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All Ages15 min

Birth of the Pandavas

Five brothers. Born of gods. Raised by a single mother. Destined for greatness.

Story Summary

King Pandu is cursed—he will die if he touches his wives. Unable to have children naturally, his wife Kunti reveals a divine secret: a mantra that allows her to call upon any god and bear their child. One by one, she invokes the gods—Dharma, Vayu, and Indra—giving birth to Yudhishthira, Bhima, and Arjuna. She shares the mantra with Pandu's second wife Madri, who births the twins Nakula and Sahadeva. Meanwhile, in Hastinapura, Gandhari gives birth to 100 sons, the Kauravas. These divine and mortal births set the stage for the greatest epic ever told. But tragedy strikes when Pandu's curse claims him, and Kunti must raise all five sons alone.

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Birth of the Pandavas | Mahabharata | Itihasa Tattva | Itihasa Tattva