1

The Beginning

It was the Dwapar Yuga. Rishi Vyasa, the great sage, composed an epic poem which he called the Mahabharata. Rishi Vyasa was the son of Satyavati (daughter of Dasharaj, the king of the fishermen) and Rishi Parashara. Since he was of dark complexion and was born on an island, he was also called Krishna Dwaipayana Vyasa. Vyasa had composed the poem but couldn’t write it down, for his thoughts ran faster than his pen. So he sought a scribe who could write the verses at the speed at which he recited them. However, he could find none. Vyasa invoked Lord Brahma. Those were times when, if anyone called upon a god with sincerity, they would be graced by the deity, who would appear to listen to, and often grant, their prayers. Brahma appeared before Vyasa and asked, ‘Why did you call me, Vyasa? What do you want?’

Vyasa said, ‘O Lord, I have composed this wonderful poem—an epic. It is the story of humankind, the story of our humanity. But I need someone who can write it while I recite the verses. Could you recommend someone?’

Brahma replied, ‘Ganesha would be the best person for this job. Why don’t you ask him?’

Vyasa invoked Ganesha, the elephant-headed god. Ganesha appeared and enquired, ‘I understand you are looking for a scribe for your poem?’

‘Yes, I am.’

‘I can write your poem for you,’ said Ganesha. ‘But I have a condition. My pen should never stop. If you ever hesitate while reciting and my pen pauses, it will not start again, and I will leave right away.’

Vyasa thought for a while and replied, ‘I agree. But I have a condition too. You cannot write a single word or verse without understanding it fully.’

Ganesha pondered over this but decided that it was an easy condition to commit to. After all, he was a god and Vyasa a mere human being. How could Vyasa write something that he wouldn’t understand? Hence, he agreed to Vyasa’s condition and sat down to write.

Vyasa began dictating the poem. But whenever he ran out of material and needed some time, he would compose a verse with difficult words and complicated phrases. Even Lord Ganesha had to stop and think to decipher those phrases, while Vyasa composed few more in his mind. Thus, the great story of the Mahabharata began to take shape.

Long ago, a king named Shantanu ruled over a vast kingdom in northern India. Hastinapur was the capital city of his kingdom. One day, King Shantanu was strolling along the riverbank, enjoying the cool breeze and listening to the soothing gurgle of the flowing water. Suddenly, he saw a beautiful maiden rise from the water and walk towards the riverbank. Shantanu was awestruck by her exquisite beauty—it was love at first sight. He felt an irresistible force pull him towards the lady. ‘Whoever you are, my lady, I am deeply in love with you and cannot live a single moment without you. Please marry me and save my life. I, King Shantanu of Hastinapur, beg for your mercy,’ he beseeched the gorgeous woman.

The lady smiled and replied, ‘I am flattered, O king! But I have a couple of conditions for any suitor who wants to marry me. If you can agree to my conditions, I will marry you. I must warn you, these conditions are not easy to keep, especially for a husband.’

‘For you, I can agree to any condition,’ came the reply.

‘Listen to them before you agree. First, you can never ask or inquire about who I am, or where I come from. Second, you can never stop me or demand an explanation for any of my actions—whatever they may be. If you ever break your promise, I’ll leave you at once. Can you agree to these conditions?’

Love crazed, Shantanu didn’t think the conditions through and replied, ‘I agree! I will never ask you who you are, and will never stop you from doing anything. Now will you please marry me?’ The lady agreed. Shantanu took her to his palace in Hastinapur and married her in a grand wedding ceremony. The couple spent a splendid year together until their first child, a boy, was born.

When Shantanu heard the news that his wife had given birth to a beautiful little boy, he left his court and ran to the birthing chamber. As he entered the room, he saw his queen pick up the newborn baby, wrap him in a shawl and walk out of the room. Shantanu was about to ask where she was going, but remembered his promise and kept quiet. He followed her as she left the palace and went to the bank of the river where they had met. And there he saw his queen drop the baby into the river. Within moments, the boy sunk into the deep waters. Shantanu was horrified. How could a mother do such a thing to her own child? He wanted to shout at and berate his wife, but again, he remembered his promise and kept his mouth shut.

After about a year, when he had all but forgotten the trauma of losing his first son, the queen gave birth to another child. And this time too, the shocked king saw his queen drown the baby in the river right after birth. Shantanu could neither protest, nor demand any explanation for her horrific behaviour.

And so, one after the other, the queen gave birth to seven sons, and each time she took the baby and drowned him in the river. The king, bound by his promise, stood silent and watched the tragic events.

When the eighth son was born, and the queen was about to drown the baby, Shantanu couldn’t take it anymore. He shouted, ‘Stop! Stop this murder! I won’t tolerate this any longer.’

The queen halted midway and said, ‘But you had promised …’

The angry king hollered, ‘I don’t care for my promise anymore. How could you be so cruel? How could you kill your own children? I have kept my mouth shut all these years, but I won’t let you kill this child of mine too.’

