King Dhritarashtra

Quick Facts

About King Dhritarashtra

The blind son of Vyasa and Ambika. Father of the hundred Kauravas. His blindness prevented him from ruling initially, but he eventually ascended the throne.

In Their Words

Because of lack of quality on the part of his mother, he will be blind.

King Dhritarashtra

Traits

• Blind
• Strong
• Ambitious

Stories Featuring King Dhritarashtra

275 tales on this site name King Dhritarashtra, in canonical reading order.

• The Epic ComposedVyasa at Badarikashrama, Astika at the Snake Sacrifice, and the Story First ToldAdi Parva ‧ 23 min
• The Terrible VowThe Sacrifice of DevavrataAdi Parva ‧ 23 min
• The Niyoga of VyasaThe Birth of the KurusAdi Parva ‧ 21 min
• The Birth of the PrincesChildren of the Gods and the Iron WombAdi Parva ‧ 16 min
• The Curse That Killed a KingPandu's Arrow, Kindama's Curse, and the Birth of the PandavasAdi Parva ‧ 23 min
• The Divine ChildKrishna's life is the Mahabharata's answer to the question: What does God look like when God walks among us? The answer...Adi Parva ‧ 28 min
• Escape from the FlamesThe lac house episode teaches that evil, no matter how carefully planned, cannot triumph over righteousness...Adi Parva ‧ 18 min
• The House of Lac and the DemonsThe Pandavas' First ExileAdi Parva ‧ 17 min
• The Ascetics at the GateThe morning five orphans were handed to HastinapuraAdi Parva ‧ 16 min
• The Twins in the HeathIndra's dancer, a sage's dropped bow, and the children a king carried homeAdi Parva ‧ 17 min
• The Heir ApparentA crown promised, a second fee demanded, and the conquests that frightened a blind kingAdi Parva ‧ 16 min
• The Watch Under the BanianOne brother awake while the rest of the Kurus sleep on bare groundAdi Parva ‧ 16 min
• Kunti's SwayamvaraThe princess no king asked for chooses Pandu in a hall of monarchsAdi Parva ‧ 13 min
• Kunti Knows Her SonThe mother who recognised Karna in the arena and stayed silentAdi Parva ‧ 14 min
• The Priest of DrupadaThe envoy, the guarded answer, and the weapons laid out to catch a king's sonsAdi Parva ‧ 17 min
• Vidura's Embassy to PanchalaThe envoy sent to bring the Pandavas home from Drupada's courtAdi Parva ‧ 12 min
• The Weighing of the BharataThe gods put the epic in a balance against the four Vedas, and Sauti recites the eighteen booksAdi Parva ‧ 24 min
• The King Who Only BreathedKarna answers Drona with the tale of a minister who took everything but the throneAdi Parva ‧ 13 min
• Hastinapura, City of the ElephantThe capital that held the whole epicAdi Parva
• Pandu's ConquestThe pale king who filled the treasuryAdi Parva
• The Branch That LeftThe Kurus who moved away and died in the war anywayAdi Parva
• The Birth of DuryodhanaA doom announced and ignoredAdi Parva
• The Blindfold of GandhariA vow read as devotion and as protestAdi Parva
• Kanika's CounselThe advisor a frightened king wantedAdi Parva
• Half a KingdomOne sitting of the Kuru court decides everythingAdi Parva
• Gandhara, Land Beyond the IndusThe kingdom that sent a queen and a gamblerAdi Parva
• The Dice GameThe Game That Changed EverythingSabha Parva ‧ 18 min
• The Fateful GameAddiction blinds even the wisest of men. Yudhishthira, known for his righteousness, lost everything - his wealth, his...Sabha Parva ‧ 17 min
• The Infinite SariIn our darkest hour, when all worldly help fails, surrender to the Divine is our last and most powerful refuge...Sabha Parva ‧ 16 min
• The Fall of DharmaThe Fall of Dharma teaches the most terrifying lesson of the Mahabharata: that evil does not triumph through its own...Sabha Parva ‧ 24 min
• What the Blind King Was ToldDuryodhana's inventory of the rajasuya, and the quarrel it startedSabha Parva ‧ 21 min
• The Honey-Gatherer on the CliffVidura's last warnings, and the answer he gotSabha Parva ‧ 16 min
• The Second ThrowOne cast of the dice for thirteen yearsSabha Parva ‧ 20 min
• The Road Out of HastinapuraWhat Vidura read in the way they walkedSabha Parva ‧ 19 min
• The Errand Vidura Did Not WantCarrying the invitation to the dice game he had begged the king not to sendSabha Parva ‧ 13 min
• The Kingdom Given BackDhritarashtra releases the Pandavas and returns everything they lostSabha Parva ‧ 12 min
