View source for Pandu

{{short description|Kuru King and father of the Pandavas in epic Mahabharata}}
{{for-multi|the Tamil actor|Pandu (actor)|the locality in Guwahati|Pandu, Guwahati|the 2021 film|Pandu (film)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2016}}
{{Use Indian English|date=January 2016}}
{{Infobox character
| info-hdr = Personal Information
| image = Raja Pandu and Matakunti LACMA M.69.13.6.jpg
| caption = A late 17th-century painting of Pandu (right) and Kunti from [[Kashmir]]
| weapon = [[Bow and arrow]]
| affiliation = [[Kuru dynasty]], [[Chandravamsha]]
| spouses = {{hlist|[[Kunti]]|[[Madri]]}}
| family = '''Parents''' ''{{small|see [[Niyoga]]}}''{{bulleted list|[[Vyasa]] (Biological Father)|[[Ambalika]] (Mother)|[[Vichitravirya]] (Father)}}'''Half-Brothers''' {{bulleted list|[[Vidura]]|[[Dhritarashtra]]}}
| children = '''Putative Sons''' from Kunti{{bulleted list|[[Yudhishthira]] by [[Yama (Hinduism)|Yama]]|[[Bhima]] by [[Vayu]]|[[Arjuna]] by [[Indra]]}}
'''Putative Sons''' from Madri {{bulleted list||[[Nakula]] by [[Ashvins]]|[[Sahadeva]] by Ashvins}}
| relatives = }}

'''Pandu''' ({{langx|sa|पाण्डु|Pāṇḍu|pale}}) is a character in the ancient Hindu epic ''[[Mahabharata]]''. He was the king of [[Kuru kingdom]], with capital at [[Hastinapur]]. He was the acknowledged-father of the five [[Pandava]]s, who are the central characters of the epic.<ref>{{Cite web |last=www.wisdomlib.org |date=2020-02-21 |title=Pandu, Pāṇḍu, Paṇḍu, Pandū, Pamdu, Pamde: 38 definitions |url=https://www.wisdomlib.org/definition/pandu |access-date=2023-09-16 |website=www.wisdomlib.org |language=en}}</ref>

Pandu was born pale, to [[Vichitravirya]]'s second wife, [[Ambalika]]. Pandu married [[Kunti]] and [[Madri]]. Following sage [[Kindama]]'s curse, his sons were born through the boons bestowed upon his wife Kunti by a number of deities, owing to his inability to bear children.<ref>"Hinduism: An Alphabetical Guide", by Roshen Dalal, p. 230, publisher = Penguin Books India</ref>

== Birth ==
When [[Vichitravirya]] died due to sickness, [[Bhishma]] was unable to ascend the throne because of his vow, and [[Bahlika (Mahabharata)|Bahlika]]'s line was unwilling to leave the [[Bahlika kingdom]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m01/m01103.htm |title=The Mahabharata, Book 1: Adi Parva: Sambhava Parva: Section CII |publisher=[[Sacred-texts.com]] |access-date=2012-08-15}}</ref> There ensued a succession crisis in Hastinapura. [[Satyavati]] then invited her son [[Vyasa]] to impregnate the queens [[Ambika (Mahabharata)|Ambika]] and [[Ambalika]] under the [[Niyoga|Niyoga practice]]. When Vyasa approached Ambalika, she was frightened by his scary appearance, and she had become pale in disgust; hence, her son was born pale. Thus, Pandu's name means pale.<ref>{{Cite web |last=www.wisdomlib.org |date=2019-01-28 |title=Story of Ambālikā |url=https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/compilation/puranic-encyclopaedia/d/doc241376.html |access-date=2022-11-16 |website=www.wisdomlib.org |language=en}}</ref><ref name=B>{{cite book|title=Myths and Legends from India - Great Women|last=Bhanu|first=Sharada|publisher=Macmillan India Limited|year=1997|location=Chennai|isbn=0-333-93076-2|pages=35–6}}</ref>

== Early life ==
Pandu along with his elder half-brother [[Dhritarashtra]], was trained in the military arts by [[Bhishma]] and [[Kripacharya]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m01/m01106.htm |title=The Mahabharata, Book 1: Adi Parva: Sambhava Parva: Section CV |publisher=Sacred-texts.com |access-date=2012-08-15}}</ref> Bhishma also taught Pandu in the fields of archery, politics, administration and religion. He was an excellent archer and Maharathi (warrior).<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Mahabharata, Book 1: Adi Parva: Sambhava Parva: Section CVI|url=https://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m01/m01107.htm|access-date=2020-08-31|website=www.sacred-texts.com}}</ref>

==Reign==
When it came time to nominate an heir, [[Vidura]] suggested that Pandu would be a better fit because he was not blind, unlike Dhritarashtra. Pandu became the successor to his kingdom and was crowned King of the [[Kuru kingdom]], with capital at Hastinapura.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Witzel |first=Michael |year=1995 |title=Early Sanskritization: Origin and Development of the Kuru state |journal=EJVS |volume=1 |issue=4 |url=http://www.ejvs.laurasianacademy.com/ejvs0104/ejvs0104article.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070611142934/http://www.ejvs.laurasianacademy.com/ejvs0104/ejvs0104article.pdf |archive-date=11 June 2007 }}</ref> Pandu conquered the territories of the [[Sindhu kingdom]], [[Varanasi|Kashi]], [[Anga]], [[Trigarta kingdom]], [[Kalinga (historical kingdom)|Kalinga]], [[Magadha (Mahajanapada)|Magadha]], etc., and thus re-established their supremacy over all the kings and increased the span of his empire.<ref>{{cite book|last=Menon|first=[translated by] Ramesh|title=The Mahabharata : a modern rendering|year=2006|publisher=iUniverse, Inc.|location=New York|isbn=9780595401871}}</ref>