The queen smiled and said, ‘You have broken your promise. Hence, I must leave you. But before I do that, I will reveal to you the reason for my actions. I am Ganga, the river goddess. These eight sons, seven of whom I have drowned, are the eight Vasus of the heavens. Once, the Vasus visited Rishi Vashishta’s ashram. Provoked by their wives, they stole Vashishta’s cow, Nandini. Vashishta was furious and cursed them that they would be born as humans and suffer, as any human does. The Vasus were scared. They cried and prayed for his mercy. Only Prabhas, the eighth Vasu and the one who had stolen the cow, stood defiant. Finally, Vashishta calmed down but he couldn’t take back his curse. He revised the curse to mean that the Vasus would have to be born as humans but the seven who had been remorseful and begged for his mercy would live very short lives. I was assigned to be their mother, and I had to relieve them of their curse by drowning them right after their birth. But the eighth Vasu, Prabhas, would live a long life on earth and endure the sufferings of human life. This eighth son of yours is the eighth Vasu—Prabhas.’

Shantanu was amazed to hear this story. He pleaded with Ganga, ‘Please don’t leave! How will our son grow up without a mother?’

Ganga remained unmoved, ‘I am sorry. My job is over. I must go now. I’ll take this child and train him to be a worthy son to you, after which I’ll return your son to you.’ Saying so, she disappeared into the river with the newborn baby.

Shantanu was heartbroken. Sad and depressed, he somehow managed to run his kingdom, but kept cursing himself for not keeping his promise.

Every day, he would go back to the river bank with the hope of seeing Ganga return with their son. Days passed, months passed, years too, but Ganga didn’t appear. Finally, one day, while he was taking his usual stroll along the river bank, Shantanu spotted a handsome young boy playing. He felt a strange affinity towards the boy. As he walked towards him, Ganga emerged from the river and said, ‘O King, here is your son, the eighth child whom I took away with me. He has grown up and has mastered the art of warfare from the great Rishi Parashurama, and is as skilled and powerful as his guru. He has learnt all the scriptures and holy texts from the great Sage Vashishta and has become the wisest of the wise. His name is Devabrata. As I had promised, I have come to return him to you. Please accept him.’

Shantanu was ecstatic. He embraced Devabrata and took him to his palace in Hastinapur. Soon, Devabrata became the most popular prince of Hastinapur. His gentle and kind behaviour, his courage and strength, his wisdom and knowledge made him the obvious choice as the heir to the throne.

One day, Devabrata was riding his horse in a meadow nearby, when he saw a huge army approaching. It was King Shalya’s army, marching to attack Hastinapur. The eighteen-year-old Devabrata fought the entire army alone and defeated it. He captured King Shalya and brought him as a captive to his father’s feet. Devabrata’s courage and heroism impressed King Shantanu, leading him to anoint Devabrata the crown prince of Hastinapur.

Devabrata’s Promise

Shantanu, although happy to have his son by his side, felt lonely at times. He missed Ganga and would often walk along the river side, thinking of her. During one such walk on a spring afternoon, Shantanu breathed in an intoxicating fragrance. It mesmerized him and drew him towards the river, where he saw a beautiful woman on a boat. Once again, the king was struck by Kamadev’s arrow. Thoughts of Ganga vanished from his mind and he felt that this woman was his destiny. Shantanu walked up to the maiden and asked her, ‘Who are you, my pretty lady?’

The woman smiled and said, ‘I am Satyavati, daughter of Dasharaj, the king of the fishermen tribe.’

Shantanu gently held her hand and said, ‘Satyavati, I am King Shantanu of Hastinapur. Your beauty has cast a spell on me and has made me your slave. I cannot live without you. Will you please marry me and be my queen?’

Satyavati replied coyly, ‘O King, I am deeply honoured by your proposal. But you’ll have to ask my father for my hand. If he agrees, I will have no objection.’

As the great king of Hastinapur, how could someone not agree to give his daughter in marriage to him, thought Shantanu, before saying, ‘So be it!’

The confident king went to the fishermen’s village and met Satyavati’s father, Dasharaj. ‘O king of the fishermen,’ he said, ‘I am King Shantanu of Hastinapur. I am in love with your beautiful daughter Satyavati. I would like to marry her and make her my queen. Would you please give me your permission and your blessings?’

Dasharaj welcomed Shantanu with joined hands and said, ‘King Shantanu, I am honoured to hear your proposal. Satyavati is fortunate that a great king like you is her suitor. But as a father, I have my responsibility towards my daughter, and that’s what’s keeping me from accepting your proposal. I hope you’ll pardon my insolence.’

Shantanu was taken aback. ‘What is it that’s bothering you? Tell me, and I’ll try to quell your fears to the best of my ability,’ he said.

Satyavati’s father kept quiet for a while, and then continued politely, ‘O King, we all know that you’ve proclaimed prince Devabrata the crown prince of Hastinapur. No doubt, Prince Devabrata deserves to be king. But then, if you marry my daughter, what will happen to her son? Powerful Devabrata will overshadow him and he would have no role to play in the palace. As a king myself, I cannot let that happen to my grandson.’ He paused a while and continued, ‘If you can promise that after you, Satyavati’s son would be made king, then I’ll have no objection to giving my daughter’s hand in marriage to you. Can you promise me that?’

Shantanu was shocked to hear this. He was keen to have Satyavati by his side as his consort and queen, but this time he did not lose his head. He said, ‘That’s impossible. I can never promise such a thing. Devabrata will rule Hastinapur after me.’

With folded hands, Dasharaj said, ‘Then please forgive me, O King. I cannot agree to your union with my daughter.’