• The Vows Sworn Before ExileFour brothers name their killings on the way out of the dice hallSabha Parva ‧ 23 min
• The Uncle Who StayedShakuni of Gandhara, without the legendsSabha Parva
• The Ghosha YatraDuryodhana Goes to Mock the Exiles and Is Saved by ThemVana Parva ‧ 21 min
• The Ones Who Would Not Turn BackThe city walks out with its kings, and a sage answers the weepingVana Parva ‧ 21 min
• The Cow Who Wept for the Weaker CalfIndra learns why a mother's love is not divided equallyVana Parva ‧ 16 min
• The Curse on Duryodhana's ThighA sage asks politely once, and is answered with a scratched footVana Parva ‧ 17 min
• The Promise Made in the Kamyaka WoodsThe allies arrive, and Draupadi asks Krishna what her friendship is worthVana Parva ‧ 17 min
• When Forgiveness Is Not a VirtueAn angry queen quotes an asura grandfather at a patient kingVana Parva ‧ 17 min
• The Queen Who Put God on TrialA bird on a string, and a child breaking its toysVana Parva ‧ 18 min
• The Blind King Counts the OddsA father adds up his enemies and hears whose fault it wasVana Parva ‧ 17 min
• The Council at PrabhasaThe Yadavas find the exiles on the shore and argue about ending the exile by forceVana Parva ‧ 19 min
• The Golden PloughThe sacrifice a king held because the one he wanted was forbidden himVana Parva ‧ 18 min
• The Warning in the DreamA father begs his son to live, and the son chooses to be rememberedVana Parva ‧ 18 min
• The Counselor Sent AwayThrown out of the court, and back the same weekVana Parva
• The Quarrel Before the CattleAshwatthama tells Duryodhana what his kingdom is made ofVirata Parva ‧ 21 min
• The Sleep Weapon and the Robes for the DollsSix great warriors disarmed, and a promise kept to some girlsVirata Parva ‧ 17 min
• The Lineage of GandivaBrihannala names five sets of weapons and the six who held the great bowVirata Parva ‧ 12 min
• Vidura NitiThe Sleepless KingUdyoga Parva ‧ 6 min
• The SanatsujatiyaThere Is No DeathUdyoga Parva ‧ 5 min
• The Messenger of PeaceThe Divine Revelation in HastinapuraUdyoga Parva ‧ 21 min
• The Eve of BattleLast Embassies Before KurukshetraUdyoga Parva ‧ 19 min
• The Choice at DwarakaTen crore soldiers on one side of the bed, one unarmed man on the otherUdyoga Parva ‧ 16 min
• The Net and the Mountain HoneyTwo birds who quarrelled in flight, and a cliff nobody came down fromUdyoga Parva ‧ 16 min
• How a Charioteer Came to Know GodThe blind king asks why the sight was given to a sutaUdyoga Parva ‧ 17 min
• The Braid She Refused to BindDraupadi answers Bhima's peace with her own hairUdyoga Parva ‧ 20 min
• What Kunti Sent Instead of ComfortA mother counts her sons aloud, then tells them to fightUdyoga Parva ‧ 16 min
• The Meal He Chose to EatA king's banquet refused, a servant's supper acceptedUdyoga Parva ‧ 17 min
• Garuda's Map of the WorldThe four directions described from a bird's backUdyoga Parva ‧ 18 min
• The Choosing of the GeneralissimoFive brothers name five different men, and Krishna names the sixthUdyoga Parva ‧ 16 min
• The Cities of TentsTwo capitals raised on Kurukshetra before a single arrowUdyoga Parva ‧ 16 min
• The Yaksha Who Lent His ManhoodSthuna, Sikhandini, and the curse that made the loan permanentUdyoga Parva ‧ 17 min
• The Question of DaysEach commander prices the enemy army in morningsUdyoga Parva ‧ 16 min
• The Tree and the ForestKrishna answers Sanjaya at Upaplavya and decides to go to the Kurus himselfUdyoga Parva ‧ 18 min
• Arjuna's Message to the KurusSanjaya recites the message in open court, and names every man who will dieUdyoga Parva ‧ 21 min
• The March to KurukshetraDuryodhana walks out on the last counsel and orders the host to move that same dayUdyoga Parva ‧ 11 min
• The Cat Who Played the HermitDuryodhana's last message to Yudhishthira is a fable about a holy man who ate his worshippersUdyoga Parva ‧ 18 min
• The Sacrifice of BattleDuryodhana makes the coming war his own rite, and his father disowns him for itUdyoga Parva ‧ 23 min
• Poverty Is a Person's DeathYudhishthira tells Krishna why a ruined man loses his shame, and still asks for peaceUdyoga Parva ‧ 18 min
