Physical Address
Empirical System, 105 First Floor Pitru Krupa, Opp. R.K. Desai College, Koparli Road, Vapi (Gujarat) 396 191
In the kingdom of Hastinaapur, King Pandu’s life took a dramatic turn when he fell under a powerful curse that changed his fate forever.
Pandu was a mighty king and the ruler of Hastinaapur. He was married to Two, queens, Kunti and Madri. While on a hunting expedition in the forest, Pandu accidentally shot an arrow at a deer that was engaged in mating. The deer was actually a sage named Kindama and his wife, who had taken the form of deer to enjoy their privacy in the forest.
As Kindama lay dying, he cursed Pandu. The curse was that whenever Pandu would attempt to engage in intimacy with his wives, he would die immediately. This curse was a form of retribution for Pandu’s thoughtless and impulsive action, which had disrupted the sage’s private moment and led to his untimely death.
Due to the curse, Pandu decided to live a life of celibacy and moved to the forest with his wives, relinquishing his throne to his brother, Dhritarashtra.
The curse meant that Pandu could not father children. However, his first wife, Kunti, had received a boon from the sage Durvasa which allowed her to invoke any deity and bear a child. With Pandu’s consent, Kunti invoked various gods to bear children.
Yudhishthira: Son of Dharma (god of righteousness)
Bhima: Son of Vayu (vind god)
Arjuna: Son of Indra (king of gods)
Kunti shared this boon with Madri, who invoked the Ashwini twins (divine physicians) and bore Nakula and Sahadeva.
The children born through Kunti’s boon are known as the Pandavas, named after their father, Pandu. The five brothers—Yudhishthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula, and Sahadeva—are collectively referred to as the Pandavas, signifying their lineage from King Pandu. Despite their divine origins, they are recognized as Pandu’s sons due to his acceptance and Kunti’s role in their birth.
Despite his resolution, Pandu’s passion, overcame him one day, and he approached Madri with the intention of making love. As a result of the curse, he died in her arms. Overcome with guilt and grief, Madri performed sati (self-immolation) on Pandu’s funeral pyre, leaving Kunti to care for all five Pandavas.
The curse of Pandu is a pivotal element in the Mahabharata, as it leads to the birth of the Pandavas through divine intervention, setting the stage for the epic’s complex narrative of family conflict, duty, and dharma.
The unique circumstances of their birth, combined with their divine parentage, play a crucial role in their abilities, character, and the overarching story of the Mahabharata, culminating in the great Kurukshetra war.
