Death of Pandu

King Pandu went hunting, and a sage and his wife also decided to go the forest but were disguised as deer. Pandu, unaware of their disguise, shot at the male deer (not knowing it was the sage). The sage cursed him soon after. This curse made him heartbroken, so he retreated to the forest with his wives, entrusting his kingdom to Bhishma and Vidura. From then on, he lived a life of abstinence.

Kunti noticed Pandu's desire to have children, but the sage's curse prevented him from making his wish come truth. She told him of the mantra she received from Durvasa. He urged Kunti and Madri to use the mantra, resulting in the birth of the five Pandavas. King Pandu lived in the forest with his children and wives for many years to come.

When springtime approached, Pandu and Madri forgot about the existence of the curse and became intimate with one another. However, due to the sage's curse, Pandu died. Madri, unable to contain her sorrow, ended her life, thinking she was responsible for King Pandu's death. She entrusted Kunti to be the mother to her orphaned children.

The forest sages took Kunti and the Pandavas to Hastinapura to entrust them to Bhishma. The whole kingdom became sad when they heard of Pandu's death. Vyasa said to Satyavati, "The past has gone by pleasantly, but the future has many sorrows in store. The world has passed its youth like a happy dream and it is now entering on disillusionment, sin, sorrow and suffering. Time is inexorable. Youneed not wait to see the miseries and misfortunes that will befall this race. It will be good for you to leave the city and spend the rest of your days in a hermitage in the forest."

And so, Satyavati agreed with Vyassa and went into the forest with Ambika and Ambalika, where  they ascended to higher levels of bliss and spared themselves the sorrow of their children.

Bhima

In Hastinapura, Pandu's five sons and Dhritarashtra's hundred sons grew up. Bhima exceeded all of these men in physical skills and used it to bully Duryodhana and the other Kauravas. Being a great swimmer, he would take hold of them and jump into a pool of water, nearly drowning them. Whenever they attempted to climb a tree, he would kick the trunk and shape them down like ripe fruits. The bodies of Dhritarashtra's sons would be covered with bruises because of his harmful practical jokes. And so, the sons of Dhritarashtra formed a deep hatred for Bhima since infancy.

When they grew up,  Kripacharya taught them archery and other physical skills as it was only right for a prince to learn. Duryodhana became incredibly jealous towards Bhima, resulting in committing improper acts. However, beneath that jealousy, he was worried about his father who was blind. After Pandu's death, Yudhishthira would become king. Duryodhana began to think that he could prevent Yudhishthira's ascension to the throne by killing Bhima because he thought the power of the Pandavas would decline with his death.

Duryodhana and his brothers planned to throw Bhima into the Ganges, imprison Arjuna and Yudhishthira, and take control of the kingdom to rule. Duryodhana took his brothers and the Pandavas for a swim in the Ganges, and after they engaged in sports, they retreated to sleep in their tents. Bhima had exerted himself more than the others because his food had been poisoned. When he went to lay down by the bank of the river, Duryodhana bound him and threw him in the river. Unbeknownst to Bhima, he had sharp spikes planted so he could fall on top of them and die instantly. However, there weren't any spikes where he fell.

Poisonous water snakes began to bite him, counteracting the poison of the food. Duryodhana believed Bhima died so he returned to the city with great exuberance. When Yudhishthira asked where Bhima was, Duryodhana said he passed him on the way in. Later that night, he asked his mother if Bhima had returned home and she said that he did not. Yudhishthira began to suspect that Duryodhana did something to Bhima, so he went with his brothers to search for Bhima. After searching for a long time, they couldn't find him. They returned filled with sadness, but sometime later Bhima awoke and returned home. Yudhishthira and Kunti welcomed him, and the poison in his system had made him stronger than before.

Kunti summoned Vidura and said, "Duryodhana is wicked and cruel. Heseeks to kill Bhima since he wants to rule the kingdom. I am worried."

To which Vidura replied, "What you say is true, but keep your thoughts to yourself. For if the wicked Duryodhana is accused or blamed, his anger and hatred will only increase.Your sons are blessed with long life. Youneed have no fear on that account."

