The great sage Dvaipayana, weary from his travels and longing for nourishment, arrived at the palace. Gandhari, devoted and gracious, welcomed him with all due honor and care. Pleased by her hospitality, Vyasa offered her a boon, and Gandhari, her mind set on her heart’s desire, asked that she might have a hundred sons, each equal in strength and virtue to her husband, Dhritarashtra. In due course, Gandhari conceived, and her pregnancy was blessed with spiritual vision. While Gandhari carried her child, Pandu—the son of Ambalika and a mighty warrior—was tormented by sorrow. He longed deeply for offspring but was bound by the curse of the deer, which forbade him from fathering children. The weight of this fate pressed heavily upon him, so much so that he ceased performing his royal and familial duties, overwhelmed by grief and regret. Pandu, who had attained great spiritual merit through his austerities, comparable to the sage Vishvamitra, fixed his mind on renouncing his body. In his anguish, he spoke to his beloved wife Kunti: “O beautiful one, every human is born owing four debts: to the ancestors, to the gods, to humanity, and to the sages. The wise say that one who does not discharge these debts in due time gains no blessed worlds. The gods are satisfied by sacrifice, the sages by study and austerity, mankind by compassion, and the ancestors by sons and ritual offerings. “Through my righteousness, I have freed myself from the debts to the gods, sages, and men. But the debt to the ancestors remains, and this is considered the highest. When the body perishes, so too does the debt to the ancestors, but if the other debts are neglected, the self is lost. Therefore, the wise strive for offspring, just as I myself was born to my father through the intervention of a great soul. Now, in this my field, how can I produce a son?” Pandu declared the supreme importance of having a son, surpassing all other duties, for in times of adversity, men—whether great or humble—yearn for a son. The virtuous desire excellent offspring, for such children are the fruit of righteousness. Having consulted the assembly of great Brahmins and considered the wisdom of the scriptures, Pandu, a knower of dharma, spoke privately to Kunti: “In this adversity, strive to produce offspring. Offspring, joined with righteousness, is the foundation of all the worlds—so say the wise who speak of eternal law. Sacrifice, gifts, austerity, and discipline—none of these can purify one who is without offspring. “Knowing this, O gentle-smiling one, I see that, being childless, I shall not attain the auspicious worlds. Therefore, I reflect. Indeed, being childless, I desire death, not life. You alone know the secret of the curse that has befallen me, and how, by a cruel act, I have been wholly struck down. “There are six kinds of sons who are considered kinsmen and heirs according to the law, and six others who are not. Listen as I explain: a son who is self-born, one who is appointed, one who is purchased, one born of a remarried woman, one born to an unmarried woman, and one born to a woman acting of her own will. There are also sons who are given, bought, artificial, self-arriving, raised together, relatives, and those born of a lower womb. “When there is no prior or more suitable son, one may seek a son; in adversity, a son may be sought from a brother-in-law or from a superior man. People obtain the best offspring, fruitful in righteousness, even from their own seed, as Manu, son of Svayambhu, declared. Therefore, I urge you today, since I am myself deprived of procreation. Offspring from one equal or superior is to be desired. “Listen, Kunti, to the story of Sharadandayini. Your virtuous sister, renowned Shrutasena, was wedded to the great Kaikeya, the illustrious Sharadandayana. Instructed by her elders on the matter of bearing a son, she bathed with devotion at night at the crossroads. Having chosen a learned and accomplished Brahmin, she performed the fire rite for a son, and, when the act was completed, she lived with him. There she bore three great warriors—Durjaya and others. So you too, blessed one, by my instruction, should strive to produce offspring from a Brahmin endowed with ascetic power.” Thus addressed, Kunti, ever devoted and steadfast, spoke to Pandu, her heroic and royal husband: “O knower of righteousness, you should not speak to me in this way. I am your devoted wife, O lotus-eyed one. O mighty-armed Bharata, you yourself will beget sons in me, heroic and strong, according to righteousness. O tiger among men, I wish to go to heaven together with you; for the sake of offspring, you alone should approach me, O joy of the Kurus. Indeed, I would not even in thought approach another man besides you. Who else on earth is superior to you? “Now, O righteous one, listen to this ancient story of virtue, O wide-eyed one. There was once a king named Vyushitasva, famed for his righteousness, who increased the line of Puru. When that mighty sacrificer performed his rites, the gods, along with Indra and the divine sages, arrived there. Indra rejoiced with Soma, and the twice-born received gifts at the sacrifice of the great-souled king Vyushitasva.” Thus, Kunti gently reminded Pandu of her unwavering devotion and invoked the stories of old, seeking to uphold both righteousness and her love for her husband.