King Shantanu returned to the palace with a heavy heart. Devabrata had never seen his father so despondent. He asked, ‘Father, what’s the matter? Why are you so unhappy these days? Please let me know and I’ll try my best to resolve the issue.’

Shantanu sighed, ‘I am not worried about myself. I am worried about our kingdom. We have been constantly attacked by intruders from all directions and you have been fighting them all. I know you are invincible. But accidents happen. If something ever happens to you, what will happen to this kingdom? Who’ll protect the people of Hastinapur? What will happen to our Kuru dynasty? Wise men say, having only one son is the same as having none.’

Devabrata sensed that the problem ran deeper. He inquired with the ministers and other well-wishers of the king. Finally, Shantanu’s charioteer gave Devabrata the real cause of his father’s despair. He told Devabrata about Satyavati and how her father Dasharaj had rejected Shantanu’s proposal to marry her. Devabrata mounted his chariot and dashed to Satyavati’s father. He asked Dasharaj, ‘O King Dasharaj, I hear you’ve rejected my father’s proposal to marry your daughter Satyavati. Tell me, what can I do to make you agree?’

Dasharaj said, ‘I have already told your father my precondition. I am concerned that if your father marries my daughter, my grandchildren would be deprived. You are the crown prince of Hastinapur, and after your father, you’d be the king, while my grandchildren will have no chance at ascending the throne.’

Not wasting another breath, Devabrata said, ‘Is that all? Then, I Devabrata, son of Ganga, promise that I will never claim the throne of Hastinapur. I will never become the king. Satyavati’s son—your grandson—will be king. Will that satisfy you?’

Dasharaj was still not satisfied. He said, ‘That’s really kind of you, Prince Devabrata. But even if you renounce the throne, what about your children? When they grow up, they’d certainly stake their claim to the throne. And this could result in a terrible feud in the family. I cannot allow this to happen.’

Devabrata thought for a while. Then he spoke, ‘O king, I stand before you, before the gods, and promise that I’ll never marry and that I will stay celibate forever.’

Hearing this mighty vow, the gods showered flowers on Devabrata. They chanted ‘Bhishma! Bhishma!’ in his praise. Henceforth, for this ‘bhisam’ or profound vow, he was named ‘Bhishma’.

Bhishma’s vow quelled Dasharaj’s fears and he agreed to give Satyavati’s hand in marriage to King Shantanu. The young prince took Satyavati in his chariot and brought her to the palace, where her arrival washed away Shantanu’s misery. The happy king embraced his son in gratitude. Soon, the wedding was held and Satyavati became the queen of Hastinapur.

When Shantanu came to know of his son’s terrible promise, he was distraught. Bhishma consoled him, saying, ‘Father, your happiness is priceless to me. I can give up my life to see a smile on your face. This vow is nothing in comparison.’

Shantanu blessed his son and said, ‘My dear son, I give you this boon that you will have the power to decide your time of death. No one would be able to kill you unless you want to die.’

This boon, just short of immortality, made Bhishma invincible to everybody but himself.

2

Amba’s Plight

After the wedding, King Shantanu and Satyavati settled down in the palace and enjoyed their conjugal life, while Bhishma got busy fighting wars and defending the kingdom from invaders. In due course, Satyavati gave birth to two boys—Chitrangad and Vichitravirya. Chitrangad grew up to be a handsome young prince and soon joined his brother Bhishma in the battlefield, but lost his life in one of the battles. The pain of losing Chitrangad was too much for Shantanu to bear. Besides, he was suffering from health problems, leading to his death. Vichitravirya was still a child. But he had to be crowned the king of Hastinapur since Bhishma had promised to never ascend the throne. Bhishma took up the responsibility of looking after the day-to-day affairs of the kingdom on behalf of his young brother.

When Vichitravirya came of age, his mother Satyavati started to think about his marriage. She summoned Bhishma and said, ‘My dear Devabrata, you have taken the vow of celibacy and relieved yourself of the responsibility to preserve the Kuru lineage. Chitrangad also left us without leaving an heir. I am worried … what if something happens to Vichitravirya too? I think we should get him married soon.’

Devabrata replied, ‘Mother, I understand your concern. But finding a bride worthy of becoming the queen of Hastinapur is not easy. She must not only be of royal heritage, but must also be of unparalleled beauty. Let me engage our spies and the royal matchmakers and see what they can come up with.’

Soon, the spies came back with news that made Bhishma quite upset. The king of Kashi had three beautiful daughters—Amba, Ambika and Ambalika. It was said that their beauty even surpassed the splendour of the apsaras, the celestial maidens of the heavens. Men could only dream of having such beauties as their bride. The spies revealed that the king of Kashi had arranged a swayamvara for his three daughters. A swayamvara is an event where a woman could select her husband from a line-up of eligible men, using any criteria she preferred. They also reported that the Kashi king had invited all the major kings and princes to the swayamvara, but skipped the Kurus. Bhishma was enraged. This was an outright insult to the Kuru dynasty. Indeed, there was some animosity between Kashi and Hastinapur, but who would dare not invite the mighty Kurus? Bhishma decided, even though not invited, he would attend the swayamvara and bring the three princesses to Hastinapur by force. This was accepted practice in the Kshatriya tradition and he would exercise his rights as a Kshatriya and teach the king of Kashi a good lesson.