Yudhishthira warned Bhima, "Be silent over the matter. Hereafter, we have to be careful and help one another and protect ourselves."

Duryodhana was surprised to see Bhima return alive, so his jealousy and hatred for him only increased. He continued to watch him with sorrow, knowing he failed in his place.

Karna

The Pandavas and the Kauravas would learn how to fight from Kripacharya, and later Drona. On a day when they were meant to be tested in the presence of the royal family and the public, a large crowd watched them with enthusiasm. Arjuna demonstrated his superhuman skills with weapons, leaving everyone in wonder. This filled Duryodhana with envy.

Towards the end of the day, a thunder-like sound resounded from fighting. Everyone turned their attention to the noise and through the crowd, they took notice of a godlike individual from whom light and power emanated. This individual saluted Drona and Kripa before walking up to Arjuna. The brothers were unaware that this being was Karna. And so, Karna said to Arjuna, "Arjuna, I shall show greater skill than you have displayed."

Karna managed to replicate everything Arjuna did, leaving Duryodhana pleased with the outcome. He was so exuberant that he embraced Karna and told him, "Welcome, O thou with mighty arms, whom good fortune has sent to us. I and this kingdom of the Kurus are at your command." Said Karna: "I, Karna, am grateful, O king. Only two things I seek, your love and single combat with Partha."

Karna  replied, "I, Karna, am grateful, O king. Only two things I seek, your love and single combat with Partha."

To which Duryodhana said, "My prosperity is all thine to enjoy."

Arjuna, furious by the outcome, interjected and said, "O Karna, slain by me thou shalt presently go to the hell appointed for those who intrude uninvited and prate unbidden."

This made Karna laugh and reply, "This arena is open to all, O Arjuna, and not to you alone. Might is the sanction of sovereignty and the law is based on it. But what is the use of mere talk which is the weapon of the weak? Shoot arrows instead of words."

After getting Drona's permission, Arjuna embraced his brothers and readied himself to fight as Karna did the same. Their parents encouraged the battle, but Indra, the Lord of the thunderclouds, and Bhaskara, of the infinite rays, appeared in the heavens. When Bhaskara noticed Karna, she fainted. Vidura ordered a maiden to attend to her and she was resuscitated. As they were about to begin the battle, she watched in despair, unsure of what to do.

Kripa stepped forward, addressing Karna, "This prince, who is ready to fight with thee, is the son of Pritha and Pandu and a scion of the Kuru race. Reveal O mighty armed thy parentage and the race rendered illustrious by thy birth. It is only after knowing thy lineage that Partha can fight with thee, for high-born princes cannot engage in single combat with unknown adventurers."

At these words, Karna bent his head like a lotus under the weight of rainwater. Duryodhana chimed in, "If the combat cannot take place merely because Karna is not a prince, why, that is easily remedied. I crown Karna as the king of Anga." After that, he obtained Bhishma and Dhritarashtra's approval to perform the necessary rites to give Karna the sovereignty of the kingdom of Anga by giving him the crown, jewels, and royal insignia.

Soon after, Adhiratha, the old charioteer and foster-father of Karna, joined the crowd and watched with fear. He called to his son and cried.

Bhima taking notice of this had a fit of laughter and said, "O he is after all only the son of a charioteer! Take up the driving whip then as befits thy parentage. Thou art not worthy of death at the hands of Arjuna. Nor shouldst thou reign in Anga as a king."

Karna, shamed by his words, watched the setting sun, unable to speak. However, Duryodhana spoke up for him, "It is unworthy of you, O Vrikodara, to speak thus. Valor is the hallmark of a kshatriya. Nor is there much sense in tracing great heroes and mighty rivers to their sources. I could give you hundreds of instances of great men of humble birth and I know awkward questions might be asked of your own origin. Look at this warrior, his godlike form and bearing, his armor and earrings, and his skill with weapons. Surely there is some mystery about him. For how could a tiger be born of an antelope? Unworthy of being king of Anga, didst thou say? I verily hold him worthy to rule the whole world."

