms about accepting the crown of Hastinapura. How dared he? Did that mean that his, Dritharashtra’s, descendants would never ascend the thrown?

The keening sound emanating from Dritharashtra’s chambers made the servants move further away. They did not want to bear the brunt of the Arya prince’s anger. But Gandhari could sense her husband’s pain, his heartbreaking disappointment. She shed tears of sorrow for his broken dreams, his aspirations to rule the mighty kingdom of Hastinapura. She walked into the chamber to commiserate with her husband. And that night, that very night, Gandhari was impregnated. 

All the disappointment, anger and jealousy in Dritharashtra got transferred to her womb – to be born as the hundred Kauravas. That night the seed of Kurukshetra was sown in Gandhari’s womb by Dritharashtra’s heartbreak. 





Check out some of my favourite bloggers who are also participating in A-Z April Challenge 2015

Eloquent Articulation by Inderpreet Kaur Uppal
I Luv Fiction by Ruchi Singh

50 comments:

  1. I know a few tales from the epic but hadn't heard about this one. I enjoyed reading it.

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  2. Powerful (both the story and the image). It is heartbreaking indeed.

    @TarkabarkaHolgy from
    Multicolored Diary - Epics from A to Z
    MopDog - 26 Ways to Die in Medieval Hungary

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  3. I was wondering if D would be for Draupadi. Nonetheless, enjoyed this one. I am a lover of historical fiction, so have read these tales several times. But your narration is masterful and refreshing. :)
    *Shantala @ ShanayaTales*

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  4. Gave me goose bumps, seriously! What a potent and powerful notion, that all his emotional hurt got transformed into the foetus and what sprang out of it! My favourite tale so far!

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  5. This one gave me chills. Seriously! What a narration! My favorite so far too :D

    Double Jeopardy

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  6. Beautifully narrated. His anger brought out so well.

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  7. Powerful writing! A timeless epic.

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  8. Hi Vinay, thank you. Well, I don't know if it happened exactly like this. This is how I visualised what must have happened when Bheeshma decided that Pandu will be crowned king of Hastinapura :)

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  9. Ina, :D :D :D
    those two words spoke volumes
    Thank you so much

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  10. Thank you Tarkabarka Holgy :) Absolutely! It's no fault of his that Dritharashtra was born blind. Poor Prince!

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  11. I did toy with the idea of Draupadi. But as you mentioned, I expected people to be expecting that. So wanted to do the unexpected ;)
    I am so glad you found the narration refreshing Shanaya

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  12. Thank you Devika. Glad to give you goose bumps - just means that I presented it well. So glad you liked it :D
    (Am I getting better at this? :P )

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  13. Thank you Archana! Yes, it is an epic that sets off one's imagination :)

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  14. Ummm... Like the Quote from Secret:
    Whatever it is you are feeling is a perfect reflection of what is in the process of becoming.

    You sent a chill down my spine, Sundari.

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  15. I'd never heard this story! Thanks so much for sharing.
    You've narrated it so brilliantly, I could almost visualize it.

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  16. Compelling read, Sundari. I never knew of the legend and enjoyed your narration:)

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  17. Brilliant narration and this little anecdote from Mahabharata is a lesson on how small misunderstandings when not cleared immediately can cause disaster.

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  18. Beautiful narration. I am so not familiar with these tales, and yes and I am not proud about that. Thank you for sharing. :)

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  19. NAV - Nilima, thank you for the compliment with quote and all :D So glad you liked my version of the story

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  20. Thank you Bhavya! Well, it's not exactly a story that was written into the mythology. At least I haven't read it. It's what I believe could have happened when Pandu was chosen to rule Hastinapura sidelining Dritharashtra who was the elder prince, all because he was blind.

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  21. Thank you Ranveer Vishal for visiting my blog and posting a comment. I am glad you liked the narration. :)

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  22. Absolutely Prasanna! Glad you liked reading my little story :)

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  23. Thank you Sheethal! Glad you liked reading it :)

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  24. Wow didn't know about this. Nice.. will get to know many little stories from you.

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  25. Never heard this story but loved it! You tell it so well:-) coming by for more for sure:-)

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  26. Loved the way you narrated this story, Sundari. Very powerful!

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  27. Thank you so much Shilpa, glad you liked it :)

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  28. Thanks for visiting Anabel's Travel Blog - I'm happy to meet you here too!

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  29. You are welcome Anabel! And thanks for visiting mine :)

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  30. Sundari, your style is rivetting, indeed! The line about Dhritharashtra's hatred and jealousy being transferred to his wife's womb is such a powerful one! I never thought of it in quite that way before! Kudos!

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  31. Dhridhrashtra is always known as a selfish person, but by delving into his mind, you have captured his feelings so beautifully, what actually went into making him the person he is portrayed as!

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  32. Amazing read! I am so captivated by the prose, characterization, pace--well done! <3 I would love to read more of this. Is this a published work? I'll go find out!

    Elizabeth Mueller
    AtoZ 2015
    My Little Pony

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  33. Thank you so much Deepti! That's how I can visualise the birth of the jealous Kauravas. :D

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  34. Thank you so much Elizabeth Mueller. I do have a few published contemporary novels. I am considering writing an anthology of mytho stories, expanding on the posts for A-Z. Your words are so inspiring and encouraging :D

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  35. Oh wow, this nuance was good. Hatred and passing the feeling to the next generation. Simply great!

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  36. A fascinating tale and one I'm not familiar with. Mythology is always fun to read.

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  37. Thank you Ruchi! Glad you liked my version of Dritharashtra's pain :)

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  38. Thank you Debbie for visiting my blog. Glad you liked the tale :)

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  39. Interpreted the way you have done justifies the nature of Kauravas! But alas, they are actually not at fault for their nature!

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    Replies
    1. Poor kids of jealous Dritharashtra. Yes, that's how I see it must have happened :)

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  40. That's an interesting spin Sundari. Well written.

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