Mahabharata · 1.103.16–17
॥
Devanāgarī
गान्धार्य् अपि वरारोहा शीलाचारविचेष्टितैः ॥
तुष्टिं कुरूणां सर्वेषां जनयाम् आस भारत ॥
वृत्तेनाराध्य तान् सर्वान् पतिव्रतपरायणा ॥
वाचापि पुरुषान् अन्यान् सुव्रता नान्वकीर्तयत् ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
gāndhāry api varārohā śīlācāraviceṣṭitaiḥ ||
tuṣṭiṃ kurūṇāṃ sarveṣāṃ janayām āsa bhārata ||
vṛttenārādhya tān sarvān pativrataparāyaṇā ||
vācāpi puruṣān anyān suvratā nānvakīrtayat ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
गान्धारी अपि वरारोहा शीलाचारविचेष्टितैःgāndhārī api varārohā śīlācāraviceṣṭitaiḥand Gandhari, beautiful of form, by her disposition, conduct, and actions
तुष्टिं कुरूणां सर्वेषां जनयाम् आस भारतtuṣṭiṃ kurūṇāṃ sarveṣāṃ janayām āsa bhārataproduced (aroused) contentment among all the Kurus, O Bharata
वृत्तेन आराध्य तान् सर्वान् पतिव्रतपरायणाvṛttena ārādhya tān sarvān pativrataparāyaṇāhaving pleased them all by her conduct, wholly devoted to her husband
वाचा अपि पुरुषान् अन्यान् सुव्रता न अन्वकीर्तयत्vācā api puruṣān anyān suvratā na anvakīrtayat[she,] of good vows, did not even mention other men in speech
गान्धार्य्gāndhāryoriginal form "gāndhāry", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
वृत्तेनाराध्यvṛttenārādhyaoriginal form "vṛttenārādhya", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
वाचापिvācāpioriginal form "vācāpi", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
नान्वकीर्तयत्nānvakīrtayatoriginal form "nānvakīrtayat", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Translation
"And Gandhari, beautiful of form, by her disposition, conduct, and actions produced contentment among all the Kurus, O Bharata. Having pleased them all by her conduct, wholly devoted to her husband, of good vows, she did not even in speech mention other men."
Version
9fbfa60417ae · published Jul 12, 2026, 4:30:26 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Here Gandhari's virtuous nature as wife and daughter-in-law is praised. It is telling that her renown rests not on beauty alone, but on "disposition, conduct, and actions" (śīla, ācāra) — on virtue manifested in deeds. Here it is shown that a wife's true adornment is not appearance but a character that pleases the whole household through righteousness. The final trait is also telling: "did not even in speech mention other men" — an image of perfect purity and of a heart wholly fixed on one's husband, the ideal of fidelity (pativratā) in the Vedic tradition. Thus the scripture, in concluding the story of Dhritarashtra's marriage, presents in Gandhari a model of the virtuous wife; and this very righteousness of hers will all the more bitterly set off the coming fate of her hundred sons, whose unrighteousness will bring ruin upon the lineage. In the saintly mother and the unrighteous sons, the scripture reminds us once again: a parent's virtue is not inherited of itself — it must be cultivated.