In the previous episode, we have been witnessing King Dhirdiraashtra and Paandu having children separately – One at Hastinapura and the other in the forest. As time progressed, Kunthi Devi used her “Mantra” route to start obtaining children. Meanwhile, Gaandhaari, who was blessed by Sage Veda-Vyaasa for a hundred children, also started carrying. Both the ladies became pregnant for their respective first children precisely at the same time. However, Yudishtra was born much earlier than Gaandhaari’s eldest son, Duryodhana. Gaandhaari’s pregnancy lasted for almost two years, and within this time, Kunthi had started carrying her second child as well! Frustrated by this, Gaandhaari “forced open” her stomach, only to find a ball of meat which fell on the floor from her uterus. Shocked thus, Gaandhaari requested Sage Vyaasa for a solution again, and according to his guidance, the meat ball was split into a hundred pieces, each piece put into individual pots filled with ghee. As time progressed, each pot burst into pieces and the babies were born out of them. Thus, Gaandhaari had hundred babies from the hundred pots that were kept there. The eldest son of Gaandhaari was none other than Duryodhana. By the time Duryodhana was born, precisely on the same day, Bheemasena took birth to Kunthi Devi, who was her second son after Yudishtra.
Thus, after this day wherein Duryodhana and Bheemasena were born, Gaandhaari was obtaining a baby every day from the pots for the next hundred days. However, Kunthi Devi had her third child, Arjuna only after one more year. Thus, for Kunthi Devi, Yudishtra was born first. Subsequently after one year, Bheemasena was born. Again, subsequently after one more year, Arjuna was born. Thus, these three children took birth in the forest for erstwhile King Paandu and Kunthi Devi, and the hundred children took birth at Hastinapura for King Dhirdiraashtra and Gaandhaari. Meanwhile, as Kunthi Devi was happy with the three children that she had, Paandu was wanting to have a fourth child. However, Kunthi Devi refused to have more than three children as she thought that it might create problems when the fourth child arrives. However, Maadri Devi, Paandu’s another wife also wanted to have children with Paandu. For this, both Kunthi Devi and Paandu were ready, and with Kunthi Devi’s help, Maadri Devi prayed towards the “Ashwini Devatas” for obtaining children. As a result of her prayers, Maadri Devi had twin children by names “Nakula” and “Sahadeva”.
Thus, the five Paandava brothers took birth, namely, Yudishtra, Bheemasena, Arjuna, Nakula and Sahadeva. Similarly, the Kaurava brothers, starting from Duryodhana and Duchhaasana were born at Hastinapura and with this, days, months and years rolled by. The children were growing up fast. However, one day, as Paandu and Maadri Devi were together in the forest, it started to rain heavily. As it was raining, both of them got drenched, and with this, Paandu got carried away by Maadri Devi’s physical beauty. Thus, as fate would have had it, Paandu tried to get into a union with Maadri Devi, even though she tried stopping him from doing that. Maadri Devi tried to remind King Paandu of the curse that he had obtained from Sage Kindama and that, he had the responsibility to bring up the five children. However, Paandu turned deaf ears to whatever Maadri Devi tried to say. As Paandu entered into a union with Maadri Devi, the curse worked and showed its true colour! King Paandu was killed then and there and with this, Sage Kindama’s curse came true!
Shocked by what had happened, Kunthi Devi rushed to the spot and however, it was too late by then! Meanwhile, Maadri Devi also confessed to Kunthi Devi that she had tried her best to stop him from getting close to her, but she failed in her attempt! Fate had the last laugh! Highly dejected by this, Maadri Devi too decided to breathe her last, along with her late husband, Paandu, and thus, both of them attained the “Svarga Lokha” together. Now it was upto Kunthi Devi to take care of the five children. The responsibility was not an ordinary one for Kunthi Devi. She had a huge challenge in front of her! So for today, let us understand upto this particular point, and in the next episode we shall witness what happened to the five Paandava brothers and Kunthi Devi, post Paandu’s demise! Stay tuned! 🙂
The Indian Dharma 