Who was responsible for the Mahabharata war?

 

Out of so many characters that come and go in the epic of Mahabharata, 3 characters may be held responsible for occurrence of Mahabharata war.

1. Yudhisthira
2. Dhritarashtra
3. Duryodhana

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We have to understand the pivotal role played by the above 3 characters, which led to the great war of Mahabharata.

The two brothers Dhritarashtra and Pandu were born, fathered by Sage Vyasa, to Ambika and Ambalika respectively, the queens of dead king Vichitravirya. They both had stake in kingdom.

Though Vidura was also fathered by Sage Vyasa, but his mother was Sudra woman working with Ambika. Hence, Vidura did not have stake in the kingdom, but remained as a counsellor to the King of Hastinapura.

As Dhritarashtra is a blind person by birth, though elder than Pandu, he had become unfit to become the king of Hastinapura. Naturally, the only one left was Pandu and he had become the king. This left Dhritarashtra sulking.

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Marriages of Dhritarashtra and Pandu were performed and they got children. Duryodhrana was the eldest among the 100 children of Dhritarashtra and Yudhisthira was the eldest among 5 Pandavas (children of Pandu).

However, Pandu died untimely and the blind Dhritarashtra had become the king, with no other options left.

However, Yudhisthira was the eldest among the children of Dhritarashtra and Pandu. Hence, he had become a natural heir to the throne.

This led to birth of jealousy in Duryodhana and Dhritarashtra. Duryodhana with the aid of Dhritarashtra tried to kill all Pandavas by burning them in Varanavata. However, Pandavas escaped and finally returned to Hanstinapura, after marrying Draupadi.

And, advised by Bhishma, Dhritarashtra divides the kingdom into two halves and Pandavas had accepted their share went to Khadava Forest area, to build their new capital Indraprashta.

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By ruling with their respective kingdoms, the enmity between Kauravas and Pandavas got subsided, and Duryodhana was satisfied with his share in Kingdom.

However, during the performance of Rajasuya Yagna by Yudhisthira, Duryodhana attended and witnessed the grand wealth of Pandavas. Duryodhana’s jealousy reach its peak and he pressurized Dhritarashtra to invite Yudhisthira to the game of dice, in which the latter has no experience. Dhritarashtra buckled under pressure and invited Yudhisthira to the game of dice.

And, Yudhisthira, under the false ego of Kshatriya Dharma, accepted the invitation and played the game and lost everything.

 

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Further, Dhritarashtra himself says, just before Duryodhana embarking upon Ghosha Yatra (Vana Parva) that Duryodhana, Shakuni, Yudhishthira and himself did not behave properly, due to which destruction of Kauravas is imminent.

दुर्योधनः शकुनिः सूतपुत्रो; दुःशासनश्चापि सुमन्दचेताः ।

मधु प्रपश्यन्ति न तु प्रपातं; वृकोदरं चैव धनञ्जयं च ॥ २१॥

Alas! Duryodhana, and Sakuni, and the Suta's son, and Dussasana also of wicked soul, in robbing the Pandavas of their kingdom by means of dice, seem to behold the honey alone without remembering Arjuna and Bhima.

कृतं मताक्षेण यथा न साधु; साधुप्रवृत्तेन च पाण्डवेन ।

मया च दुष्पुत्रवशानुगेन; यथा कुरूणामयमन्तकालः ॥ २४॥

The gambler Sakuni hath behaved deceitfully nor the son of Pandu behaved properly. From affection for my wicked sons I also have acted similarly.

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Other characters might have added fuel to the enmity between Kauravas and Pandavas, but main culprits for the Mahabharata war were Dhritarashtra, Yudhisthira and Duryodhana.