And so what was regarded to be a solution to the succession of the throne of Hastinapura was partially addressed by Satyavati and Bhishma, in circumstances that were not ordinary; namely through the invitation of the step-brother of the late King Vichitravirya, Krishna Dwaipayana Vyasa, to bear children upon his widowed wives, and then a maidservant. Then was heard by the King Janamejaya of the greatness of Vidura, the incarnation of the God of Justice, Dharma, himself.

And so Sage Vaisamparyana continued to speak to King Janamejaya…

Upon the new dawn with the birth of those three children, Dhritrashtra, Pandu, and Vidura; Kurujangala (the forest lands of the Kurus), Kurukshetra (the sphere of the Kurus), and the Kurus themselves grew in prosperity.

The Earth began to yield abundant harvest, and the crops also were of good flavour. And the clouds began to pour rain in season and trees became full of fruits and flowers. Animals were happy, and flowers became fragrant and the fruits became sweet; the cities and towns became filled with merchants, artisans, traders and artists of every description. And the people became brave, learned, honest and happy. And there were no robbers then, nor anybody who was sinful.

And it seemed that the golden age had come upon every part of the kingdom. And the people devoted to virtuous acts, sacrifices and truth, and regarding one another with love and affection grew in prosperity. And free from pride, wrath and covetousness, they rejoiced in perfectly innocent sports.

And the capital of the Kurus, full as the ocean, was a second Amaravati, teeming with hundreds of palaces and mansions, and possessing gates and arches dark as the clouds.

And men in great cheerfulness sported constantly on rivers, lakes and tanks, and in fine groves and charming woods.

And all over that delightful country whose prosperity was thus increased by the new form of Kurus, there were no misers and no widowed women. The whole kingdom was full of festivities.

And, O king, virtuously ruled by Bhishma, the kingdom was adorned with hundreds of sacrificial stakes. And the wheel of virtue having been set in motion by Bhishma, and the country became so contented that the subjects of other kingdoms, quitting their homes, came to dwell there and increase its population.

And the citizens and the people were filled with hope, upon seeing the youthful acts of their illustrious princes.

And, O king, in the house of the Kuru chiefs as also of the principal citizens, 'give', 'eat' were the only words constantly heard.

And Dhritarashtra and Pandu and Vidura of great intelligence were from their birth brought up by Bhishma, as if they were his own sons.

And the children, having passed through the rites typical of the order for warriors of the royal class of men, devoted themselves to vows and study. And they grew up into fine young men skilled in the Vedasand all forms of sport.

And they became well-skilled in the practice of bow, in horsemanship, in encounters with mace, sword and shield, in the management of elephants in battle, and in the science of morality. Well-read in history and the Puranas and various branches of learning, and acquainted with the truths of the Vedas and their branches they acquired knowledge, which was versatile and deep.

● Pandu, possessed of great prowess, excelled all men in archery

● Dhritarashtra excelled all in personal strength, and

● In the three worlds there was no one equal to Vidura in devotion to virtue and in the knowledge of the dictates of morality.

And beholding the perceived restoration of the already extinct line of Santanu, the saying became current in all countries that among mothers of heroes, the daughters of the king of Kasi were the first; that among countries Kurujangala was the first; that among virtuous men, Vidura was the first; that among cities Hastinapura was the first.

Pandu became king, for Dhritarashtra, owing to the blindness, and Vidura, for his birth by a Sudra woman, did not obtain the kingdom.

The three step-brothers were related to Bhishma somewhat distantly, they were the sons of his step-mothers son, having therefore no blood ties with Bhishma. And whilst Bhishma treated with a similar mood Dhritrashtra and Pandu, as they grew older and wiser into their adolescence, Bhishma could see that Vidura was of a different pedigree; his love of dharma, of fairness and benevolence towards all, and his discerning eye for making sharp decisions, and analysis affairs of state of neighbouring kingdoms with great expertise; all of these things, in addition to an instinct he had felt since the birth of Vidura, that signalled to the great son of Ganga, that Vidura should be employed as counsel to the throne of Hastinapura, along with himself. Though Vidura would always remain deeply reverential towards Bhishma as his elder uncle, Bhishma‘s outlook towards Vidura rapidly transformed from one of being a carer of Vidura as a child, to one akin to being equals, and Bhishma would often consult with Vidura on matters of state as a confidante.

With the son of the goddess Ganga, a half celestial in Bhishma, and the god of Dharma incarnate in Vidura, Hastinapura and the newly formed Kurus, had such expert counsel to adivse them, that it were fit to be the envy of the very gods.

One day Bhishma, the foremost of those acquainted with the duties of a statesman and dictates of morality, properly addressing Vidura conversant with the truth of religion and virtue, said as follows:

“This our celebrated race, resplendent with every virtue and accomplishment, hath all along sovereignty over all other monarchs on earth. Its glory maintained and itself perpetuated by many virtuous and illustrious monarchs of old, the illustrious Krishna (Dwaipayana) and Satyavati and myself have raised you (three) up, in order that it may not be extinct.

It behoveth myself and thee also to take such steps that this our dynasty may expand again like the sea. It hath been heard by me that there are three maidens worthy of being allied to our race.

● The first is Kunti, the daughter of King Surasena, belonging to a dynasty none other than originating with our great ancestor King Yadu, the eldest son of King Yayati;

● The second is known as Gandhari the daughter of King Suvala, of the Gandhara dynasty; a dynasty again that originates from King Yayati in his third son, Druhyu.

● and the third is the princess of Madra, Madri, who is of the line of the fourth son of King Yayati, the line of Anu, the elder brother of our great great forefather Puru.

O my dear son Vidura, through approaching these, we shall in a fashion unprecedented in our history, restore alliances with the lines of every son of our great ancestor King Yayati, except Turvasu; but including Yadu, Druhyu and Anu.

Further, all of these maidens are of course of blue blood, being exceedingly beautiful; they are eminently fit for an alliance with our family.

O thou foremost of intelligent men, O Vidura, I think we should choose them for the growth of our race. Tell me what thou thinkest.'

Thus addressed, Vidura, humbled that he was being asked this by Bhishma, ahead of a time and decision that was unprecedented in their history, immediately feeling great respect towards Bhishma as his authority, replied:

'Thou art our father and thou art our mother, too O dear Bhishma. Thou art also our respected spiritual master. Therefore, do thou what may be best for us, in thy eyes.'

And in this way, Bhishma after consulting this youngest nephew, the wise Dharma incarnate as Vidura, made way not only for the marriages of his two other nephews in Dhritrashtra & Pandu, but also forged three powerful alliances, with the lines of the fellow sons of their great ancestor King Yayati, forging new alliances, those with Gandhara of the line of Anu, with the Vrishni’s of the line of Yadu, and finally with Madra of the line of Druhyu.