And so Sage Vaisampayana had explained the background of the new Queen, Kunti, to King Janamejaya, and of her secret son, Vasusena, who would be known as Karna, through her meeting as a youth, with the Sun god, Surya. The untimely birth of this child had led to her abandonment of the infant, only to be raised by a Suta couple who lived by a riverbank where he was found.

Pandu had just married his second wife and queen, Madri of the Madra line, coming from Yayati’s son Anu; completing a reunion of the lines of Puru, Yadu and Anu in Hastinapura. With Bhishma as guardian of the throne, willing and able to fight to protect it, the half-god, the greatest protector of the Kuru throne along with Pandu, son of Vyasa, the literary incarnation of Godhead; the time was clearly rife for the expansion of Kuru influence beyond its borders…

Pandu’s Conquest Begins

After thirty days had elapsed, the illustrious King Pandu started from his capital for the conquest of the world.

And after reverentially saluting and bowing to his Father Vyasa’s step-brother Bhishma and the other elders of the Kuru race, and biding farewells to Dhritarashtra and others of the family, obtaining their leave, Pandu set out on his grand campaign, accompanied by a large force of elephants, horses, and cars, and well-pleased with the blessings uttered by all around and the auspicious rites performed by the citizens for his success.

Accompanied by such a strong force, the King marched against various foes. That tiger among men, that spreader of the fame of the Kurus, first subjugated the robber tribes of asarna.

He next turned his army composed of innumerable elephants, cavalry, infantry, and charioteers, with standards of various colours against Dhirga, the ruler of the kingdom of Maghadha who was excessively proud of his strength, and had offended numerous monarchs. And attacking him in his capital, Pandu slew him there, and took everything in his treasury and also vehicles and draught animals without number.

He then marched into Mithila and subjugated the Videhas.

And then, O bull among men, Pandu led his army against Kasi, Sumbha, and Pundra, and by the strength and prowess of his arms spread the fame of the Kurus.

Like unto a mighty fire whose far-reaching flames were represented by his arrows and splendour by his weapons, Pandu began to consume all kings that came in contact with him. These with their forces, vanquished by Pandu at the head of his army, were made the vassals of the Kurus.

And all kings of the world, thus vanquished by him, regarded him as the one single hero on earth even as the celestials regard Indra in heaven. And the kings of earth with joined palms bowed to him and waited on him with presents of various kinds of gems and wealth, precious stones and pearls and corals, and much gold and silver, and first-class kine and handsome horses and fine cars and elephants, and asses and camels and buffaloes, and beautiful cloths woven out of furs.

And the king of Hastinapura accepting those offerings retraced his steps towards his capital, to the great delight of his subjects. And the citizens and others filled with joy, and kings and ministers, all began to say:

'O, the fame of the achievements of Santanu, that tiger among kings, and of the wise Bharata, which were about to die, hath been revived by Pandu. They who robbed before the Kurus of both territory and wealth have been subjugated by Pandu, the tiger of Hastinapura and made to pay tribute.'

Pandu Returns to Hastinapura

And all the citizens with Bhishma at their head went out to receive the victorious king. They had not proceeded far when they saw the attendants of the king laden with much wealth, and the train of various conveyances laden with all kinds of wealth, which was so long that they saw not its end. Then Pandu, beholding Bhishma, who was a father to him, worshipped his feet and saluted the citizens and others as each deserved.

Bhishma, too, embracing Pandu as his son who had returned victorious after grinding many hostile kingdoms, wept tears of joy. And Pandu, instilling joy into the hearts of his people with a flourish of trumpets and conchs and kettle-drums, entered his capital.

Pandu, then, at the command of Dhritarashtra, offered the wealth he had acquired by the prowess of his arms to Bhishma, their grand-mother Satyavati and their mothers.

And he sent portion of his wealth to Vidura also.

And the virtuous Pandu gratified his other relatives also with similar presents.

Then Satyavati and Bhishma and the Kosala princes were all gratified with the presents Pandu made out of the acquisitions of his prowess.

And Ambalika in particular, upon embracing her son of incomparable prowess, became as glad as the queen of heaven upon embracing Jayanta.

And with the wealth acquired by that hero, Dhritarashtra performed five great sacrifices that were equal unto a hundred great horse-sacrifices, at all of which the offerings to Brahmanas were by hundreds and thousands.

Pandu retires to the woods

A little while after, Pandu who had achieved a victory over sloth and lethargy, accompanied by his two wives, Kunti and Madri, retired into the woods.

Leaving his excellent palace with its luxurious beds, he became a permanent inhabitant of the woods, devoting the whole of his time to the chase of the deer. And fixing his abode in a delightful and hilly region overgrown with huge sala trees, on the southern slope of the Himavat mountains, he roamed about in perfect freedom.

The handsome Pandu with his two wives wandered in those woods like Airavata accompanied by two she-elephants. And the dwellers in those woods, beholding the heroic Bharata prince in the company of his wives, armed with sword, arrows, and bow, clad with his beautiful armour, and skilled in all excellent weapons, regarded him as the very god wandering amongst them.

And at the command of Dhritarashtra, people were busy in supplying Pandu in his retirement with every object of pleasure and enjoyment.

Vidura Marries Daughter of King Devaka & Sudra

Meanwhile the son of the ocean-going Ganga heard that king Devaka had a daughter endued with youth and beauty and begotten upon a Sudra wife.

Bringing her from her father's abode, Bhishma married her to Vidura of great wisdom. And Vidura begot upon her many children like unto himself in accomplishments.'

And so after the instalment of Pandu as monarch, his consequent conquering of the lands in each of the four directions, and finally his handing over the wealth he had claimed, to his brothers and those in Hastinapura, he had decided to retire to the woods with his wives. Such was the mindset of the great and simple hearted King Pandu, not to lord over or flaunt his power, but to renounce it in preference of the more simple and natural aspects that creation had to offer. In his mind he had come to the throne, he had conquered neighbouring lands, and that would be sufficient for him. The Kingdom however, did not comprise only of Pandu, there were others. How this decision would impact them, and future generations was to be seen.