Marriage of Bhima

The narrow escape put Kunti in a state of shock and apprehension. She could not put her sons at the mercy of Duryodhana and Shakuni. She was afraid they would again make attempt on their lives. Therefore, she pleaded with her sons to live incognito for time being. Accordingly they stayed in the forest for a few days.

Bhima Marries Hidimbi
This forest was under the rule of demon Hidimba and his sister Hidimbi. When the demons smelled the flesh of humans Hidimba decided to kill them and eat them as his food. He sent his sister to assess the situation.
But as the fate had it, Hidimbi fell in love with huge and powerfully built Bhima! She transformed herself into a beautiful woman and approached Bhima with desire to marry him. She told the evil designs of her brother to kill them. Bhima was not afraid, and decided to fight it out with Hidimba.
He all alone, without disturbing his brothers and mother, challenged the demon chieftain. The ensuing fight was very terrible, to say the least. Both of them fought with great gusto, uprooting huge trees and using them as their weapons. The noise and din created by the two fighting giants awoke remaining Pandavas and Kunti. They rushed to the scene of fight and found Bhima engaged in very unusual battle. In the end Hidimba was killed and Bhima was victorious.
This pleased Kunti very much and was also proud of his son Bhima. But presence of an unknown but beautiful lady by the side of Bhima puzzled her. When she inquired abut the same, Hidimbi herself told everyone about her real identity and her desire to marry Bhima. Kunti realized that not only Hidimbi was in true love with her son , but also she was instrumental in saving their lives. Therefore, she asked Bhima to fulfill the desire of Hidimbi. Bhima agreed on one condition, that he would leave her after they had one son. Hidimbi agreed and they were married.
They were blessed with the most powerful and obedient son - Ghatotkacha. This son of Bhima stayed with her mother, and promised his father to appear before him as soon as he remembered him. Later in the war of Mahabharata, we shall see how Ghatotkacha played very important role in saving lives of his father and Pandavas at the cost of his own life.

Sri Krishna and Pandavas
Kunti and Pandavas decided to leave the forest and go to nearby city. Accordingly, in guise of a Brahmin family, they decided to stay in the city of Ekchakra begging for their food from door to door. It was decided that they would equally share whatever they get amongst themselves.
The days passed by, one day they came to know about the announcement of the marriage of the beautiful princess of Panchal - Draupadi. Arjuna knew about the bravery and beauty of Draupadi and in fact was desirous of marrying her.
Sri Krishna, King of Dwaraka, had meanwhile become friend and saviour of Pandavas.

Sri Krishna
Numerous legends describe Krishna's miracles and heroic exploits. He slew and defeated scores of evil demons and monsters. He appears prominently in the epic poem Mahabharata, in which he sides with the Pandavas and acts as the charioteer of the hero Arjuna. It is to Arjuna, troubled on the eve of the decisive battle (more about which later), that Krishna delivers the celebrated discourse on duty and life known as the Bhagavad-Gita.

Jealous of Duryodhana

Bhishma, Dronacharya, and Vidura called a meeting to designate the next king, in place of Dhritarashtra. Two options were discussed. First, Yudhisthira being the eldest of the Kuru princes was considered for nomination. Second view, supported by Dhritarashtra and his brother-in-law Shakuni (brother of his wife queen Gandhari and maternal uncle of Duryodhana) was to select Duryodhana as the future king. But the opinion of Bhishma, Dronacharya, Kripacharya (Guru of the Royal House), and Vidura of nominating Yudhisthira as the heir-apparent prevailed.

Jealous Duryodhana Plans to Kill Pandavas
This naturally caused huge disappointment in Duryodhana's camp. Uncle Shakuni was well known for his villainous nature and cunning. He was displeased with the fact that his nephew Duryodhana was denied the chance to become the king. For this purpose in particular, he had come to stay at Hastinapur. He was well aware of the value and power of a king. Therefore, he lost no opportunity to humiliate and even to attempt to kill the Pandavas.
Soon the desired opportunity came to the evil minded Duryodhana and Shakuni to put an end to Pandavas.

