“Vaishampaayana said, ‘Meanwhile, O Janamejaya,
Dhritarashtra fathered upon Gandhari a hundred sons, and upon a Vaishya wife
another besides those hundred. Pandu had, by his two wives Kunti and Maadri,
five sons who were great charioteers and who were all fathered by Devas for the
preservation of the Kuru line.'
“Janamejaya said, ‘O best of Brahmanas (Rishi Vaishampaayana), how
did Gandhari bring forth those hundred sons and in how many years? What were
also the periods of life allotted to each? How did Dhritarashtra also father
another son in a Vaishya wife? How did Dhritarashtra behave towards his loving
obedient, and Dharmic wife Gandhari? How were also fathered the five sons of
Pandu, those mighty charioteers, even though Pandu himself caught under the
curse of the Maharishi (he slew)?
Tell me all this in detail, for my thirst for hearing everything relating to my
own ancestor has not been satisfied.’
"Vaishampaayana said, ‘One day Gandhari
entertained with respectful attention the great Dwaipayana (Maharishi Vyasa) who came to
her abode, exhausted with hunger and tiredness. Pleased with Gandhari's
hospitality, the Rishi (Vyasa) gave
her the boon she asked for - that she should have a hundred of sons each equal
to her lord (Dhritarashtra) in
strength and accomplishments. Some time after Gandhari conceived and she bore
the burden in her womb for two long years without being delivered. She was
greatly pained at this. It was then that she heard that Kunti had brought forth
a son whose splendour was like to the morning Sun. Impatient of the period of pregnancy
which had prolonged so long, and deprived of reason by grief, she struck her
womb with great violence without the knowledge of her husband.
“Thereupon came out of her womb, after two years'
growth, a hard mass of flesh like to an iron ball. When she was about to throw
it away, Dwaipayana (Maharishi Vyasa), learning everything by his spiritual
powers, promptly came there, and that first of Rishis seeing that ball of flesh,
addressed the daughter of Subala thus, ‘What have you done?’
“Gandhari, without trying to hide her feelings,
addressed the Rishi and said, ‘Having heard that Kunti had brought forth a son
like to Surya (the Sun God) in splendour, I struck in grief at my womb. You had, O Rishi, granted
me the boon that I should have a hundred sons, but here is only a ball of flesh
for those hundred sons!’
“Vyasa then said, ‘Daughter of Subala (Gandhari), it is so. But my
words can never be futile. I have not spoken an untruth even in joke. I need
not speak of other occasions. Let a hundred pots full of clarified butter be
brought instantly, and let them be placed at a concealed spot. In the meantime,
let cool water be sprinkled over this ball of flesh.’
"Vaishampaayana continued, ‘That ball of flesh
then, sprinkled over with water, became in time, divided into a hundred and one
parts, each about the size of the thumb. These were then put into those pots
full of clarified butter that had been placed at a concealed spot and were
watched with care. The illustrious Vyasa then said to the daughter of Subala (Gandhari) that she should
open the covers of the pots after full two years. Having said this and made
these arrangements, the wise Dwaipayana (Maharishi Vyasa) went to the Himavat (present-day
Himalayan) mountains for devoting
himself to Tapas.
“Then in time, king Duryodhana was born from among
those pieces of the ball of flesh that had been deposited in those pots.
According to the order of birth, king Yudhishthira was the oldest. The news of
Duryodhana's birth was carried to Bhishma and the wise Vidura. The day that the
arrogant Duryodhana was born was also the birth-day of Bhima of mighty arms and
great prowess.
“As soon as Duryodhana was born, he began to cry and sound
like a donkey. Hearing that sound, the donkeys, vultures, jackals and crows
uttered their respective cries responsively. Violent winds began to blow, and
there were fires in various directions. Then king Dhritarashtra in great fear, calling
Bhishma and Vidura and other well-wishers and all the Kurus, and numberless
Brahmanas, addressed them and said, ‘The oldest of those princes, Yudhishthira,
is the preserver of our line. By virtue of his birth, he has acquired the
kingdom. We have nothing to say to this. But shall this my son born after him
become king? Tell me truly what is lawful and right under these circumstances.’
“O Bharata (Janamejaya), as soon as these words were spoken,
jackals and other meat-eating animals began to howl ominously and marking those
frightful omens all around, the assembled Brahmanas and the wise Vidura
replied, ‘O king (Dhritarashtra), O
bull among men, when these frightful omens are noticeable at the birth of your
eldest son, it is evident that he shall be the slayer of your race. The
prosperity of all depends on his abandonment. There must be calamity in keeping
him. O king (Dhritarashtra), if you
abandon him, there still remain your ninety nine sons. If you desire the good
of your race, abandon him, O Bharata (Dhritarashtra)! O king (Dhritarashtra), do
good to the world and your own race by casting off this one child of yours. It has been said that an individual should be removed off for
the sake of the family; that a family should be removed off for the sake of a
village; that a village may be abandoned for the sake of the whole country; and
that the earth itself may be abandoned for the sake of the soul.’
“When Vidura and those Brahmanas had stated so, king
Dhritarashtra out of affection for his son had not the heart to follow that
advice. O king (Janamejaya), then within a month, were born a full hundred sons to Dhritarashtra
and a daughter also in excess of this hundred. During the time when Gandhari
was in a state of advanced pregnancy, there was a maid servant of the Vaishya
class who used to attend on Dhritarashtra. During that year, O king (Janamejaya), was fathered upon her by the illustrious
Dhritarashtra a son endued with great intelligence who was afterwards named Yuyutsu.
Because he was fathered by a Kshatriya upon a Vaishya woman, he came to be
called Karana.
“Thus were born to the wise Dhritarashtra a hundred
sons who were all heroes and mighty chariot-fighters, and a daughter over and
above the hundred, and another son Yuyutsu of great energy and prowess fathered
upon a Vaishya woman.’”
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