The bond between mother and child is unbreakable, which remains at every age. Mother’s love always wishes for the safety of her children, protecting them from all kinds of harm. A powerful example of this is seen in the epic Mahabharata during the Dwapara Yuga. An interesting incident is when Gandhari asks her son Duryodhana to appear before her without clothes. This incident raises many questions. Let us know what were the reasons behind this request of Gandhari.
Gandhari got a unique boon from Lord Shiva
A devoted wife, Gandhari decided to blindfold herself forever out of love and loyalty for her blind husband Dhritarashtra. A devotee of Lord Shiva, her rigorous penance earned her a rare boon. According to this boon, if Gandhari ever removed her blindfold and looked at someone, her body would become as strong as a thunderbolt.
Duryodhana was called naked
When the Mahabharata war was at its peak, Gandhari was overwhelmed with grief over the loss of her 99 sons. Fearing for Duryodhana’s life, he decided to use his divine vision to save him. He instructed Duryodhana to bathe in the Ganga and come to him completely naked so that he could empower his entire body with indestructible power.
Krishna’s intervention
While going to Gandhari, Duryodhana encountered Lord Krishna. Understanding Gandhari’s plan, Krishna stopped Duryodhana. He argued that it was inappropriate to go naked in front of his mother at this age. Duryodhana agreed and covered the lower part of his body with leaves before meeting Gandhari.
When Gandhari finally removed the blindfold from her eyes, Duryodhana’s body became invulnerable from her sight, except for the part covered with leaves, which remained normal. Gandhari cried a lot over this mistake of Duryodhana. But now nothing could be done.
fatal weakness in battle
In the final battle, Duryodhana fought a fierce mace fight with Bhima. His diamond-like body neutralized Bhima’s attacks. However, Krishna directed Bhima to attack Duryodhana’s weak waist which was his only weakness. This decisive blow took the life of Duryodhana and became the turning point of the epic war.
