• Supriti Mandal
• Arti Malik

This paper explores the sophisticated intersections of power, identity, and disability through the mythic depictions of Dhritarashtra and Pandu in the Indian epic Mahabharata, utilizing the Social Model of Disability laid out by Mike Oliver as the central theoretical apparatus. Historically, these figures have been explained within moral or fatalistic frames, with the blindness of Dhritarashtra and the barrenness of Pandu as personal failing or heavenly vengeance. Yet, this research refutes such readings by positioning their accounts in a socio-cultural framework that redefines disability as not an individual deficit but the result of exclusionary norms, societal barriers, and power dynamics. In terms of Oliver's model, disability does not derive from the impairment or mental or physical condition but from the failure to accommodate and the social situation that excludes impaired people. Applying this model to Dhritarashtra and Pandu reveals how their exclusion from political leadership and their perceived incapacity are rooted in a constructed ablest worldview, rather than any inherent inadequacy. To further analyze how these constructions shape and are shaped by social identity and group dynamics, the research incorporates the Social Identity Theory developed by Henri Tajfel and John Turner. This secondary structure assists in unraveling the processes of social categorization and group membership that inform how Dhritarashtra and Pandu are viewed and view themselves within the socio-political order of the Mahabharata. As kings, their identities remain in perpetual negotiation with the projections of kingship, masculinity, and divine rule. The restrictions imposed upon them are therefore not merely physical or symbolic, but also socio-political, reinforcing standard narratives of what counts as valid leadership and brawn. The thesis contends that their marginalization is the result of an intersectional matrix of disability, social identity, and power relations, which together dictate their places in the epic and reflect wider societal attitudes towards inclusivity and normativity. Through the interweaving of mythological critique with modern disability and identity theory, this paper seeks to recast the narrative of Dhritarashtra and Pandu as not tragic heroes of deficiency but as nuanced symbols of resistance and social exclusion. Their narratives provide rich soil for reimagining how ancient texts can be used to address issues of accessibility, representation, and equity in the present. The study finally suggests a paradigm shift in the way we understand disability in historical accounts not as an essentialized state but as a mediated experience thus contributing to a more inclusive and critical approach to both literature and lived experiences. Through this cross-disciplinary research, the paper aims to put forward the importance of reconsidering inclusion beyond tokenism, promoting structural reform and cultural acknowledgment in the construction of disability and identity.

Disability Studies, Mahabharata, Dhritarashtra, Pandu, Inclusion, Identity and Power, Epic Narratives, Cultural Representation, Ableism, Narrative Agency, Mythology, Leadership and Marginalization

"Disability, Identity and Power: The role of Dhritarashtra and Pandu in reframing Inclusion", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.12, Issue 4, page no.g291-g296, April-2025, Available :http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2504634.pdf

"Disability, Identity and Power: The role of Dhritarashtra and Pandu in reframing Inclusion", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org | UGC and issn Approved), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.12, Issue 4, page no. ppg291-g296, April-2025, Available at : http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2504634.pdf