Gaandhaaree was the daughter of the King of Gaandhaar named Subal. She had a brother also named Shakuni. When Bheeshm was looking for a bride for Dhritraashtra, he chose Gaandhaaree. He knew that only she will be able to tolerate a blind husband. And the same happened. First she agreed and then not only agreed but she tied a cloth strip on her eyes also to show her compassion with him. She had 100 sons and one daughter Dushalaa. Dushalaa was married to Jayadrath.

She was a very good, pious and Pativrataa woman. She was a great Bhakt of Shiv. She was also ambitious but within her limits. She explained Dhritraashtra her whole life to live with morals but Dhritraashtra was so mad after the kingdom, that he forgot everything; and this seed was sowed by Vidur the day he said that a blind man cannot be a king. Throughout his life Dhritraashtra blamed his blindness for his misfortunes. Gaandhaaree was also not very happy with this but she had understood the situation and she had learnt to live with her circumstances.

Gaandhaaree and Duryodhan
Although this incident has not been mentioned in MBH, but the legend goes that when all great warriors died from Kaurav's side, when all sons of Dhritraashtra except Duryodhan were killed by Bheem, Gaandhaaree was certain that Bheem will surely fulfill his vow taken in the Chausar hall and kill Duryodhan also. She loved Duryodhan very much. She did not want to see him die, so she called Duryodhan and said to him - "Bheem has killed all my all sons, he will kill you too. he will surely fulfill his vow. I do not want that he should kill you." Duryodhan did not understand her meaning so he said - "We are Kshatriya, one will win and another one will lose; whoever will be killed will die as a Kshatriya, that is a great thing for any of us."

Gaandhaaree said  "I know that, but my son, I wish to cover you with my Rakshaa Kavach (protective armor) so that he cannot kill you." Duryodhan did not believe this, he laughed and said - "Maa, You always wish for my safety and protection, now what else you will do?" Gaandhaaree then explicitly said - "Dear son, You have grown so much, but I have never seen you. I want to see you before you go to Bheem to fight with him. Today you go to Gangaa River, take bath in it, and come back to me. Stand naked in front of me so that I can see you the first time and the last time." Duryodhan had no alternative, so he went to Gangaa River, took bath and was coming back to the palace.

In the meantime Krishn came to know this so He thought if that had happened Bheem will not be able to kill him, his vow will not be fulfilled, and he will not be able to take the revenge of Draupadee's insult. Above al the whole purpose of this war will be defeated, so he should be stopped. He went to him, met him on the way, and asked him - "Duryodhan, Where are you coming from at this hour?" Duryodhan said - "Mother wants to see me as she has never seen me. So she has asked me to take bath in Gangaa, come back to her and stand before her naked. That is why I went to take bath in Gangaa River and now I am going back to her."

Krishn said - "Are you going to stand before her naked?" "Yes, That is what she has said to me." "But you are so grown up, will you not fell shy to stand naked before her?" "She said there is no shyness for a son to be naked before the mother." "But still, you are a grown up man now, those times are gone. In childhood everybody is naked before his or her mother, but not when he or she is grown up. You may at least wrap a cloth around your groins." Duryodhan understood that "Yes, This will be better." So he wrapped a cloth around his groin and stood before Gaandhaaree and said "I have come, Maa"

Gaandhaaree asked "Are you completely naked?" Duryodhan said "Yes". Gaandhaaree said - "So now I open my cloth strip to see you." Duryodhan stood calmly, now he did not have any hesitation. Slowly she opened first her strip and then her eyes. A beam of light came out from her eyes which turned Duryodhan's body into steel, but only that part which was naked, not the covered one. When she recovered she saw that e had covered some part of his body with cloth. Beating her head she said - "Oh my disobedient son, You did not obey me even in the last moments? It seems this is Bhagavaan's wish. I wanted to make your whole body of steel, so that Bheem cannot break your thigh and kill you, but now your that part of the body has remained weak so Bheem will surely break your thigh and kill you. Because of your disobedience I have lost you." And she started crying loudly. Duryodhan did not understand the importance of this and went away from there.

After the war they lived with Yudhishthir for some time, then they went to forest and died in a jungle fire.