Intro
Sambhava is the origin story of the Kuru dynasty.
https://crackpot.substack.com/t/sambhava
As It Rhymes
Chapters 112-114 [Abridged]
Pandu and Vidura’s Marital Spouses - Kunti, Madri, Devaki, and Vaishyas (working girls)
1.
Kunti married Pandu after secretly bearing then giving baby Karna to the river of fate.
Fearing Karna perished, Kunti bore silent anguish to her wedding date.
2.
That matchmaking son of Shantanu, Bhishma, paired Pandu with Madri after Kunti’s marriage.
Though Pandu was impotent, Madri borrowed Kunti’s ‘get pregnant by a God instead of brahman’ mantra tantric trance method and bore the Ashvins twins Sahadeva and Nakula in Pandu’s lineage.
3.
Pandu got his - in hunting and digvijaya - conquest in every direction.
Pandu conquered the immemorial ancestors of the Cholas, Chalukyas and Pandyas section by section.
4.
Vidura married Davaki.
They lived happily merry making.
Notes
[1] Pandu and Pandavas stories abridged to the Kauravas genesis.
Chapter 115
Births of all hundred Gandhari’s sons
1.
Vaishampayana said to Janamejaya,
‘One hundred sons were born to Gandhari.
Dhritarashtra’s vaishya mistress pushed out another one - so count Gandhari’s one hundred and one sons by paternity.
2.
Pandu’s five sons by Kunti and Madri.
The Pandavas were holy warriors sent by divine will to pin the family dynasty to eternity.’
3-4.
Janamejaya said,
‘Tell me about the one hundred sons born to Gandhari.
How did they come to be?
What was their time like in this world?’
Tell me about the one Dhritarashtra begot on a working girl?
Tell me how Gandhari kept her Dharma in the face of Dhritarashtra’s en flagrant karma?
5.
Tell me about the great-souled Pandu’s curse by vice.
Destiny raised Pandu’s five off-spring legends toward violent action.
I want to hear in detail about their sacrifice and penance.
6.
Tell me - I have not heard enough of our forebears to my satisfaction.’
7.
Vaishampayana said,
‘One day Dvaipayana came to Gandhari’s door faded.
Gandhari fed the tired hungry sage until he was sated.
8.
Vyasa gave Gandhari a grateful boon.
‘May Bhagavan bless you with one hundred sons!’
Gandhari fell pregnant by her husband Dhritarashtra soon.
9.
Gandhari remained pregnant for two years.
Gandhari cried miserable tears.
10.
Gandhari heard during that time Kunti became pregnant and gave birth to a son as radiant as Arka.
Gandhari perceived her swollen belly to be the source of her misery.
11.
In a fit of tamas, Gandhari decided to abort Dhritarashtra’s lot.
Gandhari’s belly was swollen like a cooking pot.
Gandhari struck her stomach and pushed until a ball of iron-like flesh and blood shot out.
12.
Gandhari waited two years to see that spoiled ball made for a sorry day.
Dvaipayana came to know what was afoot and sped to Gandhari without delay.
13.
Dvaipayana’s mind was afflicted at the gory vision.
Vyasa mumbled his mantra injunctions in hazy confusion.
At last Vyasa said to Gandhari, ‘What the bleep-bleep?’
14-15.
Gandhari said,
‘I heard Kunti had a son who shines like the sun.
My swollen belly is in constant pain - my mind has come undone.
You said I would have a hundred sons.
A generous boon for sure - but did you literally mean for me to be a caravan!?’
16.
Vyasa said,
‘No Saubala’s daughter, nor did I intend for that rotten fate to fall on your plate by my boon.
Nor did I intend to put you nor I in a twist.
This we can fix.
17.
We need a proper solution.
High grade ghee, kundalini brine, a large number of pots and some time to wait for the potion.
We need a controlled climate.
We need a secret place to incubate.
They just need room to bloom.’
18-19.
Vaishampayana said,
‘The ball of flesh separated into one hundred thumb and toe sized parts.
Vyasa sprinkled them with water and gathered the separating human embryos into the pots.
20.
Using ropes and tubes to push fluids through the Vyasa constructed artificial wombs in a protected palace place.
21.
Vyasa prayed.
Vyasa instructed the watchers to open the pots in two moons.
Until then, do not disturb.
22.
Vyasa left for the Himalayas to give penance moving large stone.
Vyasa felt shook to the bone.’
23.
Duryodhana was born bearing a heavy cross.
Yudhishthira was the eldest heir boss.
24.
The famous Bhishma and intelligent Vidura heard about the off-putting circumstances of prince Duryodhana’s artificial womb birth.
25.
As fate would have it the mighty armed valorous Bhima was born to his mother Kunti through natural birth on the same day.
Bhima and Duryodhana arrived the same day on this earth.
26.
When Duryodhana emerged, a demon was seen to dance in the interplay of the Sabha’s day light and shadow.
Baby Duryodhana emitted a shriek that tore the senses like a screaming eagle’s beak.
There came in response a mad bull’s bleak bleet.
27.
When Duryodhana emerged, A wicked wind blew in every direction.
All this inauspicious hubbub made King Dhritarashtra fearful that this was evil.
