King Duṣyanta, in the course of his life, married Śakuntalā, the daughter of the great sage Viśvāmitra. From this union, a son was born—Bharata, destined to become a mighty ruler. In this context, it is said: “The mother is as the bellows, the father the begetter; the one from whom the son is born, he is truly the father. Accept your son, O Duṣyanta; Śakuntalā speaks the truth.” And again: “The seed-bearer, O king, raises up the son from the realm of Yama, and you are the nourisher of the embryo. Śakuntalā speaks the truth.” Thus, the child came to be known as Bharata. Bharata, in his turn, married Sunandā, the daughter of Sārvasena of the Kāśi lineage. From her, a son named Bhumanyu was born. Bhumanyu married Suvarṇā of the Daśārha lineage, and she bore him a son named Suhotra. Suhotra then wed Jayantī, a princess of the Ikṣvāku line, and from her was born Hastī, the founder of a great city. Hastī built a city which took his name—Hāstinapura. He married Yaśodā of the Trigarta lineage, and their son was Vikuñjana. Vikuñjana married Sundarā of the Daśārha family, and she bore him Ajamīḍha. Ajamīḍha, through his wives Kaikayī, Nāgā, Gāndhārī, Vimalā, and Ṛkṣā, had one hundred and twenty-four sons. These sons became kings and founders of their own lines, but from Ajamīḍha and Ṛkṣā was born Saṃvaraṇa, who continued the principal lineage. Saṃvaraṇa married Tapatī, the daughter of Vaivasvata, and their son was Kuru, the illustrious ancestor of the Kuru dynasty. Kuru married Śubhāṅgī of the Daśārha family, and she gave birth to Vidūratha. Vidūratha wed Saṃpriyā of the Magadha lineage, and their son was Anaśvān. Anaśvān married Amṛtā, also of Magadha, and their son was Parikṣit. Parikṣit married Suveṣā, daughter of Bāhuka, and their son was Bhīmasena. Bhīmasena married Sukumārī of the Kaikaya lineage, and their son was Pariśravā, also known as Pratīpa. Pratīpa married Sunandī of the Śaibya family, and she bore him three sons: Devāpi, Śantanu, and Bāhlīka. Devāpi, while still a youth, left for the forest, and thus Śantanu ascended the throne. Of Śantanu it is said: “Whatever old thing he touches, he enjoys as if new, and he himself becomes young again; hence he is called Śantanu.” This is the origin of his name. Śantanu married Gaṅgā, the daughter of Bhagiratha, and from her was born Devavrata, who became renowned as Bhīṣma. Out of love for his father, Bhīṣma brought Satyavatī, also called Kali, to be his mother. Before this, Satyavatī had borne a son, Dvaipayana (the sage Vyāsa), through the great sage Parāśara. With Śantanu, Satyavatī had two sons, Citrāṅgada and Vicitravīrya. Citrāṅgada, after inheriting the kingdom, was slain by a Gandharva, leaving Vicitravīrya to rule. Vicitravīrya married the two daughters of the king of Kāśi, Ambikā and Ambālikā, but he died without children. Satyavatī, worried that the lineage of Śantanu would perish, called upon her son Dvaipayana. When he appeared and asked what she desired, Satyavatī told him, “Your brother has departed without issue; beget children for his sake.” Vyāsa agreed, and thus he fathered three sons: Dhṛtarāṣṭra, Pāṇḍu, and Vidura. Dhṛtarāṣṭra, with his wife Gāndhārī and through the boon of Vyāsa, had one hundred sons, the foremost of whom were Duryodhana, Duḥśāsana, Vikarna, and Citrāsena. Pāṇḍu married two noble women, Kuntī and Mādrī. But while hunting, Pāṇḍu, in a fateful error, slew a sage who had assumed the form of a deer and was engaged in union. The dying sage cursed Pāṇḍu, saying, “Because you have killed me before I fulfilled my purpose, a similar fate will befall you.” Stricken by the curse, Pāṇḍu refrained from approaching his wives. In sorrow, he lamented, “By my own recklessness I am thus afflicted. The ancient stories say that those without children have no place in the worlds to come.” Therefore, he asked Kuntī to beget sons for him. Kuntī, by invoking the gods, bore three sons: from Dharma, Yudhiṣṭhira; from Vāyu, Bhīmasena; and from Indra, Arjuna. Pleased, Pāṇḍu requested that Mādrī too might have sons. Kuntī agreed and instructed Mādrī in the sacred invocation; thus, from the Aśvins, Mādrī bore Nakula and Sahadeva. But one day, seeing Mādrī adorned in all her finery, Pāṇḍu was overcome with desire and, upon uniting with her, succumbed to the curse and died. Mādrī, filled with devotion, ascended the funeral pyre with him, entrusting Kuntī to care for the sons of Yama. After these events, the ascetics of the forest brought the five Pāṇḍavas and Kuntī to Hāstinapura. There, they truthfully informed Bhīṣma, Dhṛtarāṣṭra, and Vidura of Pāṇḍu’s passing to the heavens.