Lineage of the Pandavas and Kauravas - Page 2

Originally posted by: sjnp

In those times, royalty used to practice the custom of niyoga. If the king is dead or is unable to have children, his wife or wives could have children from either a worthy Brahmin or from the king's male relative.

According to this Hindu tradition the man who was appointed must be or would most likely be a revered person. There were various clauses associated with this process, as follows:

1) The woman would agree for this only for the sake of rightfully having a child and not for pleasure.

2) The appointed man would do this for Dharma, considering it as his duty to help the woman bear a child and not for pleasure.

3) The child thus born would be considered the child of the husband-wife and not that of the appointed man.

4) The appointed man would not seek any paternal relationship or attachment to this child in the future.

5) To avoid misuse, a man was allowed a maximum of three times in his lifetime to be appointed in such a way.

The act will be seen as that of Dharma and while doing so, the man and the wife will have only Dharma in their mind and not passion nor lust. The man will do it as a help to the woman in the name of God, whereas the woman will accept it only to bear the child for herself and her husband.

In Niyoga, the bodies were to be covered with "ghee" (so that lust may not take root in the minds of participants but actual act may take place for conception).

Sons born in this fashion were considered the legal progeny and heirs of the king, so the birth of Pandu, Dhitrashtra, Vidura and all five Pandavs was in line with the social norms of those days.

Bhishma was the last true descendant of the Kuru clan to live to a ripe age. Vichitravirya was the last pure Kuru. Ved Vyasa was the father of Dhritrashtra and Pandu, that's where the bloodline broke. Since Bhishma's vow could not be broken, they needed heirs. They were indeed not true Kurus but in those times, the biological father wasn't considered the true father of the child but actually the husband of their mother. And Ambika and Ambalika were Vichitravirya's widows, so their sons were considered his sons.

Originally posted by: epiphany.

Bhishma was the last true descendant of the Kuru clan to live to a ripe age. Vichitravirya was the last pure Kuru. Ved Vyasa was the father of Dhritrashtra and Pandu, that's where the bloodline broke. Since Bhishma's vow could not be broken, they needed heirs. They were indeed not true Kurus but in those times, the biological father wasn't considered the true father of the child but actually the husband of their mother. And Ambika and Ambalika were Vichitravirya's widows, so their sons were considered his sons.

Originally posted by: VirManForLife

Hey...i'm greatly interested in Indian mythology and have been researching about Mahabharat. I was reading an article in which I came across the fact that Dhritarashtra and Pandu weren't fathered by Shantanu's sons, but by Rishi Vyasa, who was Satyavati's illegitimate son born from another father. Considering this, I do not understand how the children of someone other than King Shantanu, and that too illegitimate, were allowed to rule over Hastinapur. Because Satyavati only agrees to marry Shantanu on the condition that their children will rule, as opposed to Devratt. Seeing that Pandu and Dhritarashtra are not even from King Shantanu's lineage, how is it legal for them to be accepted as princes of Hastinapur. And then isn't it wrong to cheat Devratt/Bheeshm from what is rightfully his? Shouldn't the kingdom have been returned to him?

Originally posted by: epiphany.

Bhishma was the last true descendant of the Kuru clan to live to a ripe age. Vichitravirya was the last pure Kuru. Ved Vyasa was the father of Dhritrashtra and Pandu, that's where the bloodline broke. Since Bhishma's vow could not be broken, they needed heirs. They were indeed not true Kurus but in those times, the biological father wasn't considered the true father of the child but actually the husband of their mother. And Ambika and Ambalika were Vichitravirya's widows, so their sons were considered his sons.

For those who don't know father of marishi vyas was maharishi Parashar well I dont know weather they were married or not but it is said that he booned satyavati for this son as she was going to be the mother of entire hastinapur . Regarding Pandavas it is said that maharishi kindham waskilled by pandu n he cursed pandu that he will not be able to consummate his marrige n as soon as he does this he will die. So Kunti the first wife of pandu had a siddh 5 mantras for 5 Gods which she got from rishi Durvasa himself . He blessed her to have a same child like that god which mantra will she chant. So First was of God Sun from which KARAN was born next mantra was of FOD Dhramraj aur YAM From which yudhidhtir was born Bheem was born form Pawan devs Mantra n Arjun was born from Indra Devs Mantra . After this Pandu Second Wife Madri requested Kunti that she also wanted to be a mother kunti happily gave her the last manta she had of Ashwani Kumars n she was blessed with nakul n sehdev so this is the story of pandavas

Originally posted by: SOLACEofEYES

@ dramacrazy12- I agree wid u, wen her both son died she cud have made bhishma as king n asked him to marry her sons widow by dis way both side parent wud have had royal linkage...bhishma fulfilled his oath but his stepbrothers died he was not responsible for dat... he took celibacy for his brother but wen they r no more den...
at those time it was patriarchal society (well it still is) so fathers blood dat is shantanu's blood linkage shud have becum king not mother's as sage vyasa was satyavati son but not shantanu whereas bhishma was shantanu son n not satyavati...can any one answer dis queries m confused there must b some explanation which may b I missed

Originally posted by: varaali

Please don't use words like 'illegitimate' without understanding how society worked in the ancient days.

For starters, Veda Vyasa was not illegitimate. He was accepted by his father, Sage Parashara and initiated into the Vasishtha / Parashara Gotra. Vyasa was the great grand son of Maha muni Vasishtha. For someone, who is considered an incarnation of Vishnu himself, it would not be correct for us insignificant beings to brand him "illegitimate"

Pandu and Dritarashta were fathered through a process called Niyoga, where a childless widow / wife of an impotent husband, could beget children through a chosen person.

According to the Manu Dharmashastra, a son born through Niyoga was equal in all respects to a natural born son . Such children were not considered illegitimate. There was nothing hush hush or secretive about the process. The children born through Niyoga automatically came under the gotra / family of their dead father and had all the rights and duties of a natural born son. They could inheirit his property and perform the last rites. The biological father has no claims on the children he fathers through Niyoga.

Though Pandu and Dritarashra were not from Shantanu's blood line, since th eprocess of Niyoga was invoked, they were considered a pat of the Kuru family- not Vyasa's.

Hope you understand.

According to legend, after Satyavati's sons died, she did request Bheeshma to marry his widows but since Bheeeshma had taken the vow of life long celibacy, he refused to marry..Eventually Satyavati had no other option but to confide about Vyasa to Bheeshma and Sage Vyasa came and fathered Dhrdhrashtra and Pandu...