== Marriage ==
Pandu was married to [[Kunti]],<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Mahabharata, Book 1: Adi Parva: Sambhava Parva: Section CXII|url=https://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m01/m01113.htm|access-date=2020-08-31|website=www.sacred-texts.com}}</ref> the adoptive daughter of [[Kuntibhoja]] and the daughter of [[Shurasena]] (father of [[Vasudeva Anakadundubhi|Vasudeva]] and grandfather of [[Krishna]]). His second wife was the princess of the [[Madra]] kingdom [[Madri]]. The marriage was proposed by Bhishma.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Debalina|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9hfHDwAAQBAJ&q=bhishma+gets+pandu+married+with+Madri&pg=PT123|title=Into the Myths: A Realistic Approach Towards Mythology and Epic|date=2019-12-20|publisher=Partridge Publishing|isbn=978-1-5437-0576-8|language=en}}</ref>

== Kindama's curse ==
{{plain image with caption|Pandu Shoots the Ascetic Kindama.jpg|Pandu shoots Kindama, who is disguised as a deer.|220|right|bottom}}
While hunting in a forest (looking from a distance, his vision partially obscured by plants and trees), Pandu saw a couple of deer in the process of [[coitus]], and shot arrows at them; he later discovered that it was the sage [[Kindama]] and his wife who were making love in the form of deer. The dying sage placed a curse on Pandu, for not only had he killed them in the midst of [[lovemaking]], but was not remorseful for his actions either. King Pandu argued with sage Kindama by misquoting sage Agastya's ruling on the right of Kshatriyas' on hunting. Sage Kindama then cursed Pandu that were he to approach his wives with the intent of making love, he would die.<ref name=":0">{{cite book|last=Ramankutty|first=P.V.|title=Curse as a motif in the Mahābhārata|year=1999|publisher=Nag Publishers|location=Delhi|isbn=9788170814320|edition=1.}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Uberoi|first=Meera|title=The Mahabharata|year=1996 |isbn=9788170702313}}</ref>

==Exile and Pandavas birth==
Upset and seeking to repent his deed, Pandu handed his kingdom to [[Dhritarashtra]] and left for exile in the forest. There, he started to lead the life of an ascetic with his wives.<ref name=":0" />

===Birth of Pandu's foster sons===
As a consequence of Kindama's curse, Pandu became incapable of fathering any children. One day, Pandu was regaling the story of his birth and his wish of becoming a father to his first wife, [[Kunti]]. Kunti told him about the child-bearing mantra taught to her by the sage [[Durvasa]]. Pandu was overjoyed and told Kunti to use it to gain sons from suitable deities.<ref>{{Cite encyclopedia|year=1975|title=Pandava|encyclopedia=Puranic Encyclopedia: a comprehensive dictionary with special reference to the epic and Puranic literature|publisher=Motilal Banarsidass, Delhi|location=Delhi, India|url=https://archive.org/details/puranicencyclopa00maniuoft/page/562/mode/1up?view=theater|pages=562}}</ref> He wanted his son to be righteous, and so he suggested [[Yama (Hinduism)|Dharmaraja]], the deity of death and righteousness. Kunti chanted her mantra and the deity granted her [[Yudhishthira]]. Later, Pandu expressed his desire for a powerful son. This time, Kunti invoked [[Vayu]] and [[Bhima]] was born. Pandu suggested Kunti to invoke [[Indra]] and a valiant son, [[Arjuna]], was born. Pandu felt bad for Madri's childlessness, and thus requested Kunti to share her mantra with her. Heeding his request, Kunti revealed her mantra once to Pandu's younger wife. Madri invoked the [[Ashvins|Ashvin twins]], and then gave birth to [[Nakula]] and [[Sahadeva]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=The five pandavas and the story of their birth|url=http://aumamen.com/topic/the-five-pandavas-and-the-story-of-their-birth|access-date=2020-08-31|website=aumamen.com}}</ref>

==Death==
One day, Pandu forgot about the curse and was suddenly filled with lust for Madri. Despite her pleas, he proceeded to engage in sexual intercourse with her. After the act, his curse was fulfilled and he died. His body was cremated within the forest. Attributing her husband's death to herself and swept by remorse, Madri took her own life after handing her children over to Kunti.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Fang|first=Liaw Yock|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yIv3AwAAQBAJ&q=madri+suicide&pg=PA76|title=A History of Classical Malay Literature|date=2013|publisher=Institute of Southeast Asian|isbn=978-981-4459-88-4|language=en}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Pandava]]
* [[Pandeism (Godfrey Higgins)|The Pandeism of Godfrey Higgins]]
*[[Historicity of the Mahabharata]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons}}
{{HinduMythology}}
{{Mahabharata}}

[[Category:Characters in the Mahabharata]]
[[Category:Mythological kings of Kuru]]