Three Brothers: The Rise of Dhritarashtra, Pandu, and Vidur

Nine months later, Ambika gave birth to Dhritarashtra, Ambalika gave birth to Pandu, and Parishrami gave birth to Vidur. Dhritarashtra was born blind, Pandu was born pale, and Vidur had no birth defects; he was also very intelligent. The three half-brothers grew up together, brought up by Bheeshma as if they were his own children.

The birth of the three boys brought prosperity to the kingdom. The fields yielded bountiful harvests, and the people were joyful. Bheeshma managed the state affairs on behalf of Queen Satyavati. Qualified teachers instructed the three princes in various subjects including science, ancient texts, history, state affairs, archery, sword-fighting, and horseback riding.

Dhritarashtra was physically strong, Pandu was a great archer, and Vidur was an expert in traditional knowledge, science, and the Vedas. When Pandu came of age, he was crowned prince. Although Dhritarashtra was the oldest, he was not given the throne because he was blind. Vidur was qualified for the throne in every respect but did not get the chance because he was a maidservant's son.

The three princes had come of marriageable age. Their guardian, Bheeshma, gathered information about the princesses from neighboring kingdoms. He was particularly taken with Gandhari, the daughter of King Subal, ruler of Gandhar, as she was both charming and virtuous. Additionally, she had been granted a boon by Lord Shiv for a hundred children, which was especially significant as the Kuru clan appeared to be dwindling.

Bheeshma formally requested King Subal to allow Gandhari to marry Dhritarashtra. Subal was initially hesitant because Dhritarashtra was blind, but he dared not reject a proposal from the Kuru clan. When Gandhari found out that she was going to marry a blind prince, she decided to cover her eyes with a black cloth permanently, determined to be blind like her husband. Her brother, Shakuni, accompanied her to Hastinapur, where she married Dhritarashtra.

Pandu was next in line to get married. Bheeshma dispatched Brahmins to different kingdoms to find a suitable bride. After gathering information from various places, Bheeshma chose Kunti, the adopted daughter of King Kuntibhoj. Kunti was the biological daughter of Kuntibhoj's cousin, Shurasen, who was the paternal grandfather of Lord Krishna. Since Kuntibhoj was childless, Shurasen had promised to give him his first child.