Month: June 2025

After Bhima was born, Kunti using the mantra, prayed to Lord Indra, giving birth to a son, named Arjuna.

Madri felt dejected and envied Kunti, as she had her own children. She expressed herself in front of Pandu, who requested Kunti to share the mantra with Madri. Kunti kind-heartedly taught Madri the mantra.

Madri using the mantra, invoked the Ashwini Kumaras, giving birth to twins, Nakul and Shadeva.

Years later, on a fine spring day, Pandu forgot about the curse received by Sage Kindama, and embraced his wife, Madri. No sooner he touched her, he died.

Kunti, being the first wife, had to follow her husband’s path, and asks Madri to look after the children. But Madri refused as she might not be able to love the children equally like Kunti. Saying this, she leaves her sons, Nakula and Sahadeva in the care of Kunti, and jumps into the funeral pyre of Pandu, performing the act of Sati. Before Dying, Madri asked yudhisthira to take care of her siblings, like their father.

Helpless, Kunti returned to Hastinapur along with her 5 children.

After the news of Bhima’s birth reached Hastinapur, Gandhari, who had been pregnant for 2 years, became frustrated and stabbed herself in the womb, giving birth to a hard mass of flesh.

The hard mass of flesh was taken to Sage Vyasa. The sage divided the flesh into 100 parts and placed it in jars, and smeared it with ghee. Upon Gandhari’s request to have a daughter, another jar was prepared.

Soon, 100 sons and 1 daughter were born, Duryodhana being the eldest of them all. The day Duryodhana was born, the sky turned dark, and there was an ominous atmosphere, the royal astrologers predicted that Duryodhana would be the cause of destruction of Kuru Dynasty.

Everyone suggested the Dhritarashtra, to abandon Duryodhana. But he was blinded by love, and refused to do so.

During Gandhari’s pregnancy, Dhritarashtra, angered by the delay, had a son named Yuyutsu, mothered by Gandhari’s maiden.

Pandu and his wives began leading their lives in a forest. He met a few sages, and asked them a way to attain heaven. But the sages replied that, without children, one can never go to heaven.

Distressed, Pandu shared his plight with Kunti. She revealed to Pandu, that she had a boon of begetting a child from any God she desires. Pandu was ecstatic and suggested that he could get virtuous children through her boon.

Kunti used this mantra, and invoked Lord Yama-Dharma, who blessed them with a son, who was wise and always followed dharma, named Yudhisthira.

Meanwhile, in Hastinapur, Gandhari was also pregnant, but her pregnancy was unusual.

She remained pregnant for 2 years, while Kunti, prayed to Vayu Deva and gave birth to a boy, who was strong as the wind, named Bhima.

Shortly after Pandu’s marriage with Kunti and Madri, he went to a forest for hunting. While looking for his prey, amidst the bushes, he spotted a couple of deer and shot his arrow towards it.

When he went to check upon the deers, he saw that the deers were Sage Kindama and his wife. The Sage and his wife were on the brink of dying, and Pandu realised his mistake and begged pardon, but the Sage angered by this act of Pandu, cursed him, that he will die, if he ever touches his wives.

Horrified, Pandu returned to Hastinapur, and told his wives about his curse.

Pandu, filled with guilt, wanted to repent for his actions, so he renounced his throne and left the kingdom.

His wives followed his path and went to the forest to live with Pandu, where he wanted to seek solace and repent for his actions.

Meanwhile, in Hastinapur, Dhritarashtra was crowned as the King of Hastinapur and Gandhari becomes the Queen.

Kunti was the daughter of Shurasena, a Yadava ruler of Mathura but, was raised by her childless uncle Kuntibhoja, the King of Kuntibhoja. She was the sister of Krishna’s father, Vasudeva.

Once Sage Durvasa visited Kuntibhoja, and pleased by Kunti’s devotion, he taught her a mantra, through which she could beget a child from any God she desires.

Kunti was curious and recited this mantra, invoking Surya deva. Later, she gave birth to a boy, named Karna.

Kunti was not married yet, so she begged Surya deva to take the child back but he refused, but blessed Karna, with a divine armor and earrings. She put Karna in a basket and left him in River Ganga.

Years later, when Kunti’s Swayamvara was organised, she chose Pandu, the King of Hastinapur, to be her husband. Soon after their marriage, Pandu went on to expand his kingdom, Bhisma proposed that Pandu should marry Madri, the princess of Madra Kingdom, in order to secure the kingdom of Madra.