Mahabharata – 173
by
Sankar Mukherjee
and Dr. Ramesh Chandra Mukhopadhyaya

Aadivamsavatarana Parva
The story of the birth of Dhritarashtra, Pandu & Vidura cond.

Satyavati the mother of the Kurus wanted that her widowed daughter –in – laws should bring forth children with the seed of the great rishi Vedavyasa. She wanted more than one child by Vedavyasa.Saying, So be it, Vyasa went away.

And the Amvikadevi in due time brought forth a blind son. Soon after Satyavati, summoned Vedavyasa, after having the consent of her daughter-in-law Ambalika. Vedavyasa came again according to his promise. And he approached, as before, Ambalika the second wife of his brother.

And Ambalika seeing  the sage, became pale with fear. And, seeing  her in trouble and pale with fear.Vedavyasa addressed her and said --- Because you have been pale with fear at the sight of my awful appearance, your child shall be pale in complexion. Oh you of handsome face! the name of  the child will be Pandu (the pale). Saying this, the illustrious rishi came out of her chamber. And as he came out, and met  his mother, she asked him about the would-be-child. The rishi told her that the boy will be of great prowess in due time. But due to his mother’s fault he will be of pale complexion.And in due course of time he will beget five children of great prowess. Saying this the great sage was about to leave the place.

Satyavati again begged the rishi for another child, and the rishi told her in reply, 'So be it.' 

When her time came Ambalika, brought forth a son of pale complexion, blazing with beauty  and  prowess & with all the auspicious marks of royalty. Indeed, it was this child who afterwards became the father of those mighty archers, the Pandavas.

Some time after, when the eldest daughter in law Amvika again had her monthly season, she was solicited by Satyavati to approach Vedavyasa once again.

Ambika refused to obey her mother-in-law's request. She remembered the horrible appearance and strong odour of the rishi. She, however, sent to him, a maid of hers, of great beauty and decked the maid with her own ornaments.

And when the Vedavyasa arrived, the maid rose up and showed him due respect and duly loved him. The great rishi of rigid vows was well-pleased with her during mating. And when he rose to go away, he addressed her and said ---  Amiable one, You shall  no longer remain a slave from now on. Your fortunate child, best of the men will be great and virtuous. And he will be  the foremost of all intelligent and wise men on earth!

That son of Vedavyasa was afterwards known by the name of Vidura. He was thus the brother of Dhritarashtra and the illustrious Pandu. And Vidura was free from desire and passion and was conversant with the rules of economics.It was the god of justice born on earth due to the curse of the illustrious rishi Mandavya.

And Vedavyasa when he met his mother as before, informed her as to how he had been misled by Amvika and how he had begotten a son on a Sudra woman. And having spoken thus to his mother the great virtuous sage disappeared.

Thus were born, to the wives of Vichitravirya, by Vedavyasa those sons having  the splendour of celestial children ---The propagators of the Kuru race.