• The Kings Who Were Passed OverDhritarashtra reads his son the family's own record of elder sons who never got the throneUdyoga Parva ‧ 13 min
• Sanjaya's EmbassyThe honest voice of a dishonest courtUdyoga Parva
• The King Who Challenged Two HermitsDambhodbhava, and a handful of grass bladesUdyoga Parva
• The First EnvoyDrupada's old priest carries the claim to HastinapuraUdyoga Parva
• Prahlada's JudgmentWithin Vidura's night counsel, an asura king rules the truth against his own sonUdyoga Parva
• Bhagavad Gita Chapter 1: Arjuna's DespairArjuna Vishada Yoga - The Yoga of Arjuna's DejectionBhishma Parva
• Bhagavad Gita Chapter 11: The Universal FormVishvarupa Darshana Yoga - The Vision of the Cosmic FormBhishma Parva
• Bhagavad Gita Chapter 18: Liberation Through RenunciationMoksha Sanyasa Yoga - The Final TeachingBhishma Parva
• Yuyutsu Crosses the FieldThe One Son of Dhritarashtra Who Chose DharmaBhishma Parva
• Sanjaya's Divine EyeHow the War Was ToldBhishma Parva
• The Eighteen DaysWar spares no one - neither the righteous nor the wicked. The Mahabharata war ended with Pandava victory, but the price...Bhishma Parva ‧ 24 min
• Kurukshetra Day 4: Bhima UnboundEight Brothers Fall in a DayBhishma Parva
• The Signs Before the WarWhat Vyasa saw in the sky, the cattle and the birth-roomsBhishma Parva ‧ 18 min
• The Hymn Before the ConchesKrishna sends Arjuna down from the chariot to praise the goddessBhishma Parva ‧ 18 min
• The Walk Across the FieldThe king who laid down his armour before the first arrowBhishma Parva ‧ 20 min
• Shveta Against the GrandsireThe Matsya prince who broke Bhishma's bow again and againBhishma Parva ‧ 19 min
• The Grandsire Names the GodDuryodhana asks why he keeps losing and gets a theology insteadBhishma Parva ‧ 18 min
• Kurukshetra Day 8: The Rakshasa's HourIravan falls and Ghatotkacha answers for himBhishma Parva ‧ 21 min
• The Son of RishyasringaAlambusha, the illusion-fighter the Kauravas kept for the Pandava sonsBhishma Parva ‧ 16 min
• The Pillow of ArrowsBoth armies lay down their weapons for one eveningBhishma Parva ‧ 18 min
• Karna at the Grandsire's FeetThe forgiveness that came too late to change anythingBhishma Parva ‧ 19 min
• The Herb in the Grandsire's HandA wounded Duryodhana asks Bhishma for reassurance and is given honesty, a pledge, and medicineBhishma Parva ‧ 16 min
• Omens and the Ten Kings Around BhimaDrona reads the signs of Bhishma's last day and sends his son to fightBhishma Parva ‧ 17 min
• The Grandsire Chooses His HourBhishma remembers Santanu's boon and refuses to die in the wrong seasonBhishma Parva ‧ 21 min
• The Ten Kinsmen Against the Ten SonsDay six: Dhrishtadyumna kills two princes, ten Pandavas duel ten Kauravas, and Bhima goes into the elephants on footBhishma Parva ‧ 14 min
• The Seventh Day After NoonBhima and Duryodhana wound each other twice, Sanjaya tells the blind king whose fault the war is, and Satanika kills DushkarnaBhishma Parva ‧ 23 min
• Six Duels on the Eighth DayShikhandi with a broken sword, Duryodhana on foot, and a mace that missedBhishma Parva ‧ 19 min
• The Three ColumnsAt midday on the eighth day the Pandava army splits into three attacking bodies, Arjuna's son Iravan is killed, and Bhishma sends twelve warriors to pull Duryodhana out of the fire.Bhishma Parva ‧ 21 min
• Ghatotkacha and the Javelin of BhagadattaDuryodhana asks to kill a Rakshasa, and a Rakshasa breaks a javelin on his kneeBhishma Parva ‧ 24 min
• The Shield Around BhishmaNinth day: Satyaki trades darts with the grandsire, Abhimanyu unhorses Chitrasena, and Duryodhana orders a wall of men built round BhishmaBhishma Parva ‧ 14 min
• The Wall Before BhishmaEvery Kaurava champion is given one Pandava to stop on the tenth dayBhishma Parva ‧ 15 min
• The Last Push on the Tenth DayTenth day: Bhishma asks Yudhishthira to kill him, and the champions of both armies pair off across the field while Dushasana alone stands between him and ArjunaBhishma Parva ‧ 21 min
• The Evening After Bhishma FellBoth armies stop the war for a night, and Arjuna gives the grandsire the only pillow he will accept.Bhishma Parva ‧ 19 min
• Sanjaya Describes the EarthThe blind king asks what the earth is worth, and his charioteer answers with the whole of itBhishma Parva ‧ 24 min
