Live the Bhāgavatam · SB 9.22.27-28
Visarga· Brahmā's creationThe Births of Pāṇḍu’s Five Sons
“Pāṇḍu was restrained from sexual life because of having been cursed by a sage, and therefore his three sons Yudhiṣṭhira, Bhīma and Arjuna were begotten through the womb of his wife, Kuntī, by Dharmarāja, by the demigod controlling the wind, and by the demigod controlling the rain. Pāṇḍu’s second wife, Mādrī, gave birth to Nakula and Sahadeva, who were begotten by the two Aśvinī-kumāras. The five brothers, headed by Yudhiṣṭhira, begot five sons through the womb of Draupadī. These five sons were your uncles.”
What the purport teaches
- A sage’s curse restrained Pāṇḍu from sexual life. Kuntī’s sons Yudhiṣṭhira, Bhīma and Arjuna were begotten respectively by Dharmarāja, the demigod controlling the wind, and the demigod controlling the rain.
- Pāṇḍu’s second wife, Mādrī, gave birth to Nakula and Sahadeva. They were begotten by the two Aśvinī-kumāras.
- The five brothers, headed by Yudhiṣṭhira, each begot a son through Draupadī. These five sons were the uncles of the king being addressed.
Try this today
Make two headings, Kuntī and Mādrī, and list their sons beneath them.
Ask yourself
How does tracing these family relationships help me read the account more attentively?
Carry the question through the day, then answer it in your own words before sleep.
The study points, practice and question are short summaries drawn from Śrīla Prabhupāda's translation and purport. Read the full purport to go deeper.