Mahabharata – 182

by
Sankar Mukherjee
&
Dr Ramesh Chandra Mukhopadhyaya
    Aadivamsavatarana Parva

Pandu went to the woods

After some time Pandu leaving his lethargy, accompanied by his two wives, Kunti and Madri, went to the woods. Leaving his excellent palace with its luxurious beds, he became a permanent dweller of the woods. Devoting the whole of his time in the hunting of the deer,he used to roam about in perfect freedom on the right hand side of the hilly region of the Himalaya.He made his abode in that  hilly region in the midst of the greenery of Sala trees.The handsome Pandu with his two wives wandered in those woods like Airavata accompanied by two she-elephants. And the dwellers in those woods,seeing the heroic Pandu in the company of his wives, armed with sword, arrows,and bow,decked in his beautiful armour, and skilled in all excellent weapons, regarded him as the celestial wandering deity amongst them. Dhritarashtra, used to supply Pandu in the woods every object of pleasure and enjoyment through the energetic people.

Marriage of Vidura

Meanwhile Bhimsa heard  that the king Devaka had a beautiful daughter of a Sudra wife. Bringing her from her father's abode on request, Bhishma married her to Vidura of great wisdom.And Vidura begot upon her many children like him in accomplishment.

Continuation of Kuru race through  Dhritarashtra and Pandu

Meanwhile, Dhritarashtra begot upon Gandhari a hundred sons and on a Vaisya wife another, other than those hundred. And Pandu had, by his two wives Kunti and Madri, five sons who were great charioteers and who were all begotten by the celestials for the perpetuation of the Kuru race.

Janamejaya at the snake sacrifice was interested to know how Gandhari brought  forth those hundred sons and in how many years? What was there life span? How did Dhritarashtra beget another son in a Vaisya wife? How did Dhritarashtra behave towards his obedient and virtuous wife Gandhari? How did the mighty charioteer Pandu become the father of the five sons though he was cursed by the great rishi Kikimandamuni ?Tell me all this in detail, as they are related to my ancestors.

Birth story of Kauravas and Pandavas

One day Gandhari entertained with respect the great Dwaipayana who came to, Dhritarashtra’s palace. He was  exhausted with hunger and fatigue. Satisfied with Gandhari's hospitality, the rishi agreed to give her the boon she asked for.She should have hundred  sons each equal to her husband Dhritarastra in strength and accomplishments. Some time after,Gandhari conceived by Dhritarastra.But she was greatly depressed as  she bore the labour for two long years without being delivered. It was then that she heard that Kunti had brought forth a son whose splendour was like that of the morning sun.Due to the  prolongation of her gestation period Gandhari was  already annoyed.Now hearing the news that Kunti gave birth to a son,she became much irritated. And out of grief,losing her wits she struck her womb with great violence without the knowledge of her husband Dhritarashtra. And  as a consequence a hard mass of flesh like iron ball came out of her womb,after two years' of gestation period.When she was about to throw it away, Vedavyasa, knowing everything by his spiritual power,showed up there immediately. Seeing that ball of flesh, the great ascetic asked Gandhari  -------, What  have you done? Gandhari, without hesitating to camouflage her feelings, addressed the rishi and said, -------Having heard that Kunti has brought forth a son like the Sun god in splendour,I struck in grief at my womb.Oh rishi!  Earlier you granted me the boon that I should have  hundred sons, but here is only a ball of flesh instead of those hundred sons! Then Vyasa said--- Oh Daughter of Suvala! my words can never be futile. I have not spoken an untruth even in jest. Let a hundred pots full of butter be brought instantly, and let them be placed in a concealed spot. In the meantime, let cool water be sprinkled over this ball of flesh.

Water was sprinkled on that bal of flesh.The ball of flesh was instantly divided into many pieces  and in due course of  time, they  divided into a hundred, each about the size of the thumb.These were then put into those pots full of butter at a concealed spot and were watched with care. Then the illustrious Vyasa said to Gandhari ---that she should open the covers of the pots after full one year. Having said this wise Vedavyasa went to the mountain Himalaya for devoting himself to asceticism.