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Wednesday, 8 April 2020

Gandhari (Mythological Monologues #7)



I chose a life of eternal darkness
Yet the darkness that I feel today
Is scarier than the Inferno
The darkness of mind, heart, and soul
On being near the corpses of my hundred sons.
My tears feel like molten fire
Radiating from my eyes-
Those very eyes whose vision
I had sacrificed as a young woman.
They say Dharma has been established
By the Pandavas 
Under the guidance of Lord Krishna
But was righteousness served to me?

I chose a life of eternal darkness
To stand by my blind husband, Dhritarashtra
Yet I failed to protect my sons 
From this devastating catastrophe.
In the journey of becoming an ideal wife,
I could not become an ideal mother.
My sons failed to follow the righteous path
Humiliated a woman in the courtroom
And earned her wrathful curse
Which brought their end.
I trusted my brother, Shakuni 
To guide my sons as his own
Oblivious to the fact-
Sometimes, the venom of revenge is
Stronger than the nectar of love.
They say Dharma has been established
By the Pandavas 
Under the guidance of Lord Krishna
But was righteousness served to me?

I chose a life of eternal darkness
I couldn't feel when 
The literal darkness became metaphorical
With the passage of years;
In my extreme grief, I- Gandhari
Cursed the Almighty Lord Krishna
Bringing more darkness to my heart;
I am now regarded 
As the mother of the villains
Who have no right to grieve
Whereas Draupadi is regarded 
As the mother of the heroes
Who have every right to grieve
For the death of her five sons. 
But a Mother is a Mother
Definitions of hero and villain
Get blurred in mother's love
My heart has been shattered
Into a hundred pieces
Till the mortal body remains, 
I will wear the cloak of grief
And die a hundred deaths each day. 


©Purba Chakraborty
08.04.2020



Note: Gandhari was the princess of Gandhara, wife of the blind king Dhritarashtra and the mother of the Kauravas in the Hindu epic, Mahabharat. 

Fiery and Faithful, Karna (Mythological Monologues #6)

12 comments:

  1. Lovely as usual. I've been reading each of your monologues and each is a gem. At the end of the blog fest, do publish this as a book!

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  2. Ohh, what a resentful poem. I read your poem very slowly, absorbing each word in me. Today I came to know Gandhari's another look here. Lovely, specially loved the ending lines. Too good.

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  3. Hari OM
    Like a dark garnet, rough and deepest red, you have seen that essence of tragedy that is often a woman's lot; sacrificing for love yet so compromised... wonderful work again my dear! YAM xx

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  4. Purba, I look forward to your monologues... Gandhari is right I feel when she said "was righteousness served to me?" She has a tough decision to make husband our sons? this way or that way, she had to loose. I don't think it would have been an easy choice of anyone in place of Gandhari.

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  5. This brings out the inner turmoil of Gandhari so well!! Good one, Purba!
    Though she sacrificed her life for her husband, but it is said that this decision was irrational and it is said that whenever Duryodhana asked Gandhari for blessings, she always said ‘may victory find the side of righteousness’... and it did, but not to her!

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  6. Hi Purba..I'd been hearing of your poems but visiting you for the first time. Splendid choice of theme. Unheard voices of women in mythology. Superbly written.

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  7. Just a doubt...Maybe a typo...Should it be Draupadi or Kunti in the twelfth line from the bottom. Since you approve the comments I thought I'll just ask. Even I'm not sure but just had a doubt.

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    Replies
    1. Hi Sonia! Thank you for visiting.
      It is Draupadi. She lost her 5 sons in the Battle of Kurukshetra who were murdered by Ashwathama.

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  8. Yet another brilliant monologue Purba, you put your emotions and soul in the weave almost stepping into the characters. Another point the choice of characters in impeccable

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  9. Beautifully penned. You must know The Mahabharatha like the back of your hand. I'm in love with your Mythological poems.

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  10. Beautiful poem. Gandhari's decision to willfully go blind has always been a point of debate in my head. These lines were my favourite:
    Sometimes, the venom of revenge is
    Stronger than the nectar of love.

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