On the day of the swayamvara, Bhishma arrived in Kashi on his golden chariot. As he stepped into the swayamvara hall, the invited kings were surprised to see him. They knew Bhishma had vowed never to marry. Then why was he there? Were the Kashi princesses so attractive that even Bhishma couldn’t honour his promise? The king of Kashi was taken aback too. It was not customary to attend a swayamvara without an invitation and the king had made sure that the Kurus were not on the invitee list. Soon, the three princess, Amba, Ambika and Ambalika entered the hall, and all attention shifted towards them. The invited kings and princes were awestruck by their beauty. The three princesses began to sashay around the hall, glancing swiftly at their suitors, while the men held their breath in awe. Suddenly, Bhishma stepped in front of the princesses and, blocking their path, said, ‘I am Bhishma of the Kuru dynasty. I am here on behalf of my brother Vichitravirya. I want to take you to Hastinapur. So come with me in peace, else I’ll have to take you by force.’ Then he turned to the king of Kashi and said, ‘O King, you have insulted the Kuru dynasty by not inviting my brother Vichitravirya to the swayamvara. As per the Kshatriya tradition, I am taking them with me by force. Stop me if you can.’

The kings and princes in the hall started shouting in protest. ‘You cannot do this, Bhishma. We will not let you get away with the princesses.’

Bhishma didn’t pay any heed to the protestations. He firmly gripped the hands of the three princesses and dragged them to his chariot. Startled, the king of Kashi started shouting at his guards, ‘Stop him! Stop Bhishma!’ The guards chased after the prince. Frustrated, the king of Kashi berated the guests, ‘What are you doing here? Go stop Bhishma. How dare he steal my daughters right in front of your eyes?’

As if breaking out of a trance, the assembled princes picked up their weapons and ran after Bhishma who was, by then, already on his chariot, accompanied by the princesses. He picked up his bow and commanded his charioteer, ‘Let’s go! Now!’ and his chariot shot out of the grounds, leaving a cloud of dust behind.

The guards and warriors of Kashi mounted their chariots and began to chase Bhishma. They fired arrows at him, but Bhishma deflected them all and mounted a ferocious counterattack. Soon, they began to give up. Only Prince Salwa kept up the chase, determined to get back the princesses. But Bhishma broke the desperate king’s bow, destroyed his chariot, killed his horses, and left him humiliated and stranded in the middle of nowhere.

Soon, Bhishma’s chariot arrived at the palace of Hastinapur. He escorted the princesses to Satyavati and said, ‘Mother, here are the Kashi princesses—Amba, Ambika and Ambalika. Please accept them as Vichitravirya’s brides.’

Satyavati was delighted to see the beautiful princesses. She called Vichitravirya, who was ecstatic to see them. The women were way beyond his expectations. Before he or Satyavati could react, Amba, the oldest of the three sisters, spoke. ‘O queen mother, if you’d permit, I’d like to say something.’

Satyavati said, ‘Sure, Amba. Tell me, what do you have to say?’

‘Mother, I had chosen Prince Salwa as my husband. We are in love with each other. Today, at the swayamvara, I had planned to garland him as my husband. So, as per the tradition, I belong to Salwa. I thought I should let you know this before you decide anything.’

Bhishma now realized the reason for Salwa’s valiant attempt to stop the kidnapping. He felt ashamed.

Satyavati replied, ‘Amba, I am glad you mentioned this to me. Yes, of course, you belong to Salwa and you must return to him. Devabrata, please make arrangements to send Amba back to Salwa, honourably. She must be treated with care and respect while she is our guest here.’

Bhishma arranged for a comfortable chariot and a dozen armed guards to escort Amba back to her lover. He instructed the charioteer to take Amba to Salwa with care. Then he turned to Amba and said, ‘Amba, please accept my apology. If I had known about your relationship with Salwa, I would have never brought you here. Please go back to Salwa and forgive me if you can.’

When Amba entered Salwa’s palace, she didn’t receive a warm welcome at all. She was made to wait in a private chamber. After several hours, the prince came to meet her. He asked, ‘Amba, what brings you here?’

Amba was surprised to hear his cold voice. ‘I am back, Salwa. I have come back to you.’

Salwa looked the other way and said, ‘You shouldn’t have. Bhishma has won you at the swayamvara and I couldn’t stop him. You belong to Bhishma, not me.’

Amba couldn’t believe her ears. ‘Salwa, are you asking me to return? You know Bhishma’s vow. He would never marry me. How can I go back to him? Besides, I love you. I have always seen you as my husband. And that’s why the Kurus sent me back to you. You cannot do this to me now.’

Salwa didn’t budge. ‘I’m sorry, Amba. I cannot accept you. Please go away.’ Salwa refused to listen to Amba’s pleas and left the room.

The young princess was stunned. She didn’t know what to do. She walked out of the palace and requested the charioteer to take her to Kashi, to her father. But her father also refused to accept her. ‘Amba, you do not belong here any more. You belong to the Kurus. Go back to them.’ The Kashi king slammed the door at her face. Humiliated and enraged, Amba returned to Hastinapur.

Bhishma was busy making arrangements for his brother’s wedding, so when he saw Amba, he was surprised to say the least. ‘Amba, what happened? Why have you returned?’

Amba replied, ‘Bhishma, Salwa sent me back to you. Do you know why?’

‘No, I don’t.’

‘Because you won me from him. Because you brought me to Hastinapur after defeating my father and Salwa.’ Amba paused a while, and said, ‘Bhishma, you must marry me.’