28.
King Dhritarashtra summoned the best of his advisory collection.
Bhishma and Vidura and Brahman, benefactors and well-wishers as well as Kurus gathered to help the blind king find his bearing.
29.
They said,
‘Yudhishthira was born before.
He gets first crack at the family dynasty.
He will fail or achieve by his quality.
On this score we may say no more.’
30.
Dhritarashtra said,
‘Tell me truthfully.
Is there no chance at all he may be king?
What if he took a fall?’
31.
Hissing voices decried the Bharata’s destructive lineal questioning.
Then the angry howls of flesh eating beasts filled the air with ghastly noise.
The men invoked Shiva, Shiva, the destroyer to check Dhritarashtra’s ambition and give protection to Pandu’s boys.
32.
‘These inauspicious signs point to the end of your line.’
Thus the best of the brahman made a terminal prediction.
33.
To them Duryodhana seemed a man born condemned.
‘Do not present this weak wretched freak as your son’, the Brahman cautioned.
34-35.
‘Keep his heinous birth a secret.
Abandon him as a bad seed.
If you keep him, then you will give up peace and good health.
36.
O’ Kuru! Leave him in the street.
For your dynasty’s sake.
If you keep him, then you will lose all family wealth.
37.
The man goes before the village, the village is given before the district, the district before the earth, and the earth ceded before the soul.
This newborn foal is a thoroughbred jack–boot fool.’
Thus the brahman and Vidura made their harsh opinion known that the boy must be a demon.
38.
Dhritarashtra could not do his newborn son a turn so cruel on such thin gruel.
So Dhritarashtra ignored their omen.
Soon the other sons were similarly born.
39.
Some condemned the hundred sons as they were born.
When Gandhari was driven most mad by grief, Dhritarashtra led a Vaishya woman in a state of undress to bed.
40.
Dhritarashtra’s dalliance was a reproductive success.
The vaishya got pregnant in a hot mess.
41.
Soon the intelligent Yuyutsu was born.
Yuyutsu was also known as Karana.
42.
All one hundred of Dhritarashtra’s pot born prince sons grew to become great warrior men.
Yuyutsu, the Vaishya mother’s son, was as valiant and splendorous as any one in ten.
Notes
[1] Vaishampayana ibid
[5] Pandu's vice is hunting. Pandu is cursed after killing a deer.
[7] Dvaipayana is the paternal father of Pandu and Dhritarashtra.
[8] Vyasa is another name for Dvaipayana.
Bhagavan is another name for The Good Lord.
[10] Arka is another name for Surya, or the God of the Sun.
Gandhari’s complaint is canonical ironical. Karna - Kunti's firstborn son was said to be born by Surya.
Gandhari became pregnant first, but her unusual gestation allowed Yudhishthira to be born first.
Yudhishthira is said to be the son of Dharma.
Chapter 116-117 [abridged] Gandhari’s one daughter Duhshaalaa and the names of Gandhari’s one hundred sons
1.
In one of the pots two babies emerged with grins.
The part split in two again to yield potted twins.
2.
The lone daughter of Gandhari was Duhshaalaa.
In time Duhshala married Jayadratha.
3.
The names of Dhritarashtra and Gandhari sons in order of birth are -
Duryodhana
Yuyutsu
Duhshasana
Duhsaha
Duhsala
Jalasandha
Vinda
Anuvind
Dundhasa
Durmasa
Durmukha
Duskarna
Karna
Vivinsati
Vikarna
Sattva
Sulochana
Chitra
Upachitra
Chitraksha
Charu
Chitras
Raasana
Durmada
Durvigaha
Vivitsu
Vikata
Urnanabha
Sunabha
Nanda
Upananda
Chitrabana
Chitravarma
Suvarma
Duvirochana
Ayobahu
Mahabahu
Chitranga
Chitra
Kundala
Bhimavega
Bhimabala
Balaki
Balavardhana
Ugrayudha
Susena
Kundodara
Mahodara
Chitrayudha
Nisangi
Pashi
Vrindaraka
Dridhavarma
Dridhakshatra
Samokirti
Anudara
Dridhasadha
Jarasandha
Satyasandha
Sadahsuvak
Ugrasrava
Ugrasena
Senanurdusnaraja
Aparajita
Panditaka
Visalaksha
Duradhara
Dridhahasta
Suhasta
Vatavega
Suvarcha
Adityaketu
Bahvasi
Nagadatta
Agrayaya
Kavachi
Krathana
Dandi
Dandadhara
Dhanurgraha
Ugra
Bhimaratha
Vira
Virabahu
Alolupa
Abhaya
Raudrakarma
Dridharatha
Anadhrisya
Kundabhedi
Viravi
Chitrakundala
Prmatha
Dirgharoma
Dirghabahu
Mahabahu
Vyudhoru
Kanakadhvaja
Kundashi
Vinyaran
Viraja
Notes
[1]
The son Duhsala has a similar name to the daughter Duhsala in Romanicized script. The masculine son has short a’s. Different name than the daughter, whose a’s are held for an extra beat.
Doo-huh-sha-la
Doo-huh-sha-aa-la-aa