🧬 Part 1: The Birth of the Kuru Princes

🌊 Shantanu and Ganga

Once upon a time, in the kingdom of Hastinapura, there lived a wise and noble king named Shantanu. One day, while walking along the river Ganga, he saw a beautiful woman emerging from the waters. She was the goddess Ganga herself. They fell in love, and Shantanu married her with one condition: he would never question her actions.

Ganga gave birth to eight sons. But to Shantanu’s shock, she drowned each baby in the river right after birth. When the eighth child was born, Shantanu couldn’t stay silent anymore. He stopped her and asked why she was doing this. Ganga then revealed that the babies were eight celestial beings (the Vasus) cursed to be born on Earth. She freed them by ending their earthly lives. The eighth child, however, would live — this child was Bhishma, originally known as Devavrata.

💔 Bhishma’s Terrible Vow

Ganga left after giving the child to Shantanu. Years passed, and Bhishma grew into a mighty warrior and wise prince. Later, King Shantanu fell in love again — this time with a fisherwoman named Satyavati. But her father refused to let her marry the king unless her son would become heir to the throne.

To make his father happy, Bhishma made a terrible vow: he gave up his right to the throne and vowed never to marry. This sacrifice earned him the name Bhishma, meaning "the one who took a terrible vow."

👑 The Birth of Pandu, Dhritarashtra, and Vidura

Shantanu and Satyavati had two sons, but both died young. Worried about the future of the kingdom, Satyavati called her son Vyasa, a sage, to help continue the royal line. Through an ancient practice called Niyoga, Vyasa fathered three sons:

• Dhritarashtra – born blind

• Pandu – born pale but strong

• Vidura – wise and honest, born of a maid

Because Dhritarashtra was blind, Pandu was made king. He married Kunti and Madri, while Dhritarashtra married Gandhari, who blindfolded herself out of respect for her husband’s blindness.

👶 Birth of the Pandavas and Kauravas

Pandu was cursed that he would die if he tried to have children. So Kunti used a divine boon to summon gods and have children:

• Yudhishthira (from Yama, god of justice)

• Bhima (from Vayu, god of wind)

• Arjuna (from Indra, god of thunder)

Madri used the same boon and had Nakula and Sahadeva (from the Ashwini twins).

Meanwhile, Gandhari gave birth to 100 sons, the eldest being Duryodhana, and one daughter named Dushala. These sons were called the Kauravas.

🌟 Moral of the Chapter:

True greatness lies in sacrifice, wisdom, and dharma. Bhishma’s vow and Kunti’s faith shaped the future of an entire generation.

Would you like me to continue with Part 2: The Childhood and Rivalry next?