Mahabharata – 193   by Sankar Mukherjee
&
Dr Ramesh Chandra Mukhopadhyaya

Aadivamsavatarana Parva

Kunti’s reply to Pandu’s entreaty
King Pandu was cursed by an ascetic. Consequently he became impotent.
But he longed for a child so that his duties to his forefather could
be  accomplished. To that end he implored his wife Kunti to co-habit with some brahamana of high water mark to beget sons for him.In response Kunti told Pandu the king as follows   ---It is the responsibility of the wife to please her husband. Presently you my dear husband are trying to please me your wife. It is very much contrary to the religious tenets.
In my teens, I was in my father's house engaged in attending the guests. One day I satisfied with my attention and service that Brahmana of rigid vows and of great ascetic merit whom people call Durvasa. His mind was under full control. He possessed knowledge of all the mysteries of religion. Pleased with my services, he gave me a boon in the form of a mantra for calling to my presence any one of the celestials I liked. And the rishi, told me that --- Anyone among the celestials whom I call by this mantra, will approach me and be obedient to my will, whether he likes it or not.And Durvasa said that I should also have offspring through the grace of the god whom I summon with aid of the aforesaid mantra. Oh king! that Brahmana told me this when I lived in my father's house.The words uttered by the Brahmana can never be false.The time also has come when that may yield fruit. Requested  by you,I can with the help of  that mantra
invoke any of the celestials,so that wmay have good children.

Birth of Yudhishthira
Tell me which of the celestials I shall summon. Know that,as regards this matter, I wait for your commands. Pandu in reply said--- Oh fortunate one! Summon the god of justice.He is the most virtuous amongst the celestials. By the way, justice and virtue will never let us to be polluted with sin. Once a son is born to us with the aid of dharma, we will know that whatever we do or think can never be unholy. The son also that we shall obtain from him shall be virtue personified. Certainly he will be the foremost among the Kurus. Begotten by the god of justice and morality, he will never set his eyes upon anything that is sinful or unholy. Therefore, Oh fortunate one!, steadily keeping your eyes on virtue, and duly observing holy vows, summon the god of justice and virtue by chanting your mantra appeal to god of justice.Thus
addressed by her lord, Kunti said--- So be it. And bowing down to her husband, reverently she resolved to do as per his request.

In the mean time, Gandhari the wife of Dhritarastra  Pandu’s elder brother was also carrying. She had been carrying for one full year. If Gandhari had given birth to a son before Kunti could give birth to a child it was Gandhari’s son who would have the claim to throne. However at the bidding of king Pandu  Kunti  it was then Kunti summoned the god of justice to obtain an offspring from him.She worshipped the god of justice and began to duly repeat the mantra that Durvasa had imparted to her.Then the god, moved by her hymn arrived at the spot where Kunti was busy with the prayer. The god was seated in his car dazzling like the Sun.Smilingly he asked, Oh Kunti!,what am I to give you? And Kunti too smilingly replied---You must give me an offspring. Then the fortunate Kunti was united with the god of justice in the forest on the great mountain Sata-Sringa.
She shared the bed with the god of justice in his super human form. She had purified herself with seasonal bath before mating with thegod.And she obtained from him a son devoted to the good of all creatures. And she give birth to her excellent eldest child, who lived to acquire a great fame, at the eighth Muhurta called Abhijit, at noon when the sun was at the zenith. It was the month of Jyaistha when the sun was in Taurus. It was a full moon day. And as soon as the child was born, a voice from the skies announced ---‘This child shall be the best of men,the foremost of those that are virtuous and honest.He will have great prowess.He will be truthful in speech.He shall certainly be the ruler of the earth.And this first child of Pandu shall be known by the name of Yudhishthira.He shall be a famous king, known throughout the three worlds’.

By the by while Yudhishthira was born, Gandhari though carrying for one long year did not give birth to any child. So Yudhishthira’s claim to the Kuru throne was a fait accompli.