The sun rose over Hastinapur like a golden promise.
Years had passed since the birth of the three sons — and under Bhishma's vigilant care, the palace once again echoed with laughter, training, and the rhythm of royal life.
The Kuru dynasty breathed again.
Yet even as peace returned, the threads of destiny began to twist in secret.
---
The Education of the Princes
In the royal gurukul beyond the palace gardens, the young princes were raised under the eyes of masters — warriors, philosophers, and sages who shaped their minds and arms alike.
Dhritarashtra, though blind, grew tall and broad of chest.
He could crush an iron mace with his bare hands, and when he heard the wind of an arrow, he could snatch it mid-flight.
Pandu, fair and steadfast, became a bowman unmatched.
He could strike the eye of a hawk in mid-air, his arrows singing through the sky like lightning.
And Vidura — quiet, thoughtful — sat long hours in debate with sages.
He studied dharma, the balance between truth and consequence, justice and mercy.
Bhishma often said,
> "Each bears a gift from the gods — and each a shadow from his birth."
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The Throne's Dilemma
As the princes came of age, Hastinapur began to whisper.
Who would wear the crown?
By right, it was Dhritarashtra's — the eldest son.
But a blind king could not lead men to war, nor read the omens of the heavens.
When the court gathered, the councilors murmured among themselves, and Bhishma spoke gravely:
> "A ruler must see not only with eyes, but with vision. Yet the eyes of the people must see him lead."
After long silence, Satyavati's voice broke the still air:
> "Let Pandu be king — till destiny shows another way."
Dhritarashtra bowed his head, silent but burning within.
Vidura saw the storm behind his brother's calm face — and knew that one day, that fire would not remain hidden.
---
The Reign of Pandu
Under King Pandu, Hastinapur rose to its peak once more.
He rode at the head of armies, conquering kingdoms east and west, north and south.
The banners of Kuru fluttered over distant lands — and Bhishma, from the palace balcony, smiled for the first time in years.
Yet fate, the unseen weaver, had already begun her work.
For in the forest of sages, Pandu would soon meet a curse that would shatter his destiny.
---
The Hunt in the Hills
It was spring in the foothills of the Himalayas.
The air was filled with the cry of cranes and the scent of pine.
King Pandu rode forth with his bow, the fabled Aindra Dhanush, glittering in his hand.
Suddenly, in a clearing, he saw a pair of deer locked in gentle embrace.
Without thought, his arrow flew.
The cry that followed was not of beasts — but of men.
Before Pandu's eyes, the deer transformed — a rishi and his wife, struck in their final moment of love.
Blood darkened the ground.
The sage, gasping his last, cursed Pandu:
> "As you have slain us in union, so shall union slay you.
Should you approach your wife with desire, death shall take you as it took me."
The wind grew cold.
Pandu's heart turned hollow.
He cast away his crown and swore never again to touch a weapon, nor a woman, nor the throne he had won.
---
Exile and Silence
Leaving Hastinapur behind, Pandu and his queens — Kunti and Madri — journeyed into the forest.
There, among hermits and sages, he sought peace in austerity.
Dhritarashtra, the blind prince, now sat upon the throne, guided by Vidura's wisdom and Bhishma's will.
And in that quiet shift of power, destiny moved one step closer to Kurukshetra.
---
Far above, the river Ganga whispered over its stones,
> "The sins of the fathers are the seeds of the sons."
The wind carried the words toward the sleeping capital —
and the stars burned brighter, as if waiting for the next act of history to begin.
---