The Pandavas

The Pandavas

The Pandavas were the princes of Hastinapur. The reason they were so called was because they were the sons of King Pandu, the king of Hastinapur. The first three Pandavas - Yudhishtira, Bhima, and Arjuna - were the sons of Pandu's first wife, Kunti, and the youngest Pandavas- Nakula and Sahadeva - were the sons of Madri, Pandu's second wife. King Pandu and Madri had died, so Kunti brought them up. All the five brothers had great qualities. They were brave and intelligent. They had learns many arts and mastered weaponry. Yudhisthira, the eldest, was known for his truthfulness and fond of eating. Arjuna was a great archer and was a favorite with his elders. There was a lot of love and brotherhood among them.

The Journey to Heaven

The Journey to Heaven

After ruling over Hastinapur for many years, Yudhisthira wanted to leave the kingdom. Parikshita, Abhimanyu's son, was crowned the new king and the Pandavas and Draupadi set out for the Himalayas. They dressed like hermits and set out to visit many holy places across the country. Finally, they reached the foothills of the Himalayas and started climbing the mountains. Somewhere along the way, a dog started following them.
The Pandavas crossed many mountains and reached Himadri, the highest range of the mountains. The mountains were very steep and were covered with snow. The Pandavas started the difficult climb. Since it was difficult to walk on snow. Draupadi and all the Pandavas, except Yudhisthira, found it very difficult to continue on the journey. Draupadi was the first to fall to the ground and die on the way. She was followed by Sahadeva, Nakula, Arjuna, and finally Bhima. Only King Yudhisthira and the dog adamantly continued marching ahead.

The Birth of the Pandavas and Kauravas

The Birth of the Pandavas and Kauravas

Bhishma wanted Pandu, the king of Hastinapur, to get married. Kunti, the adopted daughter of King Kuntibhoja, chose Pandu as her husband and was married to him. Princess Madri of Madra kingdom also wanted to marry Pandu, so she became his second wife. 

Gandhari, the princess of Gandhara kingdom, was chosen as the bride for Dhritarashtra. 

Dhritarashtra was blind, and Gandhari did not want to be better than her husband in any respect. So she tied a silk bandage on her eyes and pledged never to remove it. A suitable bride was also chosen for Vidura , the minister of Hastinapur, who was raised as a brother of Pandu and Dhritarashtra .

As time passed, Kunti gave birth to three sons Yudhistira, Bhima,and Arjuna. Madri gave birth to twins and name Nakula and Sahadeva . As these five were the sons of Pandu , they are called the Pandavas.

Gandhari wanted a hundred children so she prayed to Saint Vyasa who granted her the boon . But Gandhari gave birth to a lump of flesh. Vyasa cut this lump into hundred and one pieces, which formed hundred boys and one girl. These children of Dhritarashtra were called the Kauravas as they belonged to the Kuru dynasty. The eldest of the Kaurava brothers were called Duryodhana .

Mama Shakuni Meets His End

Mama Shakuni Meets His End

Shakuni was Duryodhana's wicked uncle who had helped the Kauravas win the Pandavas' half of the kingdom from them in a game of the dice, and sent them into exile. He was very cunning and devious. On the sixteenth day of the battle of Kurukshetra, a fierce fight was going on between Nakula and Shakuni. Shakuni was a brave warrior and he was overpowering Nakula, when Nakula's brother, Sahadeva, came to his rescue. He shot an arrow at Shakuni saying, "It is your evil mind and numerous sins that have led to this war. Now face your doom." The arrow cut Shakuni's head off. 

After Shakuni's death. Duryodhana was left all alone. He did not even have Karna to support him. Duryodhana realized that his end was also near and was sad and broken hearted.