Episode 19 Gandhari, in Wedding Season

Bhisma arranges the marriages of Dhrtarastra, Pandu, and Vidura; introduction to Gandhari. I’m grateful to Alf Hiltebeitel for drawing the connection between Dhrtarastra, Gandhari, and Siva’s form as Bhaganetrahara, “He who took the eyes of the god of Destiny”: “No one should read this verse without making some connection between Bhaga, the blinded god of destiny, and the blind Dhṛtarāṣṭra, who is always ruing his destiny.” (Hiltebeitel, “Draupadi’s Fine Horse”, manuscript in preparation, 23)

References:

O'Flaherty, Wendy Doniger. Siva: The erotic ascetic. Oxford University Press, 1981.

Hiltebeitel, Alf. “Draupadi’s Real Horse.” Manuscript in preparation.