Mother’s Role

Lord Krishna visited Queen Gandhari, the mother of the Kauravas in the epic Mahabharatha,  to console her after the Kurukshetra battle. She accused him, saying, “Since you are God,  how could you be so partial? You supported the Pandavas but could not save even one son out of the hundred that I bore.” Krishna replied, “Sister, I am not responsible for the death of your children. You are responsible.” Gandhari said, “How can you be so hard hearted as to accuse me in this way?”

Krishna said, “Sister, you gave birth to a hundred sons, but did you ever cast a loving glance on any one of them? You chose to remain blindfolded. You could not even see how your sons were faring. They were the most unfortunate of all because they could not enjoy their mother’s tender care and affectionate glance. How could they grow into disciplined, dutiful, righteous heroes? A mother is a person’s first teacher and preacher.

“Just think of your own situation and compare it to that of Queen Kunti, mother of the Pandavas. After her husband’s death, Kunti brought up her sons with utmost care and affection. She was with them in the palace and also in the house of wax. Pandavas would never do anything without the blessing of their mother. They were able to earn my grace, not just because of their individual talents, but also because of Kunti’s constant prayers. She would say, ‘Oh Krishna! You alone can protect them.’ People who are not fortunate enough to enjoy the loving glances of their mothers cannot earn divine vision, nor can they win the love of God.” Thus Lord Krishna enlightened Queen Gandhari on the role of the mother.

Source: Chinna Katha II, p. 21