Angered, Duryodhana took Karna away in his chariot and the crowd dispersed. The groups were torn, with some glorifying Arjuna and others glorifying Karna. Seeing this, Indra worried that the competition between his son Arjuna and Karna was inevitable. He put on a brahmana's clothes and appeared to Karna, who was known for his charity, and begged for his armor. However, the God of the sun had already warned Karna in a dream that Indra would attempt to deceive him. But, Karna could not refuse to help. He cut off his earrings and armor and gave them away.

After he accepted the gift, Indra praised Karna and offered him a boon.

Karna said, "I desire to get your weapon, the Sakti, which has the power to kill enemies."

Indra granted him his request and replied, "You can use this weapon against but one enemy, and it will kill him whosoever he may be. But this killing done, this weapon will no longer be available to you but will return to me." Soon after, Indra disappeared.

Karna went to Parasurama to become his disciple, presenting himself as a brahmana. There, he learned the mantra for the weapon known as Brahmastra.

One day, Parasurama rested his head on Karna's lap when a stinging worm had burrowed its way into Karna's thigh. Blood flowed, the pain excruciating, but he continued to bear with it so not to disturb his master's slumber. When Parasurama awoke and saw the blood, he said, "Dear pupil, you are not a brahmana. A kshatriya alone can remain unmoved under all bodily torments. Tell me the truth."

Karna admitted that he lied and was actually the son of a charioteer. Parasurama, outraged by the lie, said, "Since you deceived your guru, the Brahmastra you have learnt shall fail you at the fated moment. You will be unable to recall the invocatory mantra when your hour comes."

Because of this curse, Karna was not able to remember the Brahmastra spell during his last fight with Arjuna. But, Karna remained the faithful friend of Duryodhana and loyal to the Kauravas until the end. After Bhishma and Drona fell, Karna became the leader of the Kaurava army and fought for two days. In the end, the wheel of his chariot became stuck and he was unable to lift it free to continue driving. During this time, Arjuna killed him.

Drone

King Pandu went hunting, and a sage and his wife also decided to go the forest but were disguised as deer. Pandu, unaware of their disguise, shot at the male deer (not knowing it was the sage). The sage cursed him soon after. This curse made him heartbroken, so he retreated to the forest with his wives, entrusting his kingdom to Bhishma and Vidura. From then on, he lived a life of abstinence.

Kunti noticed Pandu's desire to have children, but the sage's curse prevented him from making his wish come truth. She told him of the mantra she received from Durvasa. He urged Kunti and Madri to use the mantra, resulting in the birth of the five Pandavas. King Pandu lived in the forest with his children and wives for many years to come.

When springtime approached, Pandu and Madri forgot about the existence of the curse and became intimate with one another. However, due to the sage's curse, Pandu died. Madri, unable to contain her sorrow, ended her life, thinking she was responsible for King Pandu's death. She entrusted Kunti to be the mother to her orphaned children.

The forest sages took Kunti and the Pandavas to Hastinapura to entrust them to Bhishma. The whole kingdom became sad when they heard of Pandu's death. Vyasa said to Satyavati, "The past has gone by pleasantly, but the future has many sorrows in store. The world has passed its youth like a happy dream and it is now entering on disillusionment, sin, sorrow and suffering. Time is inexorable. Youneed not wait to see the miseries and misfortunes that will befall this race. It will be good for you to leave the city and spend the rest of your days in a hermitage in the forest."

And so, Satyavati agreed with Vyassa and went into the forest with Ambika and Ambalika, where they ascended to higher levels of bliss and spared themselves the sorrow of their children.

Bhima

In Hastinapura, Pandu's five sons and Dhritarashtra's hundred sons grew up. Bhima exceeded all of these men in physical skills and used it to bully Duryodhana and the other Kauravas. Being a great swimmer, he would take hold of them and jump into a pool of water, nearly drowning them. Whenever they attempted to climb a tree, he would kick the trunk and shape them down like ripe fruits. The bodies of Dhritarashtra's sons would be covered with bruises because of his harmful practical jokes. And so, the sons of Dhritarashtra formed a deep hatred for Bhima since infancy.