Palace of Lac (combustible material)
In nearby town of Varnavata, a grand exhibition used to be arranged every year. The organizers always sent an invitation to the King of Hastinapur to send some members of Royal Family to grace the occasion. This time, Duryodhana and Shakuni persuaded Dhritarashtra to send Pandavas to Varnavata. The king agreed, and accordingly Pandavas were informed. Yudhisthira and brothers were also happy to get the opportunity to mix with the people of their kingdom and get first hand information about their problems or wellbeing.
Therefore, accompanied by their mother, Kunti, Pandavas decided to attend the exhibition at Varnavata.
As was customary, the organizers decided to build a temporary palatial house for their stay. The job was entrusted to one expert contractor whom Shakuni knew very well. Bribing the fellow, Duryodhana and Shakuni deliberated a secret plan to put an end to the life of Pandavas. It was decided that the palace that would house the Pandavas should be constructed out of highly inflammable material like Lac, resins, hemp, oil, fat, etc. the contractor completed his job very meticulously and it was not possible to detect any foul play from cursory outward examination of the house
. Duryodhana and uncle Shakuni arranged to send their secret agent in guise of a servant who was instructed to put the house on fire when Pandavas would be fast asleep. Death due to burns would appear as an accident.
Thus plan was sure to succeed had the spies of Vidura, the Prime Minister and well wisher of Pandavas, had not told Vidura about the same. Vidura, on his part, alerted the Pandavas about the 'death trap' and a solution was offered in the form of digging an underground tunnel in advance to fool the Kauravas. The tunnel opened in far off forest.
The house was torched as planned and it burnt to ashes within no time. Pandavas had already left through the tunnel, but five workers and servants were charred to death. Everyone, including the Karna, took Pandavas to be dead.
The narrow escape put Kunti in a state of shock and apprehension. She could not put her sons at the mercy of Duryodhana and Shakuni. She was afraid they would again make attempt on their lives. Therefore, she pleaded with her sons to live incognito for time being.
Accordingly they stayed in the forest for a few days.

Story of Daanveer Karna

The Complete Man- Karna

And no, he did not wear Raymonds. He wore his trademark kavach and kundals which were with him since birth. And giving them away was one of the steps in his downfall.


Well, unless you are Sanil, I think I would have lost you by now.


And if you still want to stay with me, best I start at the beginning....


- Raymond’s (India’s leading formal garments manufacture) commercial since the 80s positions the man who wears Raymonds as the The Complete Man 


- The man I am talking about who per me is the Complete Man did not wear Raymonds


- Because that man walked these lands eons ago when Raymonds suits were not really in fashion or even heard about


- And many would argue that this complete man I am talking about does not really exist


- He is not a movie character or a fictional book character


- He is a person from Indian mythology. And I say ‘person’ not ‘character’ as I believe that Indian mythology stories are real


- If I have you still with me, let me divulge that the Indian mythology I am talking about is the great and one and only- Mahabharat


- And the reason I referred to Sanil at the onset is because, besides me, he the only person I know who can listen to Mahabharat tales over and over again


So if by now you have not guessed where I am leading, then I recommend you stop reading. As you would not relate to anything from now onwards in this post.


The complete man (and my dream man) is Karna.


There was no one like him. And I don’t think there ever will be anyone like him.


For the uniformed, life of Karna in a nutshell. (Actually I tried to do it a nutshell but it was simply not possible to do justice to his story. So its definitely more than a nutshell.)


Karna’s Birth:


Karna was the illegitimate eldest son of Kunti. Kunti whose claim to fame in life is that she is the mother of the Pandavas- who basically are the heroes of the Mahabharat. 5 brothers- all righteous, brave, handsome and courageous. Kunti gave up Karna when he was born as she was unmarried (think of it like a modern teenage pregnancy).


