King Janamejaya, surrounded by kings from many lands and priests as learned as Brahma himself, sat resplendent among his court. Priests versed in sacred rites and royal dignitaries attended him, their presence lending a solemn grandeur to the assembly. At that moment, the sage Krishna Dvaipayana Vyasa, revered by all, entered the hall. Seeing the illustrious sage arrive, Janamejaya, the royal sage and scion of the Bharatas, rose swiftly and joyfully, accompanied by his attendants, to greet him. With the consent and delight of the entire assembly, Janamejaya arranged for a golden seat to be prepared for Vyasa, honoring him as Indra would honor his preceptor Brihaspati. Seated upon this shining throne, Vyasa was venerated by the gathered sages and received worship from the king according to the prescribed rites. Janamejaya, following tradition, offered water for washing Vyasa’s feet, water for sipping, the respectful arghya, and a cow, all in honor of his venerable grandfather Krishna Dvaipayana, who was worthy of such gifts. Vyasa, pleased with the king’s devotion and having accepted the cow, bestowed his blessings. Janamejaya, filled with affection and respect, sat close by with a heart full of joy and inquired after the sage’s well-being. The revered Vyasa, seeing the king’s devotion and having exchanged words of welfare, was honored by all present, and in turn, he acknowledged each with kindness. Then, Janamejaya, with the assembly gathered and his hands joined in reverence, addressed the foremost of the twice-born: “You, O sage, are the direct witness to the deeds of the Kurus and the Pandavas. I wish to hear from your lips the story of their actions. How did discord arise among those who were blameless? How did that great war, which brought such destruction, come to pass? Tell me fully about our ancestors, whose hearts were seized by fate. I long to hear the truth from you, O best of the twice-born, for you alone know it well.” Hearing these earnest words, Krishna Dvaipayana Vyasa turned to his disciple, Vaisampayana, who sat nearby, and instructed him: “Tell the king all that you have heard from me about how the division arose between the Kurus and the Pandavas in ancient times.” Obedient to his teacher’s command, Vaisampayana, foremost among Brahmanas, began to recount the entire ancient history. Before the king, the assembly, and the gathered rulers, he narrated the tale of the division and destruction that befell the Kurus and the Pandavas. He addressed Janamejaya: “O King, listen now to how the five heroic sons of Pandu came into conflict with the evil-hearted sons of Dhritarashtra. Having first bowed to my teacher and composed my mind, and having duly honored all Brahmanas and learned men, I shall declare in full the view of the illustrious sage Vyasa, whose wisdom and brilliance are renowned throughout all the worlds. You, O King, are worthy to hear this tale of the Bharatas. The movement of my teacher’s lips stirs my very soul. Hear then, O King, how the division arose between the Kurus and the Pandavas, caused by the game of dice for the sake of the kingdom, and of their exile to the forest. And hear also how the war occurred, bringing about the destruction of the earth—this too I shall recount as you desire. After their father’s death, those heroic sons of Pandu returned from the forest to their own house. In due time, they became learned in the Vedas and skilled in archery. Seeing the Pandavas endowed with courage, strength, and energy, admired by the people and adorned with prosperity and fame, the Kauravas could not bear their success. Then Duryodhana, cruel by nature, together with Karna and the son of Subala, Shakuni, began to plot various schemes to restrain and exile the Pandavas. Following Shakuni’s counsel, Duryodhana oppressed the Pandavas in many ways for the sake of the kingdom. The wicked son of Dhritarashtra even gave poison to Bhima, but that mighty hero, whose strength was like a wolf’s, digested the poison along with his food, unharmed. When Bhima was asleep on the riverbank, they bound him and cast him into the waters of the Ganga, then returned to the city. But when the son of Kunti awoke, he broke his bonds; the powerful Bhimasena, unhurt, rose up. While he slept, they caused black serpents and venomous snakes to bite him all over his body, yet that slayer of foes did not die. Throughout these many acts of wrongdoing, the wise Vidura was ever watchful for ways to protect and rescue the Pandavas. Just as Indra brings happiness to the world of the living from his heavenly abode, so Vidura brought solace to the Pandavas in all circumstances. But when, by secret and open means, the Kauravas could not destroy those protected by destiny and virtue, Duryodhana, after consulting with his ministers—including Vrishasena and Duhshasana—and having secured Dhritarashtra’s approval, ordered the construction of the house of lac, a deadly trap. There, the son of Ambika, King Dhritarashtra, desiring the welfare of his own sons, settled the Pandavas—though they were possessed of immeasurable energy—and then, wishing to enjoy the kingdom without rivals, arranged for their exile. The great-souled Pandavas, together with their mother Kunti, departed from the city of Hastinapura, and Vidura, the wise minister, accompanied them. Through Vidura’s intervention, the Pandavas escaped from the house of lac at midnight and fled into the forest. Reaching the city of Varanavata, those mighty Pandavas, destroyers of foes, dwelt there with their mother, as commanded by Dhritarashtra, in the house made of lac. For a year, they were carefully watched by Purochana, but prompted by Vidura, they had a tunnel constructed. Then, setting fire to the house of lac and burning Purochana as well, those tormentors of their enemies, seized by fear, fled with their mother into the safety of the forest. Thus began the tale of sorrow and strife between the sons of Pandu and the sons of Dhritarashtra, a story shaped by fate and the deeds of men.