Sign up to save your podcasts
Or
Share Ādiparva : Sandhi 04 : Part 3 of 4 : Birth of Dharmarāja, Bhīmasena and the Kaurava-s
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Or
Ādiparva : Sandhi 04 : Part 3 of 4 : Birth of Dharmarāja, Bhīmasena and the Kaurava-s
Following Pāṇḍu’s advice, Kunti chanted the mantra taught to her by Dūrvāsa, while thinking about Yamadeva. When Yama appeared, she asked for a boon, to beget a male child from him. Yama granted the boon. Nine months later, Kunti gave birth to Dharmarāja. The news of Kunti’s childbirth reached Hastināpura, where the citizens celebrated the arrival of the heir to the throne.
Gāndhāri heard this news too. “Oh, so Kunti gets to enjoy the playtimes of her children before me! What wrong did I commit that I didn’t get this chance first ? That Vedavyāsa has cheated me. Fie on my womb”, saying this she angrily hit her stomach, thereby suffering a miscarriage. From her womb dropped one hundred and one pieces of hardened flesh and blood. Kicking them away, she called out to her servants to throw them out. At that moment, Vedavyāsa appeared in her palace and asked her why she was angry. Gāndhari described her frustration of not being able to produce an heir to the throne before Kunti. Vedavyāsa chastised her for her impatience. Then placing each piece of the flesh and blood into a jar filled with ghee, Vedavyāsa sprinkled into them waters that were imbued with the power of divine mantras. He then consoled Gāndhāri and told her to take care of the jars over next hundred days.
Back in the mountains, Kunti chanted the mantra again, this time calling out Vāyu and when he appeared, asked for a boon of a male child from him. Vāyu granted the boon and after a year’s time, on Trayodashi, on a Tuesday, when the star was Maghā, Bhimasena was born. That same night was Duryodhana born. However his birth caused fear to rise in the hearts of the citizens. There was an earthquakes and comets were seen in the skies flying in all directions. Foxes were screaming loudly in the streets of Hastināpura. Dhṛtarāṣṭra called the learned Brahmins and asked them the meaning of these signs that happened during his son’s childbirth. The Brāhmins told him that his son would be the cause for the destruction of not only the Bharata-lineage but also many other great lineages. Vidura advised Dhṛtarāṣṭra to let go of the child. But Dhṛtarāṣṭra and Gāndhāri both refused. Thus one hundred sons and a daughter were born to Dhṛtarāṣṭra and Gāndhāri.
Audio link : https://archive.org/download/kumaravyasa-bharata-recitation/Parva-01-Adiparva-004-Sandhi-Part-03-of-04.mp3
View all episodes
By KumaravyasaFollowing Pāṇḍu’s advice, Kunti chanted the mantra taught to her by Dūrvāsa, while thinking about Yamadeva. When Yama appeared, she asked for a boon, to beget a male child from him. Yama granted the boon. Nine months later, Kunti gave birth to Dharmarāja. The news of Kunti’s childbirth reached Hastināpura, where the citizens celebrated the arrival of the heir to the throne.
Gāndhāri heard this news too. “Oh, so Kunti gets to enjoy the playtimes of her children before me! What wrong did I commit that I didn’t get this chance first ? That Vedavyāsa has cheated me. Fie on my womb”, saying this she angrily hit her stomach, thereby suffering a miscarriage. From her womb dropped one hundred and one pieces of hardened flesh and blood. Kicking them away, she called out to her servants to throw them out. At that moment, Vedavyāsa appeared in her palace and asked her why she was angry. Gāndhari described her frustration of not being able to produce an heir to the throne before Kunti. Vedavyāsa chastised her for her impatience. Then placing each piece of the flesh and blood into a jar filled with ghee, Vedavyāsa sprinkled into them waters that were imbued with the power of divine mantras. He then consoled Gāndhāri and told her to take care of the jars over next hundred days.
Back in the mountains, Kunti chanted the mantra again, this time calling out Vāyu and when he appeared, asked for a boon of a male child from him. Vāyu granted the boon and after a year’s time, on Trayodashi, on a Tuesday, when the star was Maghā, Bhimasena was born. That same night was Duryodhana born. However his birth caused fear to rise in the hearts of the citizens. There was an earthquakes and comets were seen in the skies flying in all directions. Foxes were screaming loudly in the streets of Hastināpura. Dhṛtarāṣṭra called the learned Brahmins and asked them the meaning of these signs that happened during his son’s childbirth. The Brāhmins told him that his son would be the cause for the destruction of not only the Bharata-lineage but also many other great lineages. Vidura advised Dhṛtarāṣṭra to let go of the child. But Dhṛtarāṣṭra and Gāndhāri both refused. Thus one hundred sons and a daughter were born to Dhṛtarāṣṭra and Gāndhāri.
Audio link : https://archive.org/download/kumaravyasa-bharata-recitation/Parva-01-Adiparva-004-Sandhi-Part-03-of-04.mp3