Know why Gandhari cursed Shri Krishna after the Kurukshetra war

The Mahabharata is one of the greatest epics ever read by humanity. Attributed to sage Vyasa, the Mahabharata narrates an epic battle between cousins, Pandavas and Kauravas,  to uphold the cause of righteousness. It tells the tales of the good, the bad and the ugly, and reminds the future generations of the results of hatred, greed, pride and

adharma. Interestingly, the popular belief is that Sage Vyasa narrated the Mahabharata, while Shri Ganesha documented it for posterity.

Among the many characters that are a part of this epic, Gandhari finds a special mention. The princess of the Kingdom of Gandhar went on to become the Queen of Dhritarashtra, the blind king of Hastinapur. Gandhari was a dutybound wife who chose to remain blindfolded all her life. She didn't want to reap the fruits of vision that her husband was deprived of, since the beginning. Gandhari gave birth to a hundred sons, and they were the only source of all her joy. But in the end, she was left with none. Unfortunately, for her, all her sons got killed in the battle that witnessed a fierce fight between the Pandavas and the Kauravas. 

And the one, who probably ensured that the battle takes place, was Shri Krishna. The war may have had spine-chilling episodes, but it happened because it had several life lessons to give to future generations.

On the eighteenth day, when the ugly battle came to an end, Shri Krishna visited Gandhari to seek her blessings before he could leave for his kingdom Dwaraka. But instead of blessings, he became a recipient of her curse. Yes, Gandhari, the mother with a wounded heart, cursed Shri Krishna by saying that he will experience the agony of losing his entire clan as she did. She said that the Yadu dynasty should cease to exist, and her curse materialised thirty-six years after the war. She knew that Krishna could have prevented the war from taking place. But Krishna, who was with the Pandavas during the war, explained that he made several attempts to avoid it, but Duryodhana, her eldest son, chose not to listen. And hence the battle. Nonetheless, Krishna humbly accepted her curse and returned without seeking her blessings. He knew, if he touched her feet to seek her blessings, she would be compelled to withdraw her curse.