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Once, Pandavas and Kauravas, were quarrelling as usual. Bhima, in anger, blurted out that Duryodhana’s mother was a widow. Confused the Kauravas asked Bhisma for an explanation.

When enquired, Bhisma found out that Gandhari had previously been wedded to a goat, which was later sacrificed, making her a widow. The marriage was done in order to avert a prediction, that her first husband shall die within 3 months, while her second husband, shall live a long life.

Dhritarashtra felt insulted after knowing this, and Bhisma fumed with anger, as Saubala had never mentioned this, angered, he imprisoned Saubala along with Shakuni and his other sons.

During their imprisonment, they were given only a handful of rice. The food provided was given to Shakuni, as they believed that, he would avenge against their insult and Shakuni, among all the other sons, was the most notorious and cunning of them all.

After Kunti returned to Hastinapur, she handed over the Pandavas to Bhisma who trained them well, along with Vidura, their maternal uncle.

Duryodhana, the eldest of the Kauravas, never accepted Pandavas, as he believed that, Yudhisthira, being the elder one, would be crowned as the King.

Duryodhana despised Bhima, as he was stronger than him. In an attempt to kill him, Duryodhana, poisoned Bhima’s food, and threw him into River Ganga. Bhima was rescued by Aryaka, the Naga chieftain, who was also the maternal uncle of Bhima (Shurasena, Kunti’s father, was married to a Naga Women, Marisha) and was taken to the King of the Nagas, Vasuki.

Vasuki, impressed by Bhima’s lineage, offered him a divine mixture, Bhima obediently drank 8 pots of this mixture.

As a result, Bhima acquired the strength of thousands of Elephants. He soon returned to Hastinapur, and revealed these incidents to Yudhisthira, who asked him to remain quiet and not reveal it to Kunti.

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.

Dhritarashtra, being the elder one had to be married first, so Bhisma began looking for eligible brides.

Meanwhile, Saubala, the King of Gandhara Kingdom, had a daughter named Gandhari, who was a great devotee of Lord Shiva. Pleased by her devotion, Shiva granted her a boon of begetting 100 children.

Bhisma, hearing the boon Gandhari was blessed with, thought that she would be a perfect bride for Dhritarashtra.

When this proposal was made, Saubala, king of Gandhara, hesitated because Dhritarashtra was blind. But in order to strengthen his weakened kingdom, he agrees to the alliance with the Kuru Dynasty.

When Gandhari found out that her fiancée is blind, she decides to share his disability and blindfolds herself with a silk cloth. Gandhari had an elder brother named Shakuni, who was extremely devious.

After their marriage, Gandhari remained extremely devoted to her husband and continued to share his blindness.

Dhritarashtra, Pandu and Vidura were trained by Bhishma and Kripacharya in military arts and vedic knowledge.

Dhritarashtra, through a boon given by Veda Vyasa, had the strength of hundred elephants. He was able to crush iron with his bare hands but due to his disability, he was unable to use weapons.

Pandu was known as a Maharathi, being an excellent archer. While Vidura, though being the half-brother of Dhritarashtra and Pandu, had a low status, as he was the son of a handmaiden.

Bhisma taught Vidura about dharma, he learnt the dharmic rules and values, becoming the wisest of the three, because of which he became the Mahamantri (Prime Minister) of Hastinapur.

When it was time for choosing an heir for the throne, Vidura proposed that Dhritarashtra was the elder one but was a handicap, so Pandu should be chosen to succeed the throne. Thus, Pandu the next Kuru King of Hastinapur.

Sage Mandavya was once performing austerities in with his arms up in front of his ashram. A few thieves who had stolen from the King’s palace, came across the ashram, dumped their loot and ran away seeing the king’s men running behind them.

When the King’s men arrived, they assumed that Mandavya was a part of the theft and captured him. The thieves were also caught and presented to the king along with Mandavya. Mandavya, due to his vow of silence, refused to speak and was put to death penalty by being struck with the tip of a trident.

The thieves died while Mandavya was alive. The king later realising Mandavya’s innocence, rushed to seek forgiveness, and his men tried to pull the trident but were unsuccessful. With no other option, they cut the tip of the Trident, giving him the name Ani Mandavya. He then approached Yama and asked him what sins had he committed to have suffered like this. Yama replied that he had tortured small birds when he was young.  Mandavya stated the shastras said, No man should suffer for sins committed before the age of 12.

And since Yama had committed a crime of murdering a Brahmin, he was cursed to be born as a Shudra on Earth. He was reborn as Vidura, the half-brother of Pandu and Dhritarashtra.