Once, as a learned discourse on dharma was taking place, King Pandu attentively listened to a profound statement, well-questioned and well-explained by a wise sage. The sage declared, “For one without a son, there is no passage to heaven, O subduer of foes. By any means possible, one should ensure the birth of a son.” He elaborated on the various ways a son might be obtained: one may be born of a portion, to a maiden, as field-born, or as a foundling; also, as a child from a vessel, one raised by the husband, one born out of wedlock, one purchased, or one found in the forest. Furthermore, a son may be given by another in incapacity, or be a receiver of wealth. However, with each successive type, the son is considered less legitimate than the previous—this, the sage concluded, was the proper understanding. Hearing this, King Pandu turned to his lotus-eyed queen, Kunti, and said, “Quickly produce a son by approaching a sage engaged in austerity. By my command, there is no fault in you; O great one, once, as I have heard, Vasiṣṭha begot a son named Saudāsa upon the queen.” Kunti replied, “O lord, I possess a mantra that grants all desires, bestowed upon me earlier by the sage Durvāsas. With this mantra, I can invoke any god, and he will surely come to me when called.” Thus, at her husband’s command and mindful of the highest dharma, Kunti invoked the mantra. She united with Dharma, and thus her first son, Yudhiṣṭhira, was born. In the following years, she invoked Vāyu and bore Vṛkodara, and then Indra, from whom Arjuna was born—three mighty sons, each in turn, year after year. Mādrī, Pandu’s other queen, approached him and pleaded, “Grant me a son, O noble one; what should I do, great king? Remove my sorrow, lord.” Moved by compassion and at her husband’s request, Kunti gave Mādrī the sacred mantra. With Pandu’s consent, Mādrī used it, invoking the twin Ashvins, and from them she bore Nakula and Sahadeva, the radiant sons of the king of Madra. Thus, in that forest, year after year, the five Pāṇḍavas—born of the gods and conceived in the field—came into the world, O best of the twice-born. One day, Pandu saw Mādrī alone in the hermitage. Overcome by desire and unaware of the misfortune awaiting him, he seized her, though she pleaded again and again, “No, no, no.” He embraced his beloved, but by the force of fate, he fell lifeless to the ground. As a vine falls from a tree when its support is cut, so did Mādrī, still young, collapse and weep bitterly. Soon, Kunti returned, weeping, with the children. The great sages, hearing the commotion, gathered there. Pandu had died. The sages, steadfast in their vows, performed the funeral rites with fire and cremated him on the banks of the Ganges. Resolving to follow her husband in death, Mādrī entrusted her two sons to Kunti, upholding righteousness and the truthfulness of devoted wives. After performing water offerings and the necessary rites, the resident sages took Kunti, together with her five sons, to Hastinapura. When their arrival was heard, Bhishma, Vidura, and others went to the city of Dhritarashtra, and all assembled there. The people asked Kunti, “Whose sons are these, O beautiful one?” Knowing of Pandu’s curse, Kunti was filled with sorrow, but replied, “These sons are born of the gods, descendants of the Kuru line.” For assurance, Kunti summoned the gods, who appeared in the sky and declared, “These are indeed our sons.” Bhishma honored their words, and the sons of the gods were revered. With joy in their hearts, Bhishma and the elders took the sons and their mother to Nagapura, caring for them with devotion. Thus, the Parthas—the sons of Pritha—were born and protected by Bhishma, son of Ganga. Now, hear the tale of the Pandavas and the story of their descendants. Suta said: Draupadi, the noble wife of the five brothers, was honored and utterly devoted to her husbands. She bore five sons, each exceedingly handsome, one by each husband. Arjuna’s wife was Subhadra, the noble sister of Krishna. She was once taken by Jishnu (Arjuna), esteemed by Hari (Krishna). From her was born the great hero Abhimanyu, who was later slain on the battlefield, as were Draupadi’s sons. Abhimanyu’s wife, the beautiful daughter of Virata, gave birth to a son at the end of their lineage, but the child was killed by a shower of arrows. Yet, by Krishna’s wondrous power, that nephew’s son was brought back to life, though he had been burned by the fire of Drona’s arrows. Because he was born when the dynasties were nearly extinguished, this excellent child became renowned on earth as Parikshit. When his sons were slain, Dhritarashtra was overwhelmed with grief and remained in the Pandava kingdom, afflicted by Bhima’s harsh words and arrows. Gandhari too stayed there, deeply tormented by sorrow for her sons. Yudhishthira, himself afflicted, served them both day and night. Vidura, exceedingly righteous, enlightened them with the eye of wisdom, and with Yudhishthira’s consent, stayed by his brother’s side. The righteous son of Dharma (Yudhishthira) also rendered service to his uncle, as if to make him forget the sorrow arising from the loss of his sons. Yet, as Dhritarashtra sat and listened, Bhima, exceedingly enraged, struck him with words as sharp as arrows, for all to hear: “By me all your sons, O wicked blind one, were slain in battle; I drank the blood of Dushasana, and found it most satisfying. This blind man shamelessly eats the food I give, like a vulture or a dog; this person lives in vain.” Thus unfolds the sacred tale of the Pandavas, their birth by divine grace, their protection, and the sorrow and strife that followed in their lineage.