Karna’s Formative Years


Karna was adopted by a chariot driver (think chauffeur). He had a modest upbringing but he always knew he was meant for bigger and better things. So he went to Guru Parshuram to learn the Art of War. The Guru only taught Brahmans (the equivalent to elite kids), so Karna lied to him that he was a Brahman.

Legend goes that one day his Guru (teacher) was sleeping on his lap and a scorpion bit Karna on his back. The sting was great that blood was dripping down his body. But Karna did not budge lest his Guru’s sleep got disturbed. But the hot blood spilled on the Guru and he woke up with a start. When he saw the scorpion’s bite on Karna’s back he was furious. He knew that a Brahman could never bear such pain. And thus he confronted Karna about his lie. Karna admitted to the truth- he was a Kshatriya (warrior) not a Bharman. The Guru was angry and cursed him that because he lied to his teacher, all his teachings would fail Karna when he needs them the most. 2nd reason for Karna’s downfall.


Karna was shocked to be kicked out of the school and as he was walking home, he killed a cow purely by error. The cow’s owner cursed him (it was really not a good day for Karna) that just the way Karna killed a cow when she could not defend herself, he too one day would be killed when he was defenceless. 3rd step in his downfall.


At this juncture I would like to pause and remind my readers that curses were HUGE on Indian mythology. Almost every major event in Mahabharat can be attributed directly towards a curse. Think after the debacle of Mahabharat, the Gods decided to not allow the use of curses so freely. Can you imagine if you and I had the power to curse someone? OMG! Disaster would strike! Every time a client rejected a script, someone would curse someone- it would just not be pretty!


Meeting Duryodhan


This was the turning point in Karna’s life. He was the best archer in the country. Yes, he was better than Arjun! It’s a little known fact that when Kuru princes- Pandavas (good brothers) and the Kauravas (their evil cousins- 100 in all- don’t ask how!) had come together to showcase (show off is more like it) their skills, Dronacharya (the royal teacher) did not let Karna compete because he knew Karna would kick Arjun’s ass.


So Dornacharaya questioned him about his parentage and when he revealed that he was a charioteer’s son, he was disqualified from the championship. This was when Duryodhan stepped him and made Karna the king of Angad and offered his hand in friendship.


Karna never forgot this grand gesture and vowed to be Duryodhan’s friend for life. And thus Karna became a part of the bad guy’s camp.


Pre-War

Between meeting Duryodhan and the war of Mahabharat, a great many things happened- but I will have to leave that for another post. Bottom line the good guys (Pandavas) fought a war against the bad guys (Kauravas). The war of Kurukshetra- the fight that symbolised the triumph of good over evil.

Before the war many people tried to sway Karna to fight on the side of the Pandavas (the good guys for the people who can’t keep up)- who were technically his brothers. The first person to try it was Lord Krishna. He used the lure of the kingdom. Then was his birth mother Kunti- who tried to evoke the responsibility of a son and the emotions of a mother. (I never really liked Kunti. Who gives up a child like that? And even now she was acting out of motherly emotions, alright. But they were for her real sons the Pandavas and not necessarily for her illegitimate son Karna). He most courteously refused her too, but with a promise that he would only kill Arjum (his nemesis) and none of his other half-brothers.

Lord Indra who was Arjun’s God tricked Karna into giving up his kavach (shield- which Karna never took out as it had magical powers to protect him). Karna knew it was Lord Indra disguised as a beggar asking for his kavach. But as it was a request he received right his morning bath and prayer, he complied- as Lord Indra knew he would. That’s why Karna was known as “Danveer Karna” (the generous one). Lord Indra was so impressed with Karna’s generosity and principles that he gave him a weapon that would never fail. But it could only be used once. Karna had always intended to use this weapon against Arjun as it was an infallible weapon.


Karna owed his allegiance to Duryodhan even though he knew in his heart that Duryodhan was in the wrong. Karna’s anger towards the Pandav clan for not accepting him and his enmity with Arjun in particular were his only failings. So even though Karna knew he was fighting on the side of evil, he took Duryodhan’s side in the great war of Mahabharat.


