Gāndhārī, she was the daughter of Afghanistan, Kandahar. Still, the name is there Kandahar. Gandhar. Formerly the name was Gandhar. So Gāndhārī means the daughter of Gandhar country. So when she was informed that her would-be husband is a blind man—Dhṛtarāṣṭra was blind from birth—so immediately she practiced austerity. Voluntarily she closed her eyes with cloth, that she would also live as blind. "My husband would be blind. So, although I'm not blind, I must live also as blind." This is the beginning of austerity, Gāndhārī.
So Gāndhārī was so faithful, one of the most exalted, chaste wife mentioned in the śāstras, Gāndhārī, that in all condition she followed the husband. At last, when everything was finished in the Battle of Kurukṣetra—no Kaurava, none of the sons or grandsons of Dhṛtarāṣṭra was living, neither of the Pāṇḍavas—still, Gāndhārī was faithfully serving her husband. And Dhṛtarāṣṭra was living with the nephews, Yudhiṣṭhira and his brothers. They were keeping the uncle very comfortably as elder uncle, all respect. But Vidura came there, and he criticized him, that "You have no shame. You all along remained enemy to your nephews. Now your nephews have killed all your descendants, and you are living here just like a dog. They are giving you some morsel of bread and you are eating and living here. You have no shame. You have become old."
So he became very sorry, "My dear brother, what shall I do?" "Please come immediately along with me, and come to the forest." So Dhṛtarāṣṭra went, according to the instruction of Vidura. Gāndhārī followed. Gāndhārī never said that, "I am now old. I have lost my children. These nephews, they're taking care of me. Why shall I go with my husband?" No. She also went. So there are many good qualities in Mahābhārata about Gāndhārī. Therefore she is described here as tapasvinī. Tapasvinī. Very chaste, faithful wife. Ideal wife. Gāndhārī. Tapasvinī.
So what is the purport? Read it.
Pradyumna: "Dhṛtarāṣṭra and Gāndhārī, the father and mother of Duryodhana and his brothers, were the elder uncle and aunt of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira. After the Battle of Kurukṣetra, the celebrated couple, having lost all their sons and grandsons, were under the care of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira. They were passing their days in great agony over such heavy loss of life and were practically living the life of ascetics. The death . . ."
Prabhupāda: Yes. The . . . because he was elder uncle, Yudhiṣṭhira Mahārāja was coming in the morning to offer obeisances, and one morning, when he came, he saw there is no Dhṛtarāṣṭra and aunt. So he became very much disappointed, because he was conscious that they were living in very aggrieved condition. "So might be I have offended them. So therefore they have left my home." That is also, you'll find. Then Nārada came that, "Don't bother. They have gone to the forest to live as ascetic. Don't try to bring them back." Go on.
Pradyumna: "The death news of Bhīṣmadeva, uncle of Dhṛtarāṣṭra, was another great shock for the king and the queen, and therefore they required solace from Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira. Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira was conscious of his duty, and he at once hurried to the spot with Lord Kṛṣṇa and satisfied the begrieved Dhṛtarāṣṭra with kinds words both from himself and the Lord also. Gāndhārī was a powerful ascetic, although she was living the life of a faithful wife and kind mother."
"It is said that Gāndhārī also voluntarily closed her eyes because of the blindness of her husband. A wife's duty is to follow the husband cent percent, and Gāndhārī was so true to her husband that she followed him even in his perpetual blindness. Therefore in her actions she was a great ascetic. Besides that, the shock which she suffered because of the wholesale killing of her one hundred sons and her grandsons also was certainly too much for a woman. But she suffered all this just like an ascetic. Gāndhārī, although a woman, is no less . . ."
Prabhupāda: Ascetic means who voluntarily suffers all kinds of suffering. Titikṣavaḥ, the exact word.