• The Islands Beyond JambudvipaSanjaya measures the seven islands, the world elephants and the sunBhishma Parva ‧ 17 min
• The Pairings of the Second DayArjuna goes at the grandsire, and the field breaks into nine duelsBhishma Parva ‧ 11 min
• The Guard Drona Had To KillSatyajit of Panchala, and the promise Arjuna left behind himDrona Parva ‧ 16 min
• The Banners and the BowsSanjaya names every standard on the fieldDrona Parva ‧ 18 min
• The Gandhara Brothers and the War of IllusionsShakuni fights the only battle he ever fought himselfDrona Parva ‧ 16 min
• The Women in the TentSubhadra, Draupadi and Uttaraa on the night Abhimanyu diedDrona Parva ‧ 17 min
• What Krishna Told His CharioteerThe night Krishna decided to break his own vowDrona Parva ‧ 17 min
• The Cart, the Lotus and the NeedleDrona builds an array forty-eight miles deep to hide one manDrona Parva ‧ 16 min
• The Blessing at the GateArjuna asks his teacher's leave to break his teacher's lineDrona Parva ‧ 15 min
• The Mace That Turned BackVaruna's gift to a river's son, and the one rule he forgotDrona Parva ‧ 16 min
• The Armour of MantrasThe one day Duryodhana stood in front of Arjuna and did not fallDrona Parva ‧ 21 min
• The Lake and the Hall of ArrowsKrishna unyokes the horses in the middle of the battleDrona Parva ‧ 17 min
• Kurukshetra Day 14: The Longest DaySunset Vow, False Dusk, and a Battle That Would Not Stop at NightfallDrona Parva ‧ 21 min
• The Order Yudhishthira GaveA king overrules the guard his brother postedDrona Parva ‧ 20 min
• The King Counts His ArmyEvery soldier paid, examined and willing, and still losingDrona Parva ‧ 16 min
• The Grandson of Shini Crosses the OceanOne chariot sent through the whole Kaurava hostDrona Parva ‧ 21 min
• The Second Man SentBhima's crossing and the roar agreed on beforehandDrona Parva ‧ 18 min
• The Bow Tip and the BoastKarna keeps his word to Kunti and pays for it in insultsDrona Parva ‧ 20 min
• The Arrows He Did Not Want to ShootArjuna, Kripa, and a lesson in arms turned back on its teacherDrona Parva ‧ 16 min
• One Man Against an Army of the NightAshwatthama burns a full akshauhini of Ghatotkacha's rakshasasDrona Parva ‧ 16 min
• The Oath of a Bereaved FatherThe house of Bahlika ends in a single nightDrona Parva ‧ 18 min
• Three Men and a Drawn SwordKarna boasts, Kripa answers, and Ashwatthama draws on his own sideDrona Parva ‧ 21 min
• The Night They Lit the FieldDuryodhana's order that turned a battlefield into a lamp-lit hallDrona Parva ‧ 16 min
• What Krishna Had Already DoneArjuna asks, and gets a list he did not expectDrona Parva ‧ 18 min
• The Dart That Was Never ThrownA blind king asks the only question that matteredDrona Parva ‧ 17 min
• Kurukshetra Day 15: The Day the Teacher DiedFrom the Dawn Prayers to the Half-Truth at NoonDrona Parva ‧ 21 min
• Held Back by Bhima's ArmsSatyaki and Dhrishtadyumna nearly finish the war for the KauravasDrona Parva ‧ 21 min
• The Weapon That Would Not Burn ThemAshwatthama's fire, and why it left two men standingDrona Parva ‧ 21 min
• The One Who Walked Ahead of the ChariotArjuna finally asks who has been winning his battlesDrona Parva ‧ 17 min
• The Sword That Broke on the ShieldAbhimanyu strips a king of everything, and Jayadratha comes down off his car to stop himDrona Parva ‧ 13 min
• The Two MacesBhima sends Abhimanyu aside and meets the king of Madra blow for blow until both men fallDrona Parva ‧ 14 min
• The Guard at the WheelKumara of Panchala checks Drona in front of Yudhishthira's chariot, and pays for itDrona Parva ‧ 14 min
• The Elephant Corps and the King of AngaBhima breaks Duryodhana's elephant division and beheads the Anga king in mid-fallDrona Parva ‧ 16 min
• The Sword on Drona's YokeDhrishtadyumna leaps onto his enemy's chariot to kill him, and Satyaki cuts the arrow that would have killed him firstDrona Parva ‧ 13 min
• The King on FootDrona breaks Yudhishthira's bow, dart, mace and car, and the king escapes on Sahadeva's chariotDrona Parva ‧ 12 min
• The Dice That Turned Into ArrowsDrona rebukes the fleeing Dushasana, and then wakes with a sword over his neckDrona Parva ‧ 16 min