During the War


• Krana lived up to his promise to Kunti. He had an opportunity to kill each one of his half-brothers (except Arjun) but he let them go.


• He was saving his infallible weapon for Arjun- as that would guarantee him victory. But when Ghatorkaj (Bheem’s half-demon son) was killing off the Kaurava army by the hundreds, Karna could not bear to watch the poor soldiers die like that. So he used the infallible weapon gifted to him by Indra on Ghatorkaj.


• And then came the fateful day...


Even the Gods had stopped to watch the archery war between the 2 greats- Arjun and Karna. And at the height of the clash, the wheel of Karna’s chariot got stuck in the mud. Karna got off his chariot to get the wheel out.


And now came that moment which brings up the question which is older than Mahabharat itself- Do the ends justify the means?

Krishna instructed Arjun to kill Karna while he was ‘nihatha’ (weaponless) even though rules of war state that no warrior will raise his arms against an opponent who is without his weapon. But Krishna knew that in a fair war, Arjun would not be able defeat Karna. His rationale was that killing Karna was critical to win the war and hence a necessary evil.


Also the 2 curses worked against Karna too:


1) His guru’s teachings failed him when he needed them most


2) He would be killed when he was defenceless just like he had killed the cowherd’s cow


And Arjun raised his bow and shot an arrow that pierced Karna’s heart.


I cry whenever I read this part of the story. It’s so sad! Poor Karna! Not many people were left to grieve him either. So that was the end of Karna’s tragic life story.


And now to the topic of this post- Why is Karna the complete man?

1) His Looks


We all know how important those are! Karna was supposed to be very handsome. More so than even the Pandav brothers- Nakul and Sahdev-who have been said to be most handsome amongst all the 5  Pandav brothers. Tall, board shoulders, radiant face and a winning smile (OK I added the winning smile bit, as there are not many Karna images available with him smiling. But my heart knows he had one!)


2) His Scruples


Karna was a very principled man. Truthful, honest, forthright, courageous, generous and most important loyal. His loyalty was a double edged sword though. As even though his loyalty towards Duryodhan was rightly placed as a friend, it led him to fight on the side of evil.


3) His Personality and Character


Karna never got his dues- not as a son, not as a warrior, not as a King. But he never gave up. His entire life from birth to his demise was a struggle. At every turn he had to fight for his right. Nothing ever came easy to him. But that never made him bitter against humanity. He was truly a noble sprit who constantly strived, but seldom achieved. He is still idealized as an inspiration for struggling humanity to not lose heart.


4) Simply the Best


It is said that when Drupadi was once praying for a husband, she asked that her husband be:


1) Righteous and good


2) Strong and brave


3) A great warrior


4) Good looking


5) Handsome


Lord Shiva told her that no one man can have all the 5 qualities. But as Drupadi (who was extremely stubborn) would not relent, Lord Shiva granted her wish. Except she had to be the wife of 5 brothers- each Pandav brother had one of the qualities she desired. Yudhistra (righteous and good); Bheem (strong and brave); Arjun (a great warrior); Nakul and Sahdev (good looking/handsome).


However it is said, Karna had all these 5 qualities- he was after all technically the eldest of Kunti’s son. He simply had the best of all the 5 Pandava brothers rolled into 1.


5) The underdog


Finally Karna always has had everyone sympathies- as he was the underdog. He is the classic rags to riches story (well almost). He fought, he strived and he paid a heavy price for it all. He never got the love and the respect that he carved for all his life. And his achievements were glorified and his noble spirit honoured, only after his death.


For me...


...Karna symbolizes lost love. He was someone who had so much to give, but had no one to give it to. There was no one who would accept him for what and who he was. He was charming, loving, principled, generous. He was the simple nice guy, but with the edgy attitude. He stood his ground with an élan that befits a true hero.