‘What?’ Bhishma was shocked. ‘How can I marry you? You know, I vowed not to marry ever in my life.’

Amba looked right into his eyes and said, ‘I don’t care. You are responsible for my situation today. So you must suffer the consequences. You must marry me now!’

‘That’s not possible. But let me ask Vichitravirya if he wishes to marry you.’

Vichitravirya refused his brother, saying, ‘Brother, I cannot marry a woman who has already accepted another man as her husband.’

Bhishma went back to Amba with the sad news. ‘Amba, I am sorry. I cannot help you. I suggest you return to your father in Kashi.’

Amba was furious. ‘Don’t you think I tried it already? My father refused to take me. My lover rejected me. All because of you. I won’t leave you. You must accept me as your wife.’

Bhishma was firm in his resolve. ‘Amba, I sympathize with you. Please don’t ask me to do the impossible. I cannot break my vow. Please forgive me.’

‘Then what am I supposed to do now? Tell me? What should I do?’ cried Amba.

Bhishma was at a loss for words. He could only say, ‘I don’t know!’

Amba was seething in anger. With bloodshot eyes, she said, ‘People say you are the bravest and the most gallant warrior of all. I say, you are a coward! You have shunned your responsibility under the garb of your ridiculous vow. You’ll pay for this dearly. You’ll die for this injustice. I will kill you, Bhishma.’

‘You cannot kill me,’ Bhishma responded with a faint smile that reeked of arrogance. ‘Nobody can kill me, unless I wish to die.’

Amba looked at him with deep hatred in her eyes. ‘But I will. I will find a way to kill you. You can be sure of that. Till then, you just wait.’ Amba turned around and walked out of the palace doors.

As Bhishma watched her leave, he muttered, ‘I will wait, Amba. I will wait for you.’

3

Birth of Dhritarashtra, Pandu and Vidura

With great pomp, Vichitravirya got married to Ambika and Ambalika. But their married life was cut short by the sudden death of Vichitravirya. Satyavati was grief-stricken. Not only was she saddened by her son’s death, she was also worried about the future of the Kuru dynasty. Vichitravirya did not leave a son who could be the torchbearer of the Kuru legacy. Is this the end of the Kuru lineage, she wondered.

In those days, if a husband didn’t have the ability to produce a child, it was acceptable to use the services of a virile man to ensure that the wife was with child. The man could be someone from the family, or a Brahmin, considered to be of noble origin. This practice was known as niyoga. Satyavati was convinced that if the Kuru dynasty had to be preserved, she had no other option than to invoke the practice of niyoga. She called Bhishma and said, ‘My son, the fate of the Kuru dynasty now lies in your hands. I would like you to use the practice of niyoga and father a son with Amba or Ambalika.’

Bhishma was shocked. ‘Mother, how could you say such a thing? You know of my vow.’

‘I know, my son. But difficult times call for difficult measures. The fate of our dynasty is in jeopardy. We cannot let the lineage die with us. You must break your promise for the sake of your race, of your ancestors’ legacy.’

Bhishma was adamant. ‘Forgive me, mother. I can never break my promise. You’ll have to find some other option.’

Satyavati was desperate. ‘What other option? Tell me if you have a better idea.’

Bhishma thought for a while and said, ‘Why don’t you ask brother Vyasa to do the job? He is your son; hence belongs to the family. Besides, he is the most learned and the wisest person we know. I can think of no better person to help us in this crisis.’

The moment Bhishma mentioned Vyasa, memories flooded Satyavati’s mind. She remembered the days when she was a young, unmarried girl who rowed her father Dasharaj’s boat across the Yamuna to ferry passengers. One day, Rishi Parashar came by to cross the river. Satyavati’s beauty mesmerized the great sage. He held Satyavati’s hand and said, ‘Come to me, my dear. I wish to give you a son.’

‘O great rishi, it will be my honour to bear your child,’ she said. ‘But, I am afraid, if I lose my virginity, I would never get married.’

‘Don’t worry, my dear,’ replied Parashar. ‘You will remain a virgin even after you bear my child.’

Parashar held her and drew her close. Satyavati was uncomfortable. ‘Please stop,’ she pleaded. ‘There are people around, the gods above. I can’t do this with them watching.’

Parashar laughed. Using his magical powers, he created a dense fog around the boat to screen off curious onlookers and pulled Satyavati to his chest.

In due course, Satyavati gave birth to a boy in an island on the Yamuna River and he was named Krishna Dwaipayana. When Dwaipayana grew up, he left his mother to become a hermit and a sage. His knowledge and analysis of the Vedas earned him the name Vyasa.

Satyavati liked Bhishma’s idea and summoned Vyasa, who appeared before her and said, ‘Mother, I am glad to see you after so long. Please tell me, what can I do for you?’

Satyavati explained her predicament and asked Vyasa to father a child with Ambika. The hermit replied, ‘Mother, I understand your situation and I will do as you ask. But do you think Ambika would agree to this proposal?’

Vyasa had a reason for asking this question. Although he was respected by everybody, even the gods, he was an ugly and grotesque-looking man. He never cared for his looks, and was always covered in dirt and filth, and smelled awful. No woman would dare to come close to him.

Satyavati comforted him. ‘Don’t worry about that. I will explain everything to her. She is aware of the crisis and would do her best to keep the Kuru lineage alive. You just go and wait in the bedroom. I’ll send Ambika to you.’

