In the ancient days, Saṃvaraṇa took as his wife Tapatī, the radiant daughter of Vaivasvata. From their union was born a son named Kuru, whose name would one day grace the very land and lineage of kings. Kuru, in turn, married Śubhāṅgī, a noble lady of the Daśārha line, and she bore him a son named Vidūratha. Vidūratha wed Saṃpriyā, a princess from Magadha, and she became the mother of Anaśvān. Anaśvān, too, chose a Magadhan bride, Amṛtā, and from their marriage Parikṣit was born. Parikṣit married Suveṣā, daughter of Bāhuka, and she bore him Bhīmasena. Bhīmasena’s wife was Sukumārī of the Kaikaya lineage, and she gave birth to Pariśravā. This Pariśravā is known as Pratīpa. Pratīpa married Sunandī, a princess of the Śaibya family, and together they had three sons: Devāpi, Śantanu, and Bāhlīka. Of these, Devāpi, while still a boy, renounced the world and went to dwell in the forest. Thus, it was Śantanu who ascended the throne. Śantanu was so named because, whatever old or worn thing he touched, it became comfortable and new, and he himself seemed to regain his youth—hence, he was called Śantanu. Śantanu married Ganga, the daughter of Bhagiratha, and to them was born Devavrata, who became renowned as Bhishma. Out of love and devotion for his father, Bhishma sought to fulfill Śantanu’s wish by bringing Satyavati—whom people called Kali—as his mother. Before her marriage to Śantanu, Satyavati had a son, Dvaipayana, by the sage Parashara. Later, she bore Śantanu two sons: Chitrangada and Vichitravirya. Chitrangada, after becoming king, was slain by a mighty Gandharva, and so Vichitravirya inherited the kingdom. Vichitravirya married the two princesses of Kashi, Ambika and Ambalika, but he died without leaving any children. Satyavati, anxious to preserve Śantanu’s lineage, called upon her son Dvaipayana. When he appeared before her and asked what she wished, Satyavati requested that he beget offspring on behalf of his brother who had died childless. Dvaipayana agreed and, by his blessing, three sons were born: Dhritarashtra, Pandu, and Vidura. Dhritarashtra, by his wife Gandhari and the boon of Dvaipayana, became the father of a hundred sons. Among them, Duryodhana, Dushasana, Vikarna, and Chitrasena were the most prominent. Pandu took two wives, Kunti and Madri. But once, while hunting, Pandu inadvertently slew a sage who, in the form of a deer, was united with his mate. As the sage lay dying, he cursed Pandu, saying that because he had killed one who had not fulfilled his purpose, Pandu would meet a similar fate if he ever approached his wives. Stricken by this curse, Pandu abstained from his wives, fearing the foretold doom. Yet, sorrow weighed on him, for he recalled that those without children are denied the worlds beyond. He turned to Kunti and asked her to beget sons for his sake. Kunti, by means of sacred invocations, bore Yudhishthira by Dharma, Bhimasena by Vayu, and Arjuna by Indra. Pandu, pleased, requested that Madri too have children, and Kunti taught her the sacred formula. Thus, Madri received Nakula and Sahadeva from the Ashvins. But fate would not be denied. One day, Pandu, overcome by desire upon seeing Madri adorned in all her ornaments, approached her and, as the curse had decreed, his life ended in that moment. Madri, overwhelmed by grief and devotion, ascended the funeral pyre with her husband, entrusting Kunti to care for their sons. After these tragic events, ascetics escorted the five Pandavas and Kunti to Hastinapura. There, they informed Bhishma, Dhritarashtra, and Vidura of Pandu’s passing. But danger soon followed: Duryodhana, the son of Dhritarashtra, schemed to destroy the Pandavas and Kunti by burning them alive in a house of lac. Vidura, ever wise and vigilant, saved them from this fate. During their wanderings, Bhima slew the rakshasa Hiḍimba and fathered a son, Ghaṭotkaca, with Hiḍimbā. The Pandavas then made their way safely to Ekacakra. Later, they journeyed to the land of the Pāñcālas, where they won Draupadī at her svayaṃvara and, after gaining half the kingdom, established themselves at Indraprastha. There, they begot sons with Draupadī: Śrutasena and Sahadeva among them. Yudhishthira also married Devakī, daughter of Śaivya, and she bore him a son named Yaudheya. Bhimasena, at the svayaṃvara of Jalandharā, daughter of the king of Kāśi in Vārāṇasī, married her and she bore him Śarvatrāta. Arjuna traveled to Dvāravatī and wed Subhadrā, sister of the blessed Vāsudeva, and from their union came Abhimanyu. Nakulā married Reṇumatī of the Cedis, who bore him Niramitra. Sahadeva, at his own svayaṃvara, married Vijayā, the daughter of Madri, and she bore him Suhotra. Bhimasena’s earlier union with the rakshasi Hiḍimbā had already produced Ghaṭotkaca, and Arjuna, by Ulūpī, the serpent maiden, had a son named Irāvat. Thus, the noble line of the Kurus continued, blessed with many sons and heroic deeds, their story woven into the very fabric of the world.