Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c5.815

c5.815

(6) Dhṛtarāṣṭra and the battle of Bhārata. The terrible battle began. The heart of Dhṛtarāṣṭra was grieved with sorrow. When Arjuna vowed that he would kill Jayadratha, Dhṛtarāṣṭra cried aloud. When he knew that Śātyaki had destroyed the army of the Kauravas he became dumb with grief. He praised Bhīma's valour and blamed his sons. When Sañjaya told him about the fall of Karṇa, Dhṛtarāṣṭra fell down unconscious. He rose up again and attended to the noises from the battlefield. He fell down again when he knew that Śalya and Duryodhana were killed. He rose again and cried for a long time. He gathered the women-folk, his people and went to the battlefield. He broke the metal statue of Bhīma and embraced the Pāṇḍavas. He asked Yudhiṣṭhira to do the mourning and offerings for the dead. It was done accordingly. The Pāṇḍavas respected Dhṛtarāṣṭra. But Bhīma scolded them. Dhṛtarāṣṭra and Gāndhārī were greatly depressed and asked Yudhiṣṭhira to permit them to live in forest. Yudhiṣṭhira tried to prevent it. He kissed on the head of Yudhiṣṭhira. Seeing that they did not eat food he asked them to eat. Yudhiṣṭhira saw that they would eat only if he permitted them to live in forest. At last Yudhiṣṭhira agreed. Dhṛtarāṣṭra accepted money from Dharmaputra and performed mourning and offerings for the dead on a large scale (M.B. Droṇa Parva, Karṇa Parva, Strī Parva, Śānti Parva and Āśramavāsika Parva).