• The King Who Went In AloneDuryodhana charges the whole Pandava army by himself, and Yudhishthira cuts his bowDrona Parva ‧ 14 min
• The Stake on the TableDrona tells Duryodhana that the dice in the sabha were arrows, and that Jayadratha is what they are playing forDrona Parva ‧ 14 min
• The Brahma Weapon AnsweredDrona empties the celestial arsenal at Yudhishthira on the fourteenth night, and the king matches him astra for astraDrona Parva ‧ 15 min
• The King They Thought Was DeadBhima's mace crushes Duryodhana's chariot, and both armies believe the Kuru king killedDrona Parva ‧ 14 min
• The Fourth Son Karna Let GoKarna disarms Sahadeva in the night battle and sends him away aliveDrona Parva ‧ 11 min
• Seven Bows Against OneDhrishtadyumna rides at Drona in the night battle and answers seven champions with three arrows apieceDrona Parva ‧ 12 min
• The King Put Off His ChariotSatyaki kills Duryodhana's horses and driver, cuts his bow at the handle, and the king escapes on Kritavarma's carDrona Parva ‧ 13 min
• The Two Who RememberedDuryodhana and Satyaki meet on the fifteenth day and talk about their childhood before they fightDrona Parva ‧ 15 min
• Sword and Shield Against the PreceptorDhrishtadyumna, stripped of car and bow, dances the twenty-one motions to reach DronaDrona Parva ‧ 17 min
• The Telling in the RoutAshwatthama rides back through a fleeing army to ask what happened, and Kripa has to tell him how Drona was killedDrona Parva ‧ 16 min
• Karna Takes the FieldThe vow that kept him out of ten days of war, and the grief that brought him into itDrona Parva ‧ 17 min
• The Consecration of DronaKarna names the Preceptor commander, and Drona names the man he cannot killDrona Parva ‧ 16 min
• The Silent CampArjuna comes back at dusk from the samsaptakas and learns that Abhimanyu is deadDrona Parva ‧ 17 min
• The Boon Somadatta Asked ForA wrestling match at Devaki's self-choice, and the son born a generation later to answer itDrona Parva ‧ 17 min
• How Drona Won the Narayana WeaponAshwatthama tells the Kauravas where his father's last astra came from, and the one rule that came with itDrona Parva ‧ 15 min
• The One Who Walked Before the CarVyasa tells Arjuna whose lance was breaking the ranks in front of himDrona Parva ‧ 24 min
• The King Falls Out of His SeatDhritarashtra hears that Drona is dead, faints in his hall, and wakes to ask who was supposed to be guarding himDrona Parva ‧ 20 min
• The Mouth of the GarudaDrona draws his host as a bird and comes for Yudhishthira on the twelfth morningDrona Parva ‧ 21 min
• The King of the Fire CityAshwatthama kills Nila of Mahishmati, and Arjuna kills three of Karna's brothers in his sightDrona Parva ‧ 17 min
• The Field at DuskSanjaya describes the evening of the thirteenth day, and the army that won walks home through itDrona Parva ‧ 13 min
• The Blind King Is AnsweredDhritarashtra laments the night after Abhimanyu's death, and his own messenger tells him whose fault it isDrona Parva ‧ 15 min
• The Road to JayadrathaArjuna breaks through the head of Drona's array on the fourteenth morning, from the omens at dawn to the river of bloodDrona Parva ‧ 23 min
• The Brothers of AvantiTwo kings see Arjuna's horses tire, and one of them walks up to Krishna with a maceDrona Parva ‧ 16 min
• Four Duels on the Fourteenth DayKshemadhurti, Viradhanwan, Niramitra and Vyaghradatta go down before Drona's divisionDrona Parva ‧ 11 min
• The Stones and the Golden KingSatyaki kills Sudarsana on the road to Arjuna, and cuts the mountaineers' stones out of the airDrona Parva ‧ 21 min
• What Drupada Said About DuryodhanaFive kings die in front of Drona in one afternoon, and Drupada names the man who is not on the fieldDrona Parva ‧ 15 min
• The Field Krishna Showed HimArjuna is driven at a walk over the ground he has won, and Yudhishthira answers with a hymnDrona Parva ‧ 22 min
• Bhima's Harvest on the Fourteenth EveningDrona takes the head of the king of Sivi, and Bhima kills with his fists, his palm and a caught dart until the kings call him RudraDrona Parva ‧ 17 min
• The Night Falls on the Fourteenth DayAshwatthama breaks the Panchalas after dark, Drona looses the wind weapon, and Krishna pulls Yudhishthira out of a fight he is winningDrona Parva ‧ 18 min
