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96.WHO CAN GIVE SOLACE?
Your son was invincible in combat and so I did in selfprotection
what was undoubtedly wrong.
He called Yudhishthira to play and
deceived him. We had been wronged by
your son in so many ways. He would not
give back the kingdom, of which be took
unlawful possession. And you know what
your son did to blameless Draupadi. If we
had killed your son on the spot, when he
misbehaved in the Hall of Assembly,
surely you would not have blamed us.
Bound by Dharmaraja's vow, we
restrained ourselves with difficulty then.
We have since discharged honor's debt
and found satisfaction in battle. Mother,
you should forgive me."
"Dear son, if you had left but one out of
my hundred sons and killed all the rest
and satisfied your anger, I and my old
husband would have found solace in that
surviving son for the rest of our lives.
Where is Dharmaputra? Call him." She
said.
Hearing this, Yudhishthira trembled as he,
with clasped hands, approached Gandhari,
whose eyes were bound in a cloth in loyal
lifelong penance for her husband's
blindness. He bowed low before her and
said softly:
"Queen, the cruel Yudhishthira, who
killed your sons, stands before you fit to
be cursed. Do curse me who have
committed great sin. I care not for life or
for kingdom." Saying this, he fell on the
ground and touched her feet.
Gandhari heaved a deep sigh and stood
mute. She turned her head aside knowing
that if, through the cloth with which her
eyes were bound, her vision fell on the
prostrate Yudhishthira he would be
reduced to ashes on the spot. But through
a little space in the cloth, even as she
turned her face away, her eyes fell on the
toe of the prostrate Yudhishthira. At once,
says the poet, the toe was charred black.
Arjuna knew the power of bereaved
Gandhari's wrath, and hid himself behind
Vasudeva. The wise and good Gandhari
suppressed all her anger and blessed the
Pandavas and sent them to Kunti.
Gandhari turned to Draupadi, who was in
lamentation, having lost all her sons.
"Dear girl," said Gandhari. "Do not
grieve. Who can give solace to you and
me? It is through my fault that this great
tribe has been destroyed altogether."
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