When they grew up, Kripacharya taught them archery and other physical skills as it was only right for a prince to learn. Duryodhana became incredibly jealous towards Bhima, resulting in committing improper acts. However, beneath that jealousy, he was worried about his father who was blind. After Pandu's death, Yudhishthira would become king. Duryodhana began to think that he could prevent Yudhishthira's ascension to the throne by killing Bhima because he thought the power of the Pandavas would decline with his death.

Duryodhana and his brothers planned to throw Bhima into the Ganges, imprison Arjuna and Yudhishthira, and take control of the kingdom to rule. Duryodhana took his brothers and the Pandavas for a swim in the Ganges, and after they engaged in sports, they retreated to sleep in their tents. Bhima had exerted himself more than the others because his food had been poisoned. When he went to lay down by the bank of the river, Duryodhana bound him and threw him in the river. Unbeknownst to Bhima, he had sharp spikes planted so he could fall on top of them and die instantly. However, there weren't any spikes where he fell.

Poisonous water snakes began to bite him, counteracting the poison of the food. Duryodhana believed Bhima died so he returned to the city with great exuberance. When Yudhishthira asked where Bhima was, Duryodhana said he passed him on the way in. Later that night, he asked his mother if Bhima had returned home and she said that he did not. Yudhishthira began to suspect that Duryodhana did something to Bhima, so he went with his brothers to search for Bhima. After searching for a long time, they couldn't find him. They returned filled with sadness, but sometime later Bhima awoke and returned home. Yudhishthira and Kunti welcomed him, and the poison in his system had made him stronger than before.

Kunti summoned Vidura and said, "Duryodhana is wicked and cruel. Heseeks to kill Bhima since he wants to rule the kingdom. I am worried."

To which Vidura replied, "What you say is true, but keep your thoughts to yourself. For if the wicked Duryodhana is accused or blamed, his anger and hatred will only increase.Your sons are blessed with long life. Youneed have no fear on that account."

Yudhishthira warned Bhima, "Be silent over the matter. Hereafter, we have to be careful and help one another and protect ourselves."

Duryodhana was surprised to see Bhima return alive, so his jealousy and hatred for him only increased. He continued to watch him with sorrow, knowing he failed in his place.

Karna

The Pandavas and the Kauravas would learn how to fight from Kripacharya, and later Drona. On a day when they were meant to be tested in the presence of the royal family and the public, a large crowd watched them with enthusiasm. Arjuna demonstrated his superhuman skills with weapons, leaving everyone in wonder. This filled Duryodhana with envy.

Towards the end of the day, a thunder-like sound resounded from fighting. Everyone turned their attention to the noise and through the crowd, they took notice of a godlike individual from whom light and power emanated. This individual saluted Drona and Kripa before walking up to Arjuna. The brothers were unaware that this being was Karna. And so, Karna said to Arjuna, "Arjuna, I shall show greater skill than you have displayed."

Karna managed to replicate everything Arjuna did, leaving Duryodhana pleased with the outcome. He was so exuberant that he embraced Karna and told him, "Welcome, O thou with mighty arms, whom good fortune has sent to us. I and this kingdom of the Kurus are at your command." Said Karna: "I, Karna, am grateful, O king. Only two things I seek, your love and single combat with Partha."

Karna replied, "I, Karna, am grateful, O king. Only two things I seek, your love and single combat with Partha."

To which Duryodhana said, "My prosperity is all thine to enjoy."

Arjuna, furious by the outcome, interjected and said, "O Karna, slain by me thou shalt presently go to the hell appointed for those who intrude uninvited and prate unbidden."

This made Karna laugh and reply, "This arena is open to all, O Arjuna, and not to you alone. Might is the sanction of sovereignty and the law is based on it. But what is the use of mere talk which is the weapon of the weak? Shoot arrows instead of words."