Story of Eklavya

Near the ashrama of Drona, where Arjuna and his brothers used to take lessons in various arts, there lived a small bright boy, shudra by caste (lower caste). His name was Eklavya. He had great desire to learn the art of archery from Dronacharya. But his mother had told him that as a shudra, Acharya Drona would not accept Eklavya as his disciple. It was futile to dream of such a privilege.
But the boy was not be put off, his determination knew no bounds. Near his house, under a tree Eklavya installed a clay idol of Dronacharya that he worshiped as his Guru! Daily, morning and evening, this devotee put flower and natural perfumes in front of this image and took Self-Lessons in the art of bow and arrow. The talented young Eklavya soon acquired high knowledge in archery. He attributed his success to his Guru Dronacharya.
One day, as it happened, Acharya Drona and Arjuna were passing near the hut of Eklavya. It was pleasant and peaceful afternoon and people were taking rest. But the tranquility and silence was broken by constant barking of a dog. Eklavya did not like this, and therefore, he shut the mouth of the dog with an arrow! Dronacharya and Arjuna were surprised to see the dog with his mouth sealed with an arrow!
Naturally the curious Arjuna asked his Gurudev as to who could have done this delicate job. Even Dronacharya was amazed and knew the archer must be exceptionally skilled artist. They decided to trace this skillful fellow and reached the spot where Eklavya was practicing wonders with his bow and arrow in front of the clay image of Drona. It took no time for Dronacharya to understand the situation. He realized that Eklavya was superior to Arjuna in some respects. Dronacharya loved Arjuna very much and had declared him to be the best archer on the earth. Hence the Guru thought for awhile and came to a decision to remove Eklavya as a competitor to Arjuna.
Dronacharya went to Eklavya and said, "O young man, who has taught you such wonderful skills in archery! Who is your Guru?"
Seeing the Guru in front of him, the boy Eklavya was more that overjoyed and said, "Why, O Gurudev, this all is your grace! I worship you as my Guru. Look you are there in that image!"
Dronacharya was pleased with the dedication of Eklavya, and said, "I bless you my son. But as is customary, won't you give me my fees - Guru-Dakshina!"
It is customary in India to give to the Guru whatever he demands as his fees - Guru-Dakshina for the knowledge the Guru has given to the disciple.
Eklavya was overwhelmed to see Dronacharya had accepted him as his disciple! Out he said, "O Honourable Teacher, whatever you ask, this humble disciple of yours will try his utmost to offer you as Guru-Dakshina! I am blessed."
And now comes a very touching and pathetic incidence in Mahabharata.
Guru Drona said, "O Eklavya, I am pleased with your respect for Guru. I want the thumb of your right hand as my fees- Guru-Dakshina."
The trees and atmosphere around stood still for a minute! Even Arjuna was stunned on listening to the unusual and almost cruel demand of his Guru. To ask for the thumb of an archer was equivalent to almost kill him! How could Dronacharya demand such a heavy prize from one disciple to protect the honour of the other!
But Eklavya had no such remorse. Unruffled and with due humility, cheerfully and without protest, he cut his right thumb and placed at the feet of Dronacharya. Gods in the heaven silently praised the greatness of Eklavya's sacrifice.

Story of Arjuna

Childhood
The princes grew into wonderful children. After thread ceremony, they all went for studies to the ashrama of their Guru Acharya Drona (also called Dronacharya) - Teacher of the Royal family. Dronacharya was well versed in ancient scriptures -- Vedas and Upanishads, as well as in practices of Yogas and Meditation. Besides he was adept in various martial and other arts useful in war time, useful in defence and attack. In particular, Acharya Drona was the supreme authority on training his disciples in the art of archery.

