After hearing of the terrifying omens present at the time of birth of the one hundred and one Kaurava brothers and their sister Dushala which was witnessed and guided by the great Sage, and father-in-law of Queen Gandhari, Vyasadeva, Janamejaya inquired of Sage Vaisampayana, the names of the 99 other brothers of Duryodhana and Dushala, in response to which the sage expounded their names, and cited that all were heroes and Atirathas, meaning one who can face tens of thousands of foes at once, and they were all learned in the Vedas.

Sage Vaisampayana explains how worthy wives were selected for all of them, by Dhritarashtra, after proper examination; being ever-conscious of their royal status and new alliances such relations would forge. King Dhritarashtra also bestowed Duhsala, in proper time and with proper rites, upon the King of Sindhu, Jayadratha.

After hearing of these great Kauravas, King Janamejaya became desirous to his more about his own ancestors, the Pandavas, asking Sage Vaisampayana:

“I have heard all about the Kauravas from thee, but now tell me all about the Pandavas. While reciting the incarnations on Earth of the celestial, the Asuras, and the beings of other classes, thou saidst that the Pandavas were all illustrious and endued with the prowess of gods, and that they were incarnate portion of the celestials themselves.

I desire, therefore, to hear all about those beings of extraordinary achievements beginning from the moment of their birth. O Sage Vaisampayana, recite thou their achievements.'

And so Vaisampayana began to speak…

One day, Pandu, after retiring as King of Hastinapura, whilst roaming about the woods of the southern slopes of the Himavat mountain range, which teemed with deer and wild animals, saw a large deer, that seemed to be the leader of a herd. The large deer, was serving his mate.

Beholding the two creatures, with five of his sharp and swift arrows winged with golden feathers, the monarch pierced them both; the shafts entering one side of their bodies and penetrating deep enough to be seen from the other side.

Little did Pandu know, that the creature he had struck was no deer, but a sages son, of great ascetic merit, who was enjoying his mate in the form of a deer.

Pierced by Pandu, while engaged in the act of intercourse, he fell down to the ground, and to Pandu’s curiosity turned to dismay, began to utter cries that were originally of a deer, then transforming into the wails of a human in plight, suffering bitterly as though his life was about to leave him.

The deer, who was again in the process of transforming into his human form saw Pandu approach him, and spoke in a disgusted rage:

'O king, even men that are slaves to lust and wrath, and void of reason, and ever sinful, never commit such a cruel act as you have by inflicting this pain upon me in such a manner.

Individual judgment prevaileth not against universal ordinance.

And the wise never sanction anything discountenanced by the ordinance.

Thou too art born, O Bharata, in a race that hath ever been virtuous.

How is it that even thou, suffering thyself to be overpowered by passion and wrath, thou losest thy reason?

Hearing this, Pandu replied:

'O deer, O Sage, King’s like I, behave in the matter of slaying animals of thy species exactly as they do in the matter of slaying foes.

It behoveth thee not, therefore, to reprove me thus from thy own ignorance. Animals of thy species are slain by open or covert means. Why dost thou reprove me?

Indeed, in days of yore, the great Sage Agastya Muni, while engaged in the performance of a grand sacrifice, chased deer; and for his sacrifices the great Agatsya performed the homa with fat of deer. Indeed he devoted every deer in the forest, unto the gods.

Thou hast been slain, pursuant to the usage sanctioned by this precedent of Agatsya.

Wherefore thou reprovest me thus?

The deer replied:

'O king, men do not let fly their arrows at their enemies when the latter are unprepared.

But there is a time for doing this, after declaration of hostilities. Slaughter at such a time is not censurable. But thou had not done so.'

Pandu replied:

'It is well-known that men slay deer by various effective means without regarding whether the animals are careful or careless. Therefore again O deer, why dost thou reprove me?'

The deer finally spoke to Pandu, in composed and piercing words, saying:

'O, King, I did not blame thee for thy having killed a deer, or for the injury thou hast done to me. But, instead of acting so cruelly, thou shouldst have waited till the completion of my act of intercourse. What man of wisdom and virtue is there that can kill a deer while engaged in such an act?

The time of sexual intercourse is agreeable to every creature and is productive of good to all. 

O king, with this my mate I was engaged in the gratification of my sexual desire. But that effort of mine hath been rendered futile by thee. 

O king of the Kurus, as thou art born in the race of the Pauravas ever noted for white virtuous deeds, such an act hath scarcely been worthy of thee. 

O Bharata, this act must be regarded as extremely cruel, deserving of universal execration, infamous, and sinful, and certainly leading to hell.

Thou art thyself well acquainted with the pleasures of sexual affairs.

Thou art acquainted also with the teaching of morality and dictates of duty.

Like unto a celestial thou art, it behoveth thee not to do such an act as leadeth to hell.

O best of kings, in fact, thy duty is to chastise all who act cruelly, who are engaged in sinful practices and who have thrown to the winds religion, profit, and pleasure as explained in the scriptures.

What hast thou done, O best of men, in killing me who have given thee no offence? I am, O king, a Sage who liveth on fruits and roots, though disguised as a deer. I was living in the woods in peace with all. Yet thou hast killed me, O king, for which I will curse thee certainly.

As thou hast been cruel unto a couple of opposite sexes, death shall certainly overtake thee as soon as thou feelest the influence of sexual desire.

I am a Sage going by the name of Kindama, and am possessed of ascetic merit.

I was engaged when thou found me, in sexual intercourse with this deer, because my feelings of modesty did not permit me to indulge in such an act in human society.

In the form of a deer I rove in the deep woods in the company of other deer. Thou hast slain me without knowing that I am a Brahmana, so the sin of having slain a Brahmana shall not, therefore, be thine.

But O senseless man, as you have killed me, disguised as a deer, at such a time, thy fate shall certainly be even like mine.

When, approaching thy wife lustfully, thou wilt unite with her even as I had done with mine, in that very state shalt thou have to go to the world of the spirits.

And that wife of thine with whom thou mayst be united in intercourse at the time of thy death shall also follow thee with affection and reverence to the domains of the king of the dead.

Thou hast brought me grief when I was happy. So shall grief come to thee when thou art in happiness.

Saying this, the sage disguised as a deer, afflicted with grief gave up the ghost; and Pandu also was plunged in woe at this very sight.