After getting Drona's permission, Arjuna embraced his brothers and readied himself to fight as Karna did the same. Their parents encouraged the battle, but Indra, the Lord of the thunderclouds, and Bhaskara, of the infinite rays, appeared in the heavens. When Bhaskara noticed Karna, she fainted. Vidura ordered a maiden to attend to her and she was resuscitated. As they were about to begin the battle, she watched in despair, unsure of what to do.

Kripa stepped forward, addressing Karna, "This prince, who is ready to fight with thee, is the son of Pritha and Pandu and a scion of the Kuru race. Reveal O mighty armed thy parentage and the race rendered illustrious by thy birth. It is only after knowing thy lineage that Partha can fight with thee, for high-born princes cannot engage in single combat with unknown adventurers."

At these words, Karna bent his head like a lotus under the weight of rainwater. Duryodhana chimed in, "If the combat cannot take place merely because Karna is not a prince, why, that is easily remedied. I crown Karna as the king of Anga." After that, he obtained Bhishma and Dhritarashtra's approval to perform the necessary rites to give Karna the sovereignty of the kingdom of Anga by giving him the crown, jewels, and royal insignia.

Soon after, Adhiratha, the old charioteer and foster-father of Karna, joined the crowd and watched with fear. He called to his son and cried.

Bhima taking notice of this had a fit of laughter and said, "O he is after all only the son of a charioteer! Take up the driving whip then as befits thy parentage. Thou art not worthy of death at the hands of Arjuna. Nor shouldst thou reign in Anga as a king."

Karna, shamed by his words, watched the setting sun, unable to speak. However, Duryodhana spoke up for him, "It is unworthy of you, O Vrikodara, to speak thus. Valor is the hallmark of a kshatriya. Nor is there much sense in tracing great heroes and mighty rivers to their sources. I could give you hundreds of instances of great men of humble birth and I know awkward questions might be asked of your own origin. Look at this warrior, his godlike form and bearing, his armor and earrings, and his skill with weapons. Surely there is some mystery about him. For how could a tiger be born of an antelope? Unworthy of being king of Anga, didst thou say? I verily hold him worthy to rule the whole world."

Angered, Duryodhana took Karna away in his chariot and the crowd dispersed. The groups were torn, with some glorifying Arjuna and others glorifying Karna. Seeing this, Indra worried that the competition between his son Arjuna and Karna was inevitable. He put on a brahmana's clothes and appeared to Karna, who was known for his charity, and begged for his armor. However, the God of the sun had already warned Karna in a dream that Indra would attempt to deceive him. But, Karna could not refuse to help. He cut off his earrings and armor and gave them away.

After he accepted the gift, Indra praised Karna and offered him a boon.

Karna said, "I desire to get your weapon, the Sakti, which has the power to kill enemies."

Indra granted him his request and replied, "You can use this weapon against but one enemy, and it will kill him whosoever he may be. But this killing done, this weapon will no longer be available to you but will return to me." Soon after, Indra disappeared.

Karna went to Parasurama to become his disciple, presenting himself as a brahmana. There, he learned the mantra for the weapon known as Brahmastra.

One day, Parasurama rested his head on Karna's lap when a stinging worm had burrowed its way into Karna's thigh. Blood flowed, the pain excruciating, but he continued to bear with it so not to disturb his master's slumber. When Parasurama awoke and saw the blood, he said, "Dear pupil, you are not a brahmana. A kshatriya alone can remain unmoved under all bodily torments. Tell me the truth."

Karna admitted that he lied and was actually the son of a charioteer. Parasurama, outraged by the lie, said, "Since you deceived your guru, the Brahmastra you have learnt shall fail you at the fated moment. You will be unable to recall the invocatory mantra when your hour comes."

Because of this curse, Karna was not able to remember the Brahmastra spell during his last fight with Arjuna. But, Karna remained the faithful friend of Duryodhana and loyal to the Kauravas until the end. After Bhishma and Drona fell, Karna became the leader of the Kaurava army and fought for two days. In the end, the wheel of his chariot became stuck and he was unable to lift it free to continue driving. During this time, Arjuna killed him.

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