Story of Arjuna
Out of all Pandavas and Kauravas, Arjuna had immense liking for the sport of bow and arrow. He practiced this art with great concentration and perseverance. Soon he became numero uno in this art. Acharya Drona was very much pleased with Arjuna and showed preferential love and favour towards him. This caused a natural adolescence jealousy in the heart of Duryodhana and his brother Dushasana. Duryodhana, in particular, did not like Arjuna and other Pandavas and silently ill feelings like hatred towards Pandavas took birth in his heart.
One day they openly criticized their Guru for favour shown towards Arjuna, telling him they also were not less skillful in archery. As a reply to their criticism, Acharya Drona arranged a test to decide the best archer amongst all.
Accordingly, a wooden bird was put on a branch of a distant tree. It was partly hidden by the foliage. A prominent artificial eye was painted on the wooden bird. The teacher called all his disciples and said, "Look my children, a bird is sitting on that far off tree. You have to hit the arrow exactly in its eye. Are you ready?"
Everyone nodded. First the eldest Yudhisthira was invited to try his skill. He stretched his bow-string and was about to release the arrow when Dronacharya asked him a question, "O eldest son of Kunti, may I know what is visible to you at this point of time?"
Yudhisthira replied innocently, "Why, O Gurudev, I am seeing you, the tree, people around me, and the bird!"
Similar questions were put to Duryodhana, Bhima, Nakul, Sahadeva and others, and Acharya Drona got the similar answers as those given by Yudhisthira. Acharya told them to step aside as it was obvious that with such poor concentration they were sure to miss the target!
Lastly, it was the turn of Arjuna. He readied himself, his bow and arrow in perfect graceful harmony! When the Guru asked him, "O Arjuna, will you tell me what is being observed by you?"
And Arjuna replied, "Sir, at this point of time only the eye of the bird is visible to me." When asked by the teacher whether he was able to see the bird, the tree, and people around, Arjuna replied in negative maintaining that he saw the eye of the bird only.
Dronacharya was pleased with Arjuna's immense concentration and correct approach towards the art of archery. He then explained to others how due to such peculiar yogic qualities and powers he preferred Arjuna as his best disciple.
Everyone saw the point, including Duryodhana; but the seed of jealousy was sown in his heart. In his attempt to equal Arjuna and other Pandavas, Duryodhana fell victim to anger and similar base emotions the effect of which would sure to show later in our story.