‘So be it,’ said Vyasa.

Satyavati went to Ambika and told her about the plan. Ambika didn’t object to the idea of having a child with a rishi, but when she heard of Vyasa, she was scared. She had heard of his appearance and shuddered at the thought of sleeping with him. Besides, she was aware that the rishi was short-tempered, and if he was not satisfied, he could punish her with a horrible curse. But Satyavati was insistent, and she had to agree. Satyavati asked the maids to dress Ambika in her best clothes and jewellery. When she was ready, Satyavati took Ambika to a bedroom and closed the door. Ambika was so scared that she kept her eyes closed. Vyasa got up from the bed and pulled Ambika close. But she didn’t open her eyes even for a single moment the whole night. The next morning, Vyasa told Satyavati, ‘Mother, I have obeyed your command. Ambika will give birth to a strong and handsome son, but he would be born blind.’

Satyavati was shocked. ‘How could a blind man be the king?’ she asked. ‘You must give us a normal, healthy child. Go back to the bedroom. I will send Ambalika in. You must give her a son, too.’

Vyasa agreed.

Satyavati went to Ambalika and told her, ‘Ambalika, I want you to give the Kuru dynasty a son from Vyasa. Go to him. But remember, do not keep your eyes closed.’

Ambalika was scared too. When she entered Vyasa’s room, she forced herself to keep her eyes open. But she was so afraid that the blood drained off her face. Her face turned pale as Vyasa pulled her to his chest.

The next morning, Vyasa said to Satyavati, ‘Mother, Ambalika’s son won’t be blind, but he would be pale and frail looking. But don’t worry, he will be strong and powerful.’ Saying so, Vyasa left Hastinapur.

In due course, Ambika gave birth to a blind boy who was named Dhritarashtra. A few days later, Ambalika gave birth to a pale-looking boy, just as Vyasa had predicted. He was named Pandu.

Satyavati was not happy. She wanted a handsome grandson, without any physical blemish. So she called Vyasa again and asked Ambalika to have another son with him. But the princess didn’t want to face Vyasa again. She dressed up her pretty maid in nice clothes and jewellery, put lots of makeup on her and sent her to Vyasa’s chamber. The maid was not afraid of Vyasa. She greeted him with due respect and accepted him with love and dignity. Vyasa was very pleased. He told the maid, ‘You’ll have a great son, who would be the wisest and the most learned of the princes.’

In due course, the maid gave birth to a beautiful little boy, perfect in all aspects. He was named Vidura.

Dhritarashtra, Pandu and Vidura grew up together in the palace of Hastinapur. Dhritarashtra, though blind, was very strong and became skilled in using many weapons; Pandu grew up to become a great archer; while Vidura grew up learning all the sacred texts and scriptures, and was the most learned and wisest of all. Although Dhritarashtra was the eldest of the three brothers, he couldn’t become the king because of his blindness. So, Pandu was installed as the king of Hastinapur. Vidura, the son of the maid, was appointed the prime minister.

Pandu proved to be a great ruler. He conquered many kingdoms and expanded Kuru rule far and wide. He amassed huge amounts of wealth from the vanquished kings and became the richest ruler of the land. The people of Hastinapur were pleased to have a ruler like Pandu who took good care of them. Soon, Pandu came to be known as the best king the Kuru dynasty ever had.

Gandhari, Kunti and Madri

When Dhritarashtra came of age, Bhishma arranged for him to be married. Subala, the king of Gandhara, had a beautiful daughter named Gandhari. Bhishma sent Subala the marriage proposal and the Gandhara king agreed. The marriage would give him the opportunity to build an alliance with the mighty Kuru dynasty and it was too attractive a proposal to pass. Gandhari too was quite pleased. But when she heard about Dhritarashtra’s blindness, she decided to share the fate of her husband. Taking a piece of dark cloth, she tied her eyes in a permanent blindfold. Gandhari’s brother Shakuni was not happy with the union. He resented the fact that the Kurus, especially Bhishma, had offered his sister the blind Dhritarashtra and not the handsome King Pandu. Besides, his bitterness grew every time he saw his sister in a blindfold. He vowed to take revenge on Bhishma, Pandu and his clan for their unfair treatment of Gandhari.

Kunti, the adopted daughter of King Kuntibhoj, selected Pandu as her husband at the swayamvara arranged by her father. Kunti was also known as Pritha and she happened to be the aunt of Lord Krishna, who plays an important role in this story. But Kunti had a little secret, and we’ll learn about it later.

Later, Pandu also married Madri, the beautiful sister of King Shalya of the Madra kingdom.

4

Birth of the Kuru Princes

After fighting many wars and amassing great amounts of riches for his kingdom, Pandu wanted to take a break. So he requested his brother Dhritarashtra to take care of the kingdom and went on a long hunting trip to the forests with his two queens, Kunti and Madri. They travelled to many countries and forests, and were having a great time.

One day, Pandu went hunting in a dark and dense forest. He left his entourage behind with the hope of enjoying the thrills of hunting alone. Suddenly, he heard a rustle in the bushes ahead. He tiptoed towards the source of the sound. And there, behind the thickets, he saw a deer couple playing with each other and making love. Without making a noise, he raised his bow, aimed, and shot his shabd-vedi ban or the sound-guided arrow. Pandu was an excellent archer, and he made no mistake. He heard a cry, but the voice was of a human. He ran towards his target, the deer couple. There he found struck with his arrow a man and a woman in each other’s embrace. The man was Rishi or Sage Kindama and the woman was his wife. Kindama was alive but was bleeding profusely. His wife was already dead.

