Epics of India Storybook

Dhritarashtra and Dasarata are kings in similar situations. They know who will make the best successors for their thrones, but other members of their family want someone else in that position. Kaikeyi uses the two wishes that Dasarata gave her years before to make her son the king instead of Rama; Dhritarashtra receives considerable and continuous pressure from his son Duryodhana to make him the king. The struggle for the throne brought great grief to both kings. Dasarata’s grief ended his life; Dhritarashtra’s grief filled him with regret and forced him into exile, where he died in obscurity.

Even though these characters find themselves in similar situations, I do not believe that they are similar characters. Dasarata is a strong king who had a lapse of bad judgement; Dhritarashtra is a weak and passive king whose reign is filled with moments of indecision.

Dhritarashtra constantly changed his mind in dealing with the Pandavas. He was heavily influenced by those around him, Bhishma and others pushing him one way and Duryodhana pushing him the other. He made Yudhishthira his heir, then he exiled him, and then after the Pandavas survived the fire he gave him part of his kingdom. After Yudhishthira loses at the game of dice Dhritarashtra gives the Pandavas back all that Yudhishthira lost, but then he listens to Duryodhana and brings them back for a second game of dice! Even on the brink of battle, Dhritarashtra wants to make peace with the Pandavas but he cannot go against Duryodhana’s desires when in his son’s presence.

Dasarata, on the other hand, was a good and strong king. Before becoming a king, he fought bravely in battle; after becoming king, he ruled wisely and the kingdom prospered. Granting Kaikeyi two wishes was not an unreasonable or foolish thing to do; she had saved his life. When he felt it was time to name his successor, he made a poor decision. He feared an imaginary struggle for the throne, and he attempted to do what he felt was best for the people and the kingdom as a whole. He should not have hastily made Rama king while Bharata was away and his plan backfired, but this lapse of judgement was not characteristic of Dasarata’s otherwise wise and prosperous reign.