• The Guard at Drona's Right WheelYudhishthira orders his whole army against Drona, and never gets past KritavarmaDrona Parva ‧ 15 min
• Duels by TorchlightSix single combats fought by lamplight on the road to Drona's carDrona Parva ‧ 20 min
• Karna by Night Against the PanchalasThe armies throw down their torches, and the Suta's son scatters Dhrishtadyumna and all of Panchala in the darkDrona Parva ‧ 17 min
• The Whole Host Against DronaYudhishthira sends every man he has at the preceptor, and the fifteenth morning breaks into duelsDrona Parva ‧ 23 min
• The Arrow Cut in the AirSatyaki saves Dhrishtadyumna from the preceptor's shaft and holds three great bowmen at once, and the day ends with Drona's head in the dustDrona Parva ‧ 18 min
• Bhima Carried From the FieldAshwatthama's afternoon after the Narayana weapon, and the shaft that took Bhima's charioteerDrona Parva ‧ 21 min
• Portents Before the Fourteenth DayThe night the sky and the rivers answered Arjuna's vow, and the morning ritual of a kingDrona Parva ‧ 21 min
• The Shape of GhatotkachaSanjaya describes the rakshasa's body, chariot and host as he charges Karna at midnightDrona Parva ‧ 16 min
• Kurukshetra Day 17: The Earth Takes the WheelKarna's Last Morning to Karna's Last HourKarna Parva ‧ 21 min
• The Word Brought to HastinapuraSanjaya rides through the night with the news of KarnaKarna Parva ‧ 21 min
• Arjuna Against the Preceptor's SonThe duel Ashvatthama could not win twiceKarna Parva ‧ 16 min
• Pandya of the Malaya HillsThe southern king who thought himself greater than BhishmaKarna Parva ‧ 16 min
• The King Against the KingYudhishthira brings Duryodhana down and Bhima stops the blowKarna Parva ‧ 17 min
• The Calf and the WheelKarna tells his charioteer the curse that will kill himKarna Parva ‧ 16 min
• Karna Spares the KingThe armour cut away, and a hand laid on Yudhishthira's shoulderKarna Parva ‧ 17 min
• The Brothers Bhima CountedDuryodhana's kin fall in handfuls on the seventeenth dayKarna Parva ‧ 16 min
• The Bhargava WeaponKarna spends his teacher's last gift on the PancalasKarna Parva ‧ 17 min
• Ashvatthama Asks for PeaceA hand on Duryodhana's wrist while the gods watchKarna Parva ‧ 16 min
• The Field After the Sun FellShalya counts the dead and the Kauravas walk awayKarna Parva ‧ 18 min
• A Thousand Lamps Around KarnaYudhishthira rises from his bed to look at his enemyKarna Parva ‧ 16 min
• The Duel the Gods ApplaudedAshwatthama and Bhima fight to a standstill and are carried off senseless by their own driversKarna Parva ‧ 14 min
• Sahadeva Against DushasanaThe quiet twin puts one arrow through the man Bhima had sworn to killKarna Parva ‧ 11 min
• The Old Preceptor and the Slayer of DronaKripa freezes Dhrishtadyumna until his own driver turns the car and runsKarna Parva ‧ 11 min
• The King Names the PairsYudhishthira assigns each Pandava his enemy as Karna's array comes onKarna Parva ‧ 16 min
• The Son Bhima BeheadedBhima cuts down Karna's son Bhanusena while Karna fights his way toward YudhishthiraKarna Parva ‧ 14 min
• Ashwatthama Breaks the King's GuardA roof of arrows over Yudhishthira, and the insult the king threw backKarna Parva ‧ 18 min
• The Elephant Standard Comes DownDhrishtadyumna leaves Duryodhana without horses, driver, weapons or banner at noon on the seventeenth dayKarna Parva ‧ 18 min
• Ashwatthama at Dhrishtadyumna's ThroatThe vow he very nearly kept on the seventeenth dayKarna Parva ‧ 16 min
• How Parashurama Won Shiva's WeaponsYears of penance, a war fought with empty hands, and the arsenal that reached KarnaKarna Parva ‧ 17 min
• The Night After DronaThe sleepless camp, four men in a tent, and the thread tied round Karna's wristsKarna Parva ‧ 14 min
• The First Duels of the Sixteenth DayBhima kills a king off an elephant, Satyaki kills two brothers, and Draupadi's sons kill two moreKarna Parva ‧ 17 min
• Dandadhara of MagadhaTwo brothers on elephants, and the field Krishna made Arjuna look atKarna Parva ‧ 19 min
• The Kings of the East FallSatyaki, Sahadeva and Nakula break the elephant corps of the eastern kingsKarna Parva ‧ 11 min
