In the Mahabharata Dhritarashtra was the son born by Vichitravirya's first wife Ambika and fathered by Vyasa. This blind king of Hastinapura was father to 100 children by his wife Gandhari. These children came to be known as the Kauravas. Duryodhana and Dushasana were the first two sons.

Birth

After Vichitravirya's death his mother Satyavati sent for her first born, Vyasa. According to his mother's wishes, he visited both the wives of Vichitravirya to grant them a son. When Vyasa visited Ambika, she saw his dreadful and forbidding appearance with burning eyes. In her frightened state, she closed her eyes and dared not open it. Hence her son, Dhritarashtra was born blind.

Battle of Kurukshetra

During the great battle of Kurukshetra between the Kauravas (the sons of Dhritarashtra) and the Pandavas), Dhritarashtra was given the option by the gods to have his eyesight restored, but he refused and instead asked for Sanjaya, his charioteer, to be given divine eyesight (which not only included vision, but also insight into the minds of people he saw).

The first stanza of the Bhagavad Gita is a question from Dhritarashtra to Sanjaya asking him for a narration of the events of the great battle of Kurukshetra.

The name is written Dhṛtarāṣṭṛa in IAST transliteration.