Pāṇḍu , along with his two wives and five children was leading a blissful life in the āśrama of Śataśṛṅga mountains, making those forests habitable for the Ṛṣi-s, by hunting down the wild animals which were a danger to the life and limb. He spent a few years this way. One year, when his eldest son was sixteen, Bhimasena was fifteen, Arjuna was fourteen and the twins were thirteen, a glorious spring season arrived. [These few verses are some of the most beautiful verses that I have encountered so far]

In this beautiful spring season, one day, Mādrī was playing in the forests, bedecking herself with the fresh flowers that were in full bloom in the forests. Pāṇḍu saw her, and wondered to himself if he just saw Ūrvaśī, Rambhā or any other Apsarā. Smitten by her beauty, Pāṇḍu threw caution to the winds and went after her. Mādrī tried to speak sense into him, but Pāṇḍu was struck by the darts of Kāma. Without listening to her, Pāṇḍu united with her.

The Ṛṣī-s curse took effect and soon after the union, Pāṇḍu ‘s face lost its colour, his eyes closed, his grip on her loosened, his body became devoid of strength. Taking one big sigh, Pāṇḍu lay his face in her lap – unconscious. To her horror, Mādrī’s realized what had just happened. Pāṇḍu passed away leaving his two wives and five children behind.

Audio Link : https://archive.org/download/kumaravyasa-bharata-recitation/Parva-01-Adiparva-005-Sandhi-Part-01-of-02.mp3