• Sutasoma and the Broken ScimitarYuyutsu and Uluka trade blows, and Bhima's son fights Shakuni on foot with half a swordKarna Parva ‧ 13 min
• Karna and Satyaki ClashOne Vrishni holds the Kaurava army, and the sixteenth day ends in dustKarna Parva ‧ 14 min
• The Price on Arjuna's HeadKarna offers everything he owns to any man who will point out ArjunaKarna Parva ‧ 13 min
• The Prince Who Went In for ShikhandiKripa strips Shikhandi on the seventeenth day, and a young ally buys him a way out with his lifeKarna Parva ‧ 12 min
• The Gates of Heaven Stand OpenDuryodhana tells his kings that dying well is winning, and Krishna drives Arjuna through what that costsKarna Parva ‧ 20 min
• Satyaki Unhorses ShakuniThe seventeenth day breaks into single combats, and the gambler of Gandhara is carried off the field by his sonKarna Parva ‧ 14 min
• Arjuna Rides Out for KarnaThe car is yoked again, the omen birds go on ahead, and the field between Arjuna and Karna breaks into duelsKarna Parva ‧ 23 min
• Arjuna Cuts His Way to KarnaAn army ordered to tire one man before Karna kills himKarna Parva ‧ 21 min
• The Vows Before the Final DuelKarna, Shalya, Krishna and Arjuna each say what they will do when the other man diesKarna Parva ‧ 24 min
• Karna's Tales of the MadrakasThe abducted woman's curse, the rakshasa's ranking of dirt, and a driver who cannot get off the chariotKarna Parva ‧ 21 min
• The Fourth CommanderA nephew's water poured on an uncle's head at the foot of HimavatShalya Parva ‧ 18 min
• The Sons of the Sun Go DownNakula's one great hour, and the end of Karna's lineShalya Parva ‧ 16 min
• Shalya Alone Against FiveThe last commander's one unanswerable morningShalya Parva ‧ 20 min
• The King on the Mountain of FleshOne elephant breaks an army, and two men bring it downShalya Parva ‧ 16 min
• Where the Carnage Did Not CeaseArjuna counts every point at which the war should have stoppedShalya Parva ‧ 17 min
• The Last of the HundredBhima closes an eighteen-year account in a single afternoonShalya Parva ‧ 16 min
• The Oath Comes DueSusharman, his thirty-five sons, and the last of the sworn menShalya Parva ‧ 16 min
• The Men Who Carried the MeatA king's hiding place sold for a purseShalya Parva ‧ 16 min
• The Kingdom Poured on the FireA sage is mocked with dead cattle and burns a realm with themShalya Parva ‧ 17 min
• The Duel on the Southern BankTwo pupils of one teacher settle a war with clubsShalya Parva ‧ 21 min
• The Verdict at the Fallen KingBalarama's plough, Duryodhana's indictment, and the flowers that fell from the skyShalya Parva ‧ 17 min
• The Errand Before the GriefKrishna drives to Hastinapura to reach a mother before her curse doesShalya Parva ‧ 16 min
• Duryodhana Rises from the LakeTaunted in the water, the last Kaurava comes up armed and asks for one man at a timeShalya Parva ‧ 21 min
• The Last Words of DuryodhanaBroken-thighed on the field, the Kuru king laments his dead, sends his last words home, and names a general with a dying man's hand.Shalya Parva ‧ 16 min
• The Eighteenth MorningChekitana takes a lance, Suratha takes a single arrow, and Duryodhana is carried off his own field by bolting horsesShalya Parva ‧ 22 min
• The Seventeen HundredShalya's followers charge against orders, and Duryodhana's army breaks twice before he turns it roundShalya Parva ‧ 19 min
• The Afternoon of the Eighteenth DaySatyaki takes Kritavarma's car again, Duryodhana holds the field alone, and the last elephants fallShalya Parva ‧ 22 min
• The Flight of the Royal LadiesThe last of the eleven armies dies, Duryodhana walks into a lake, and the Kaurava camp runs for HastinapuraShalya Parva ‧ 20 min
• The Plunder of the Kaurava CampThe victors ride into Duryodhana's empty tents, and Arjuna's chariot turns to ashShalya Parva ‧ 14 min
• The Muster of the Eighteenth DayAn oath never to fight alone, and the count of what was left of both armiesShalya Parva ‧ 15 min
• The Owl in the Banyan TreeWhat three beaten men argued about in the darkSauptika Parva ‧ 21 min
• The Being at the GateAshvatthama offers himself to MahadevaSauptika Parva ‧ 17 min
• The Last ReportThree men bring good news to a dying kingSauptika Parva ‧ 17 min