Story of Bhishma

Bhishma was son of Shantanu and the river goddess Ganges. His mother Ganges had left Shantanu after giving birth to Bhishma. That is different story which would be included in appendix.
Having given his word of honour to his step mother, Satyavati, Bhishma remained celibate all through his life. Marriage was never thought of, nor any sensual desire ever arose in his mind. This great Yogi was adept in many Yogas and practice of meditation.
His truthfulness was such that whatever he spoke came true. He knew every martial art and war tricks. He was the most respected person in the kingdom of Hastinapur. Reverentially he was called Bhishma Pitamaha - Grandsire Bhishma.
He served his step mother, then her son Vichitravirya, later his sons Pandu and Dhritarashtra as a mark of loyalty to the throne of Hastinapur. He was well aware of the weaknesses and ethical decline in the character of his grandsons, and could foresee the cumulative tragedy that was sure to befall the kingdom of Hastinapur. Bhishma was well aware of jealousy of Duryodhana towards Pandavas which he at times openly disapproved. But even this righteous behavior of Bhishma was taken as tilt towards Pandavas and dislike for Kauravas. But, lest his reproach be seen as his disloyalty to Hastinapur, he kept quiet as a silent suffering head of the clan. As a silent and helpless witness Bhishma tolerated all this with melancholy. He never made any attempt to become king of Hastinapur, or to dislodge the weak and morally selfish successor to the throne. Vidura as his best friend understood the peculiar predicament and mental state of Bhishma.
Bhishma, Dronacharya, Vidura, Kripacharya, all righteous in their own way, were still at fault because, though helpless, they served and sided with the non-righteous Duryodhana and Dhritarashtra.
Story of Daanveer Karna
Before marriage, Kunti, wife of Pandu, was immersed in god worship, meditation and Yoga. She undertook arduous austere practices to please God. In fact, out of curiosity she was experimenting with the power of Yoga and concentration associated with intense devotion to God. Her prayers and spiritual practices were rewarded with the blessings of Sun God, who granted her a boon by which she, if and when desired, would get a son from luminous deity without physical contact!
To test her newly acquired power, still unmarried, Kunti decided to have a son from Sun God Himself. She prayed and wished as told to her. And wonder of wonders, a most beautiful and powerful son was born to her. He had inborn protective armour over his chest and in his ears - the kavacha and kundalas. This was "Karna", Kunti's eldest son and the most important and controversial character of our future story.
In India, as today, in those days also, teenage pregnancy and unwedded motherhood were great taboo. Kunti, the unwedded mother, became apprehensive to receive Karna as her son. 'What to do with such a lovely child', was a great problem for her. She could not kill the newborn, nor could she keep him. What would the people say? How would the society react to her shameful act, she would shudder to think.
A great blot on her character would be put, blot of premarital sex and promiscuity. Nobody would believe her story that she has received the child from the Sun God out of her power of Yoga.
Kunti, therefore, decided to desert the child Karna. She prepared a wooden basket, provided cushions inside, and put the little Karna in it. She left the basket afloat in the river currents to run off to the unknown destination, away from her life!
After a few days, a couple in a far off town sighted the basket. Both husband and wife were curious to see the basket floating in the river. The man swam down the river and fetched the basket to the bank. They were surprised to find a healthy new-born baby in it! This childless couple was immensely pleased to find a new born in their custody. As if merciful God had gracefully granted them their desired prayer! With tenderness Radha took Karna to her chest. The motherly love produced enough milk in her breast to satisfy the hunger of the starving baby.
Karna, the powerful and radiant as his father - Sun God, protected by the armour of kavacha and kundalas, grew into his childhood. Away from the real mother Kunti, he accepted Radha as her real mother.
Karna's foster parents were charioteers by caste: Adhiratha and Radha by name. (Radha brought up Karna as her son and hence Karna is also known as Radheya. As he was brought up by these low caste parents, Karna is also known as Sut-Putra. Later we shall see how this caste factor plays an important role in his adult life.)
After marriage with Pandu, Kunti wished for three very powerful sons: Yudhisthira, Bhima, and Arjuna. Moreover, Madri had two issues: Nakul and Sahadeva. But the king Pandu and Madri died when all the five children were very young. Kunti promised Madri to look after her Nakul and Sahadeva as her own children without any discrimination. Thus the five brothers came to be known as sons of Pandu -the Pandavas. Their love and affection for each other was (is) set as an example for others, till today also! Thus the five Pandavas grew under the loving care of Mother Kunti. No one knew about their elder brother, Karna - the first son of Kunti born before her marriage.
Dhritarashtra now became the king of Hastinapur. Dhritarashtra and Gandhari had one hundred sons and daughters. These were called as Kauravas. The eldest amongst them was Duryodhana. The second eldest was Dushasana Dushala was their only sister. As cousins they played and grew with Pandavas without any ill feeling or discrimination. Kunti and Gandhari lived like sisters, and each one thought she had 105 sons and daughters!