Pandu was intensely remorseful for having killed a rishi and his wife while they were making love. He knelt beside the dying sage and said, ‘O Rishi, I made a grave mistake. I thought I saw a deer couple! And I shot you without the knowledge that it was you. Please forgive me.’

The rishi raised his head a little and said, ‘Pandu, how could you be so cruel? How could you kill a couple making love, be it human or deer or any other living being? It is the most heinous crime one can commit and I cannot forgive you for that. I, Rishi Kindama, hereby curse you: you too will die a painful death if you try to make love to a woman.’ And saying this, he breathed his last.

Pandu was devastated. He was terrified. He knew a rishi’s curse was bound to come true. He didn’t know what to do. He went back to his wives and told them about the incident. Kunti and Madri were shocked to hear of the curse, for it implied that they could never have a child with Pandu. But they still tried to console Pandu. Kunti said, ‘Please don’t worry. We will never demand any physical affection from you. We will never ask for a child from you.’

Pandu was still upset. He decided to give up his kingdom and the luxury of his palace life and live in the forests like an ascetic, a hermit. He believed it would be the right penance for his crime. Maybe his sacrifice will not go unnoticed by the gods and one day they might release him from the curse. Pandu sent a messenger to Hastinapur informing Dhritarashtra of his decision, and asked him to take care of the kingdom with the help of Bhishma and Vidura. He asked his queens to return to the palace, but Kunti and Madri didn’t agree. They said, ‘O King, we are your wives and we have the right to share your fate. We cannot go back to the palace without you.’

So the three started their life of penance and hardship in the forests along with the other hermits and sages who lived there.

Days passed, weeks too, then months. Pandu, Kunti and Madri were getting used to their life in the forest. Living off the land, in the lap of nature, seemed quite enjoyable now. Pandu was still unhappy. A disturbing thought kept bothering him: that he could never father a child. The thought of leaving the world without an heir was horrifying to him. According to the Hindu way of life, a man can achieve salvation only when his son performs his last rites. Besides, leaving no heir also meant the end of his line.

One day, he called Kunti in private and said, ‘Kunti, I just cannot bear the thought of dying without leaving an heir behind.’ Kunti remained quiet. Pandu continued, ‘Kunti, you know, if a man cannot father a child, his wife can get one with the help of a family member or a Brahmin. It is accepted in our tradition.’ He even gave the example of his and his brother Dhritarashtra’s birth. ‘Kunti, you and Madri must do the same. I insist!’

Kunti replied, ‘O King, if you permit me, let me tell you a secret. Long ago, when I was a teenager, Rishi Durvasa came to visit my father’s palace, and I had the honour of taking care of him. He was pleased with my hospitality and granted me a boon. He gave me a mantra which empowered me to invoke any god and have a child with him. So, if you desire, I can use the mantra and have a son from any god you’d like me to have the child with.’

Pandu was ecstatic with joy. He said, ‘Kunti, you must use your boon and beget a son for me. Please invoke Dharma, the god of righteousness and religion, so our son would be the wisest man of all.’

Kunti went into the hut and chanted the mantra to invoke Dharma. Dharma appeared before her and in due time Kunti gave birth to a beautiful boy named Yudhishthira. Yudhishthira means one who can stay calm and steady in the midst of a battle.

Pandu wanted more. He asked Kunti to invoke the god of the winds. Kunti obliged and Bheem was born of their union. Next she called upon Indra, the king of the Gods, and had a son named Arjun with him.

Watching Kunti give birth to three sons made Madri want a child too. She asked Kunti, ‘Would you please share your mantra with me? I too would like to bear a son with a god.’

‘But Rishi Durvasa didn’t give me permission to share the mantra with others,’ Kunti replied.

Pandu intervened, ‘Please Kunti, please be kind with Madri. Please let her have a child too.’

Kunti said, ‘O King, your wish is my command. Madri, I will share the mantra with you, but you can use it only once!’

Kunti gave her the mantra. Madri then invoked the twin gods, the Ashwins, the celestial physicians, and of them were born Nakul and Sahadev, the beautiful twins.

Kunti was not happy at all. She said, ‘Madri, you tricked me. I permitted you to use the mantra once to have one child, but you invoked the twins and abused the power. Now I withdraw the mantra forever. Neither of us would be able to use the mantra any more.’

Pandu was happy with five sons—Yudhishthira, Bheem, Arjun, Nakul and Sahadev. As sons of Pandu, they came to be known as the Pandavas.

Meanwhile, in the palace of Hastinapur, Dhritarashtra and his wife Gandhari were not happy. When Yudhishthira was born, Gandhari was already pregnant. But she did not give birth to any child for almost two years. When she heard that Kunti has given birth to a boy, she grew impatient. She called a maid and asked her to bring an iron rod. She commanded her, ‘Hit my belly with this rod! Hit me hard!’

The maid was scared. How could she hit the queen? She hesitated, but Gandhari yelled at her, ‘I told you, hit me! I don’t want to stay pregnant any longer. Hit my belly. Hit it hard!’

