Madri, longing for a child and weighed down by sorrow, approached her husband Pandu and pleaded, “Grant me a son, O noble one; what should I do, O great king? Remove my sorrow, lord.” Hearing her earnest request, Pandu asked Kunti, his first wife, for help. Kunti, ever compassionate, shared with Madri the sacred mantra she herself possessed. With Pandu’s consent, Madri invoked the mantra, but used it only once, wishing for a single son. Madri’s mind turned to the twin Ashvins, the divine physicians, and through their blessing, she gave birth to Nakula and Sahadeva, sons of the king of Madra, radiant and noble. Thus, year after year, in that forest, the five Pandavas were born—each by the grace of different gods, each conceived in the field, O best of twice-born. One day, Pandu saw Madri alone in the hermitage. Overcome by desire and unaware of the doom that awaited him, he seized her. Despite Madri’s repeated pleas, “No, no, no,” Pandu embraced her. But fate intervened: Pandu suddenly fell to the ground, lifeless. Madri, still young, collapsed in grief, as a vine falls from a tree when its support is cut. She wept bitterly. Soon, Kunti returned, also weeping, her children in tow. The great sages, hearing the commotion, gathered at the hermitage. They saw that Pandu had died. With steadfast vows, the sages performed the rites, cremating Pandu on the bank of the Ganges. Madri, resolved to follow her husband in death, entrusted her two sons to Kunti, upholding righteousness and the truthfulness of devoted wives. After performing water offerings and other rites, the sages took Kunti and her five sons to Hastinapura. News of their arrival reached Bhishma, Vidura, and others, who hurried to the city of Dhritarashtra. All assembled to meet them. The people asked Kunti, “Whose sons are these, O beautiful one?” Knowing Pandu’s curse and filled with sorrow, Kunti replied, “These sons are born of the gods, descendants of the Kuru line.” To assure all, Kunti summoned the gods. The gods appeared in the sky and declared, “These are indeed our sons.” Bhishma honored their words, and the sons of the gods were celebrated. Joyful at heart, Bhishma and the elders took the sons and their mother to Nagapura, caring for them with devotion. Thus, the Parthas—the Pandavas—were born and protected by Bhishma, son of Ganga. Suta continued: Draupadi, the wife of the five Pandavas, was honored and devoted to her husbands. She bore five sons, each exceedingly handsome. Arjuna’s wife was Subhadra, Krishna’s noble sister, whom Arjuna—called Jishnu—had taken, esteemed by Hari. From Subhadra was born the great hero Abhimanyu, who was tragically slain on the battlefield, as were Draupadi’s sons. Abhimanyu’s wife, the beautiful daughter of King Virata, gave birth to a son at the end of her lineage. But that child was killed by a storm of arrows. Yet, Krishna himself, with wondrous power, brought Abhimanyu’s son back to life, though he had been burned by the fire of Drona’s arrows. When the dynasties were nearly extinguished, such an excellent son was born; he 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, tormented by sorrow for her sons. Yudhishthira, afflicted, served them both day and night. Vidura, exceedingly righteous, enlightened them with wisdom, and, with Yudhishthira’s consent, stayed by his brother’s side. Yudhishthira, the righteous son of Dharma, rendered service to his father, seeking to ease the sorrow of losing his sons. Bhima, however, was enraged and struck Dhritarashtra with words as sharp as arrows, so all assembled could 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.” Day after day Bhima uttered such harsh words, but Yudhishthira would comfort Dhritarashtra, saying, “This one is a fool.” After eighteen years of sorrow, Dhritarashtra asked Yudhishthira for permission to go to the forest. He requested, “Today I wish to offer the prescribed oblation for my sons. Bhima has performed the funeral rites for all here, but not for my sons, remembering former enmity. If you give me wealth and perform the funeral rites, I will go to the forest to practice austerities that grant the fruit of heaven.” Privately, at Vidura’s urging, Yudhishthira resolved to give wealth to the supplicant Dhritarashtra. Summoning his ministers, he declared, “O blessed ones, I will give wealth to my father, who desires the funeral offering.” Hearing these words, Hanuman, mighty-armed and full of energy, became angry and spoke in the gathering: “Wealth should be given, O greatly fortunate one, for Duryodhana’s benefit—what more? Even a blind man attains happiness; what could be greater foolishness than this? Because of your ill counsel, we have suffered hardship in the forest, and the greatly blessed Draupadi was brought away by the wicked one.” Thus, the story unfolds: the births, the sorrows, the deaths, and the enduring devotion and righteousness of the Pandavas and their kin.