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Misidentification of Dhṛtarāṣṭra of the Vedic Period Many scholars mistakenly identify references to Dhṛtarāṣṭra in Vedic texts—such as the Kāṭhaka Saṁhitā, Pañcaviṁśa Brāhmaṇa, and Baudhāyana Gṛhya Sūtra—with Dhṛtarāṣṭra of the Mahābhārata era. However, a closer examination of these texts clearly shows that such identifications are erroneous and arise solely from the similarity of names rather than historical continuity. The Kāṭhaka Saṁhitā (10.6) refers to Dhṛtarāṣṭra, son of Vichitravīrya, but the context reveals that he was a king of Kāśī, not a Kuru monarch. [नैमिष्या वै सत्रमासत त उत्थाय सप्तविंशतिं कुरुपञ्चालेषुवत्सतरानवन्वत तान्वको दाल्भिरब्रवीद्यूयमेवैतान् विभजध्वमिममहंधृतराष्ट्रं वैचित्रवीर्यं गमिष्यामि स मह्यं गृहान् करिष्यतीतितमागच्छत् तन्नासूर्क्षत् तं प्राकालयतैता गा ब्रह्मबन्ध इत्यब्रवीत्पशुपतिर्गा हन्ति ताः परः पचमानश्चरेति तासां देवसूर्मे राजान्नंप्रासुपोदिति सक्थान्युत्कर्तमपचत तस्मिन् पचमाने व्युदस्यत्सोऽग्नये रुद्रवतेऽष्टाकपालं निरवपत् कृष्णानां व्रीहीणां तस्य यत्किंच धृतराष्ट्रस्यासीत् …] The narrative describes interactions involving sages and ritual contexts, with no connection to the events or genealogies of the Mahābhārata. Jaiminiya Ashvamedha indicates that Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s son Durbuddhi was a contemporary of Indra’s son Arjuna. The Pañcaviṁśa Brāhmaṇa (25.15.3) mentions Dhṛtarāṣṭra Āirāvata, explicitly identifying him as a nāga (serpent king), son of Irāvatī. [अतिरात्रावभितोऽग्निष्टोमा मध्ये सर्वो दशदशी संवत्सरो द्वादशोविषुवान् सर्पसामानि विषुवति क्रियन्ते एतेन वै सर्पा एषु लोकेषुप्रत्यतिष्ठन्नेषु लोकेषु प्रतितिष्ठन्ति य एतदुपयन्ति जर्वरो गृहपतिःधृतराष्ट्र ऐरावतो ब्रह्मा पृथुश्रवा….]  The Baudhāyana Gṛhya Sūtra (3.10.6) also mentions Dhṛtarāṣṭra alongside figures such as Takṣaka, Tārkṣya, and Ahir, within the context of the Sarpa-bali ritual. [जीर्वरो ग्रहपतिरध्वर्युर्धृताराष्ट्र ह्ह्रावतो ब्रह्मदत्तस्तापसो होता पृथुश्रवा दूरेश्रवा उद्गाता ग्लावश्चाजगश्च प्रस्तोता प्रतिहर्ता शितिपृष्ठो मैत्रावरुणः तक्षको वैशालकिर्ब्राह्मणाच्छंस्युपनीतिस्तार्क्ष्यस्सदस्यश्शिखातिशिखौ नेष्टापोतारौ वारुणो होता ऽच्छावाकश्चक्रः पिशङ्ग आग्नीध्रश्चाहिरो महेयस्सुब्रह्मण्यो ऽर्बुदो ग्रावस्तुत्साण्ड उन्नेता पशगो ध्रुवगोपः कौस्तुको धुरिमेजयश्च जनमेजयश्चे त्येतैरेव नामधेयैः समीची नामासि प्राची दिकिति षड्भिः पर्या यैः हेतयो नाम स्थ तेषां वः पुरो गृहाः इति षड्भिः इदं सर्पेभ्यो हविरस्तु जुष्टमिति चोपस्थानम्।६।] Thus, the Vedic corpus clearly refers to two distinct figures named Dhṛtarāṣṭra: Dhṛtarāṣṭra, King of Kāśī, Son of Vichitravīrya and the father of Durbuddhi. Another Dhṛtarāṣṭra Āirāvata was a nāga king, son of Irāvatī. Neither of these figures bears any historical or genealogical connection to Dhṛtarāṣṭra of the Mahābhārata, beyond the coincidence of name. The recurrence of identical names across different periods and contexts is a well-known feature of Vedic and later Sanskrit literature. Therefore, textual interpretation must rely on context, lineage, and internal evidence, rather than superficial name-based identification. Failure to do so leads to chronological distortions and conflation of entirely distinct traditions—as seen in the mistaken identification of these Vedic Dhṛtarāṣṭras with the Mahābhārata king.