Story of King Shantanu

Under such ethos and culture, the kingdom of Kuru king Shantanu prospered around Hastinapur. Business and commerce, peace and prosperity, art and literature flourished all around. People both inside the palace and out side were happy. High standard of education, both secular and spiritual, was maintained through the system of Gurukula (students staying with their teacher in an ashrama during their studentship.) Hard work, honesty, and sincerity made these students better citizens. The teacher -Guru- was well versed in all aspects of arts and science related with politics, statesmanship, warfare and economics. Yoga and meditation were routinely included in the curricula.
Once king Shantanu went for hunting. He reached deep into the forest across a river. After many hours of horse ride and laborious chase the tired king instructed his attendants to carry his horse and other possessions, and himself decided to return to his palace in a ferry boat.
The boatman, fisherman by caste, recognized the king and felt honored to have such a distinguished guest on his boat. Such occasions did not come in his life very often. He decided to make most of it. Therefore, he requested the king to accept his hospitality in his humble hut.
The king agreed. Together they reached the boatman's house for refreshments. The boatman tried to make the king as comfortable as he could by offering the king soft cushioned seat, fruits and milk. He called his daughter to serve the honoured guest. And as the fate had it, the king fell in love with the fisherman's daughter (Satyavati) at first sight! Their eyes met and love was exchanged.
King Shantanu made hasty departure and returned to his palace. But the love bug had made his nights sleepless. The constant thought of beautiful daughter of fisherman made him restless and love-sick.
The king started making secret visits to the fisherman's house. Fisherman did not object, why should he! The love between the king and Satyavati blossomed into the dreams of conjugal bliss. The king wanted to marry her.
Shantanu already had one son, named Bhishma, the most powerful, intelligent, and glorious of all the Kurus. His personality was unique and impressive in many ways. His truthfulness, bravery, and righteousness were beyond reproach. If once he decided anything, he was sure to stick to his word at any cost.
The Great Bhishma
As already said, the king wanted to marry the daughter of fisherman - Satyavati. The father was accordingly informed. Here the fisherman became greedy! He thought, "As the tradition goes, Bhishma is elder and will succeed the throne of Hastinapur. My daughter's son will be younger and hence will be denied the chance to become the king. Moreover, when Bhishma marries, his son will succeed to the throne and not my daughter's son."
Hence, the greedy fisherman told her daughter to marry the king only on the condition that

(1.) Bhishma should never aspire for the throne of Hastinapur, and
(2.) secondly, he should never marry.
The two conditions were too harsh for king Shantanu to accept. This was clearly a great injustice towards his beloved son Bhishma. Therefore, the king did not accept the conditions immediately. He bought some time to give his final decision.
The days passed by. The king could not forget Satyavati, nor could he do injustice to Bhishma. This dilemma told on his health and performance of royal duties. He lost his appetite and took no interest in the affairs of his kingdom. These changes did not remain unknown to the intelligent eyes of Bhishma.
Bhishma decided to go to the root cause of the unhappiness of his father. He soon came to know all about his father's love for Satyavati and his desire to marry her. Bhishma decided to bring cheers in the life of his father. He went to Satyavati and, after introducing himself, requested her (would be step mother) to marry his father.
Satyavati repeated her two conditions to Bhishma now: that

(1.) Bhishma should never aspire for the throne of Hastinapur, and
(2.) secondly, he should never marry.
The firm-minded Bhishma vowed in front of her saying, "O mother, I, upon my word and in presence of this river Ganges, pledge never to marry and never to aspire for the throne of Hastinapur. In addition, till my last breath, I promise that I shall be loyal to the throne of Hastinapur whosoever occupies it." Thus indirectly Bhishma assured the fisher-woman that her son would be accepted as the future king of Hastinapur.
Happy days returned as the king Shantanu married Satyavati. The queen gave birth to two sons named Chitrangad and Vichitravirya.
The Kingdom Of Hastinapur
Days passed by. King Shantanu died natural death of old age. His elder son Chitrangad also died in young age. Hastinapur came under the rule of Vichitravirya and continued to flourish under his rule. Vichitravirya was married to three princesses, but as the fate had it, could not become father. Soon Vichitravirya also was killed in a battle without any issue. His queens were offered a child each from a great sage as a blessing and through his Yogic Power (without physical contact). The two queens followed the instructions and gave birth to Dhritarashtra and Pandu respectively; but the third queen sent her maid to the sage, and Vidura was born of the maid as the third son.
Dhritarashtra was blind from the birth, and therefore Pandu succeeded the throne of Hastinapur. Pandu, Dhritarashtra, and Bhishma grew up as friends and conducted the affairs of the state with great foresight. They all respected each other. Vidura was most righteous of all and was chosen as the Prime Minister of Hastinapur. Pandu married Kunti (aunt of Sri Krishna) and princess Madri; while Dhritarashtra was married to Gandhari, the princess of Gandhar. This noble lady also kept her eyes folded throughout her life as an mark of respect to her blind husband Dhritarashtra.