Dhritarashtra

The blind king whose question opens the Gita; father of the Kauravas.

Overview

Dhritarashtra is the old king of the royal family — father of the hundred Kauravas, including Duryodhana. He is literally blind. Swami reads his blindness symbolically: his inordinate attachment to his sons blinds him to dharma, and that attachment is what allows the war to happen in the first place.

During the battle, Dhritarashtra sits in his chamber far from the field and asks his adviser Sanjaya to describe what is happening. Sanjaya, blessed with remote vision, reports the events live. This framing is the narrative device by which the dialogue between Krishna and Arjuna reaches us. The Gita’s very first verse is Dhritarashtra’s question.

Related concepts and entities

• Father of the kauravas, especially duryodhana
• Questions sanjaya, who narrates the battle
• His blindness symbolic of attachment blinding one to dharma
• Setting: kurukshetra

In the Gita

• 01-summary — his question to Sanjaya opens the text.

Lecture evidence

• Ep. 1 [37:37]: Dhritarashtra is blind — literally, and blind to the facts of life through attachment to his evil sons.
• Ep. 1 [38:21]: He sits in his royal chamber and asks Sanjaya what is happening on the battlefield.
• Ep. 1 [48:54]: The Gita’s first verse is Dhritarashtra’s question.