The maid hit her hard, several times. Gandhari screamed in pain and went into labour. Soon, something dropped out of her womb. Gandhari was in her blindfold and couldn’t see. She asked her maid, ‘What is it? A boy?’ The maid remained quiet. She asked again, ‘Tell me, what it is? A boy or a girl?’

The maid said, ‘Oh Queen, it is neither! It is a ball of flesh, hard as a rock.’

Gandhari was devastated. She cried out loud and asked the maid to throw the ball of flesh into the river.

Just then, Vyasa appeared. He told the maid, ‘No, don’t throw it away!’

Gandhari said, ‘Rishi Vyasa, your boon didn’t come true. You once blessed me that I’ll bear one hundred sons. See what I have given birth to! A ball of flesh!’

Vyasa said, ‘Gandhari, don’t despair. My words will come true.’ He called the maid and said, ‘Take this ball of flesh and put it in a jar of fresh water. Soon, it will break up into one hundred foetuses. Then place each foetus in a separate jar filled with ghee.’

The maid followed his instructions and, after a few months, one hundred boys were born in the jars filled with ghee and other nutrients. First was born Duryodhan and next Dushasana followed by ninety-eight more sons. Gandhari also gave birth to a girl named Dushala. The hundred sons of Dhritarashtra and Gandhari were known as the Kauravas.

Back in the forest, Pandu was happy spending his days with Kunti, Madri and their five sons. He was no longer depressed, and maybe the thought of Rishi Kindama’s curse was fading away.

It was a beautiful spring morning. Pandu and Madri were roaming in the forest, picking fruits and berries for their mid-day meal while back home Kunti took care of the boys. Laden with the fragrance of spring blossoms, the air was intoxicating. Madri looked gorgeous in the golden sunshine falling on her through the new leaves and branches of the trees above. Pandu, walking next to her and watching her beauty, felt something stir in him. Suddenly, he felt an irresistible urge to make love to her. For a while, he tried to hold himself back, but soon his desire overwhelmed him and, with uncontrolled lust, he embraced his wife. Madri was shocked. ‘Stop it! Stop it, O King! You cannot do this! Don’t you remember the curse?’ But no words reached Pandu’s ears. He was too excited to remember Kindama’s curse. He embraced Madri and showered her with kisses, while she tried her best to escape from his clutches. Right then, Pandu felt a shooting pain in his chest: he couldn’t breathe. Clasping his chest, he dropped down. The next moment, he was lying dead on the ground next to Madri. Kindama’s curse had come true.

‘Why? Why did you do this?’ cried Madri!

Hearing Madri’s cries, Kunti came running and found Pandu lying dead with his head on her lap. Madri was crying hysterically. Kunti knew right away what had happened. She screamed in rage, ‘Madri, how could you let this happen? How could you do this to our husband? Why did you have to lure him to his death? Did you forget his curse? ‘

‘Believe me, Kunti, I tried … I tried my best to stop him. But he didn’t listen.’

Soon, Kunti realized, this had to happen. A rishi’s curse could never go unfulfilled. It was Pandu’s destiny. Once she had calmed down, she told Madri, ‘Well, in a way, you are lucky and I envy you. You at least saw his happy face before he died. Now let’s go and inform the boys and our neighbours. His funeral needs to be arranged.’

Madri said, ‘Kunti, I have one request. I want to give up my life and follow my husband to the next world. I couldn’t satisfy his desire in this world; maybe I could do so in the next world. Please take care of Nakul and Sahadev as your own sons. I know they will not miss their mother in you.’

Kunti tried to deter her from her decision, but Madri was adamant. When Pandu’s funeral pyre was lit, she stepped into the fire to sacrifice herself with the hope of joining her husband in the next life.

The sages and hermits dwelling in the forest, who were the neighbours of the Pandavas, advised Kunti to return to Hastinapur with her five sons. ‘They are the rightful heirs of Hastinapur. There, they will receive the best training under the guidance of Bhishma and Vidura, and grow up to be the future rulers of the land,’ they said. So, Kunti returned to Hastinapur with Yudhishthira, Bheem, Arjun, Nakul and Sahadev. Bhishma greeted them with open arms and tears in his eyes. And so the Pandavas started the next phase of their life in Hastinapur.

5

Childhood of the Kuru Princes

The Pandava boys started their new life in the palace of Hastinapur along with their one hundred cousins, the Kauravas. The good-natured Pandava brothers soon became the favourites in the palace. Their gentle behaviour, their kindness, their respectfulness and humble attitude not only pleased the Kuru elders, but also made them popular among the people of Hastinapur. It became quite clear that the throne of Hastinapur would soon belong to Yudhishthira. He was not only the eldest of the brothers, but also the son of Pandu, the rightful king of Hastinapur. Dhritarashtra was nothing but a caretaker. But this did not please the Kaurava brothers, especially Duryodhan, whose ambition was to ascend the throne of Hastinapur as the next Kuru king. Being the son of the present King Dhritarashtra, he believed he was the rightful heir to the throne. A grave injustice had been done to his father when his younger brother Pandu was made the king of Hastinapur, for Dhritarashtra had proven his mettle after Pandu had passed. This logic reinforced his justification to claim the throne even more.

Bheem was the other cause for the Kaurava brothers’ annoyance. Being the strongest and the most powerful of the lot, Bheem would always