• The Aftermath of WarThe Night Massacre, the Women's Lament, and a Curse on KrishnaStri Parva ‧ 25 min
• The Lament of the WomenStri Parva - The Field of WidowsStri Parva
• The Man in the WellVidura's Parable of the SoulStri Parva ‧ 11 min
• The Queen Asks Her QuestionsGandhari puts the victors on trial, and Vyasa stands in the wayStri Parva ‧ 18 min
• The Count of the DeadKrishna's blunt answer, and a king who could see where they had goneStri Parva ‧ 16 min
• Gandhari Shows Krishna the FieldWith the sight Vyasa gave her, the blindfolded queen walks Krishna through the dead of KurukshetraStri Parva ‧ 21 min
• What Gandhari SawThe blind queen, given sight for one afternoon, walks Kurukshetra naming the dead of both armiesStri Parva ‧ 21 min
• The Secret of the GodsVyasa tells the blind king why the war was ordained before his eldest son was bornStri Parva ‧ 14 min
• The Iron EmbraceDhritarashtra's grief given a bodyStri Parva
• The Burning Ghats of KurukshetraThe rites that closed the warStri Parva
• Charvaka the False BrahminThe Curse at the CoronationShanti Parva ‧ 5 min
• Bhishma on the Bed of ArrowsFifty-Eight Days of Teaching, and a King Crowned at His FeetShanti Parva ‧ 24 min
• The Victory Nobody WantedFive brothers, a wife and a sage argue a king back onto his throneShanti Parva ‧ 21 min
• The Crowning of YudhishthiraA king anointed by the man he could not saveShanti Parva ‧ 20 min
• The Weapon Not Made of SteelKrishna tells Narada what his own kinsmen do to himShanti Parva ‧ 18 min
• The Gods and the SalavrikasVyasa answers Yudhishthira's guilt with the war heaven fought for thirty-two thousand yearsShanti Parva ‧ 16 min
• Righteousness, the Only FriendBrihaspati comes down from the sky to tell Yudhishthira what follows a man past deathAnushasana Parva ‧ 20 min
• The Departure of BhishmaThe sun turns north, and the grandsire lets goAnushasana Parva ‧ 17 min
• The News Krishna Held BackA grandfather is spared until his daughter refuses itAshvamedhika Parva ‧ 16 min
• The Sacrifice of Profuse GoldYudhishthira gives away the earth and is given it backAshvamedhika Parva ‧ 19 min
• Arjuna's Hymn at PartingOn the road to Hastinapur, Arjuna praises Krishna and gives him leave to go homeAshvamedhika Parva ‧ 16 min
• The Forest RetreatBook 15 - How the Blind King Walked Into the Woods to DieAshramavasika Parva ‧ 26 min
• The Wordy DartsFifteen Years of Bhima's UnforgivenessAshramavasika Parva ‧ 19 min
• The King Asks Leave of His PeopleAn Assembly Absolves the Man Who Ruined ItAshramavasika Parva ‧ 17 min
• The Gift SacrificeTen Days of Giving for the Enemy DeadAshramavasika Parva ‧ 17 min
• Satayupa and the Forest KingsNarada Names the Rulers Who Chose the WoodsAshramavasika Parva ‧ 16 min
• The Court Comes to the ForestAn Army Marches Out to Visit Two Old AsceticsAshramavasika Parva ‧ 18 min
• The Night the Dead ReturnedVyasa Calls the Fallen Out of the GangaAshramavasika Parva ‧ 20 min
• Vyasa Brings Back ParikshitA Son Bathes His Dead Father at the Snake SacrificeAshramavasika Parva ‧ 16 min
• The Fire That Was Not UnholyYudhishthira Accuses Agni of IngratitudeAshramavasika Parva ‧ 16 min
• Kunti's Last FireRenunciation after the victoryAshramavasika Parva
• The Last WitnessSanjaya after the divine eyeAshramavasika Parva
• Vidura, Dharma in a Servant's HouseThe clean conscience of HastinapuraAshramavasika Parva
• The Great DepartureKrishna's Death, the End of the Yadavas, and the Pandavas' Climb to HeavenMahaprasthanika Parva ‧ 26 min
• Yuyutsu, Keeper of the HouseDissent's long, unglamorous fidelityMahaprasthanika Parva
• The Return of the PortionsWho everybody turned out to have beenSvargarohana Parva ‧ 17 min

Places in King Dhritarashtra's Story

Drawn from the stories King Dhritarashtra appears in.

• Hastinapurहस्तिनापुर
• Indraprasthaइंद्रप्रस्थ
• Kurukshetraकुरुक्षेत्र
• Varnavataवारणावत
• Gangaगङ्गा
• Mathuraमथुरा
• Vrindavanवृंदावन
• Dwarakaद्वारका
• Banks of the Yamunaयमुना तट
• Gandharaगान्धार
• Mount Shatashringaशतशृङ्ग
• Lakshagriha (Varnavata)लाक्षागृह

Related Characters

Others counted among the Kuru Dynasty.

• ✦Pritha (Kunti)
• ✦King Dushyanta
• ✦Shakuntala
• ✦Emperor Bharata (Sarvadamana)
• ⚔︎Bhishma
• ∵Drona