Identify the character from the Mahabharata with the help of the following information and choose the correct option :
• He was the elder brother of Pandu.
• He was the king of Hastinapur.
• He was the husband of Gandhari.
Show Hint
Dhritarashtra was the blind Kuru king whose biological blindness symbolically mirrored his blind attachment to his eldest son, Duryodhana, triggering the Kurukshetra war.
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Concept:
The Mahabharata presents a dense lineage of the Kuru dynasty. Understanding the genealogical connections between the characters is essential for analyzing the core structural narrative of the text.
Step 1: Reviewing the clues provided in the image
Elder brother of Pandu: King Vichitravirya’s queens gave birth to Dhritarashtra and Pandu. Dhritarashtra was born blind, making him the older brother, while Pandu was the younger brother.
King of Hastinapur: Due to Dhritarashtra's blindness, Pandu initially assumed the throne. However, after Pandu's early demise, Dhritarashtra took charge as the ruling king of Hastinapur.
Husband of Gandhari: Dhritarashtra married Princess Gandhari of Gandhara, who chose to blindfold herself for life to share her husband's fate. They became the parents of the hundred Kauravas.
Step 2: Eliminating incorrect choices
Duryodhana and Dushasana were the sons of Dhritarashtra and Gandhari, not the elders of Pandu.
Dushkarna was also one of the minor Kaurava brothers.
Thus, the clues unmistakably identify **Dhritarashtra**.
