Why did Gandhari advice Duryodhana not to fight ?
Why did Gandhari advice Duryodhana not to fight ?
Gandhari advised Duryodhana against war because she believed war brings no real good.
Reasons in the source
- She said there is no good in war — neither dharma (law) nor artha (profit), let alone happiness, comes from it, and victory is not even certain.
- By making peace he would honour his father and mother and his well-wishers.
- A wise man who controls his senses guards his kingdom, whereas greed and anger drag a man away from his true profit.
- She wished him to enjoy the earth happily along with the wise and heroic Pandavas.
Marking Scheme
- 11 mark: any correct reason from the source — war brings no good/dharma/artha/happiness and no certain victory, peace honours his parents, or greed and anger drag a man from his profit.
Hint
Quote her own reasons — war brings no dharma, artha or happiness, peace honours his parents, and greed and anger ruin a man.
Quick Oral Answer
Gandhari urged Duryodhana not to fight because war brings no dharma, artha or happiness and no sure victory; by making peace he would honour his parents and could enjoy the earth alongside the Pandavas, whereas greed and anger would only ruin him.
Analysis & Explanation
This 1-mark source question asks students to read Gandhari's appeal closely and extract her reasons for opposing the war.
Concept
- Gandhari's speech expresses the epic's own reflection that war is destructive and that peace, self-control and dharma are the higher path.
- It shows how the Mahabharata was also a vehicle for moral and social teaching, not just a story of conflict.
Exam trap
- Answer strictly from the passage: peace honours parents, greed and anger destroy profit, and war yields no dharma, artha or happiness. Do not add invented reasons; the marks come from the source.
Common Mistakes
- 1Giving reasons not found in the passage instead of drawing on Gandhari's actual words.
- 2Writing an over-long answer for a one-mark question when a single clear reason suffices.
- 3Confusing Gandhari's plea for peace with Krishna's later counsel to fight in the Bhagavad Gita.
Interesting Facts
Gandhari, the queen of Dhritarashtra, is famously said to have blindfolded herself for life to share her blind husband's condition.
Her appeal reflects a strand within the Mahabharata that questions the value of war even as the epic narrates one, showing the text's moral complexity.
The words dharma and artha in her speech are two of the four purusharthas — the recognised goals of human life in early Indian thought.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What reasons did Gandhari give for avoiding war?
She argued that war yields no good — no dharma, no artha and no happiness — and that victory is never certain. She said peace would honour his parents and well-wishers, that a self-controlled king guards his kingdom, and that greed and anger only drag a man away from his true profit.
Did Duryodhana accept his mother's advice?
No. Despite Gandhari's appeal, Duryodhana refused to make peace, went to war against the Pandavas, and ultimately lost, which the passage presents as the tragic result of ignoring wise counsel.