Bharathi199
Active Member
It is commonly known that the blind king Dhritarasthra had a 100 sons from Gandhari- the princes who came to be called the Kauravas, the eldest being Duryodhana. However, these 100 sons were not the only children the couple had. They also had one daughter, Dusshala.
As the story goes, Gandhari is upset that she has no children yet when Kunti gives birth to Yudisthira. She is pregnant too at the time and she hits herself in the stomach in anger. As a result she gives birth to a ball of flesh. When she is wondering what to do with the ball of flesh, Rishi Vyasa appears there and tells her that his boon to her that she would have a 100 sons will surely be fulfilled. He begins to separate the ball of flesh into small divisions, putting each on in a separate jar filled with ghee.
While he is doing so, Gandhari starts thinking about a daughter. She wants herself and Dhristrasthra to experience the joy of being parents to a daughter who is younger than all her sons. Vyasa knows what is going on in her mind. When he has finished dividing the ball into a 100 parts and putting them, each in one jar, he has one part left over. He tells Gandhari that this part is intended for her daughter. This part is also placed in a jar of ghee and left untouched.
In time, when the Kauravas, starting with Duryodhana are born, this daughter is also born and named Dusshala. Later, this sister of Duryodhana’s is married to Jayadratha- who later is responsible for Abhimanyu’s death during the war. When he comes to know of this, Arjuna takes a vow to kill Jayadratha before sunset or to enter fire if he fails to do so.
As the story goes, Gandhari is upset that she has no children yet when Kunti gives birth to Yudisthira. She is pregnant too at the time and she hits herself in the stomach in anger. As a result she gives birth to a ball of flesh. When she is wondering what to do with the ball of flesh, Rishi Vyasa appears there and tells her that his boon to her that she would have a 100 sons will surely be fulfilled. He begins to separate the ball of flesh into small divisions, putting each on in a separate jar filled with ghee.
While he is doing so, Gandhari starts thinking about a daughter. She wants herself and Dhristrasthra to experience the joy of being parents to a daughter who is younger than all her sons. Vyasa knows what is going on in her mind. When he has finished dividing the ball into a 100 parts and putting them, each in one jar, he has one part left over. He tells Gandhari that this part is intended for her daughter. This part is also placed in a jar of ghee and left untouched.
In time, when the Kauravas, starting with Duryodhana are born, this daughter is also born and named Dusshala. Later, this sister of Duryodhana’s is married to Jayadratha- who later is responsible for Abhimanyu’s death during the war. When he comes to know of this, Arjuna takes a vow to kill Jayadratha before sunset or to enter fire if he fails to do so.