Death of Pandu

Pandu was living happily with his sons and wives. One day, spring came. The trees around looked wonderful, full of flowers.
Pandu wanted to explore the forest and leaving Kunti and the children, he went inside with Madri.
The king was aroused seeing Madri. Forgetting his curse, he grasped Madri. He tore off her clothes and was about to have sex when he collapsed dead on top of her. The sage's curse was fulfilled. Madri started wailing.

Kunti seeing Pandu not returning, she taking the children along with her went to look for him. She followed the source of Madri's cries and some reached the place where Madri was crying, with dead Pandu on her lap.

Kunti sank on the ground. She told Madri she should have avoided the king, knowing about the curse of the sage.

Madri said she had tried to stop the king but he would not listen.

Kunti asked Madri to look after the children and she said she would end her life. Madri stopped her and said she would be the one who would go with the king. She requested Kunti bring up her two sons along with three of her sons. Saying so, Madri gave up her life.

The sages living nearby came there. With four sages lifting Pandu and Madri, they lit the funeral pyre.

Kunti then accompanied by the sages left for Hastinapur. Bhishma, Vidura, Gandhari, Satyavati, Ambika and Ambalika were there. They greeted the sages and gave them seats.

The sages then told them about Pandu, his sons and his death.

All broke down. Dhritarashtra asked Vidura to arrange for funeral ceremonies for Pandu and Madri. The five sons of Pandu offered meals (Pinda) to Pandu and Madri. Gold and wealth was distributed amongst the poor.

Marriage of the Kuru Princes and birth of Karna

When the three boys grew up they were sent for their education. Along with the scriptures they learnt the art of warfare. When they were of age, it was time to get them married.
In the clan of Yadavas there was a king called Subala who had a daughter called Gandhari. She had a boon that she would give birth to hundred sons of great strength.
Bhishma sent a proposal to Subala for the marriage of Gandhari with Dhritarashtra.
The king thought over the proposal. The only hitch was that Dhritarshatra was blind. Apart from that, the Kurus were a strong clan.
Agreeing to the proposal, Subala agreed to give Gandhari to Dhritarashtra. Along with Gandhari, many maids and a lot of wealth was sent. Gandhari's brother, Shakuni also came along with his sister.
When Gandhari heard that her husband was blind, she decided to follow her husband, Taking a clean white cloth, she tied it over her eyes thereby she also became blind.
Handing over his sister to Dhritarashtra, Shakuni returned back to his kingdom.

After the wedding of the elder prince, Bhishma started thinking of a bride for Pandu.
Shura was a Yadava king, the grandfather of Shri Krishna. Seeing that the king Kuntibhoja, his cousin,  was childless, he gave his daughter Pritha to her, for bringing her up as his own.He named her Kunti.

One day the sage Durvasa came visiting the land where Kuntibhoja lived. Seeing Durvasa, Kunti washed his feet with her own hands and welcomed him. She looked after the sage and was there to serve him, with folded hands.
Pleased with her devotion, Durvasa gave her a mantra. He told her whenever she uttered the mantra with any God in mind, that God would appear before her. Saying this and blessing her, the sage left.

Kunti wanted to try out the mantra. She uttered the mantra thinking of Surya.
Surya appeared and Kunti bowing down, said she was just testing the mantra. She said she had called him without any reason and she begged forgiveness.

Surya said the mantra is powerful and will not go futile. Surya said Kunti needed to sleep with with him.
Kunti said she was a virgin and all would be ashamed if she performed a act like that. Surya said, with his boon, her virginity would remain intact. A son was born of Kunti and Surya and Surya left.
The child was born with an armor on his body and earrings on his ears.

Kunti was not sure what to do and what people would say to her. Taking a large copper vessel, she placed the child in that. She carefully placed the vessel in the waters of Yamuna and watched it float away.

A Suta (charioteer) was bathing in the waters of Yamuna when he saw the floating vessel. Curious to know what was inside, he got the vessel to the shore. Seeing a beautiful boy inside, he called out to his wife Radha.

The couple was childless and they adopted the boy. They named the boy Vasusena. The boy grew up learning all he could. He would always give alms away to any brahmana who came his way. All that was asked off him, he gave. Such was the case that when later Indra asked for his armor and earrings, he cut them off his body and gave it away. As he had cut off his body to give away what was asked for, he was also known as Karna. In lieu of the armor, Indra had a given to Karna a ferocious weapon called Ekagni, which would mean sure death of the one on whom this was hurled.

Going back, Kunti's swayamvar was organized. All kings came there and among then was Pandu, looking regal like Indra himself. Kunti chose Pandu as her husband. Pandu came back to his land along with Kunti.

None of the princes had any children. Bhishma thought of marriage again.

Shalya, the king of Madra had a beautiful sister called Madri. Bhishma asked for Madri's hand for his brother's son. Shalya said in their land they had a custom of receiving dowry from the groom, to which Bhishma agreed. Bhishma came back with Madri and got her married to Pandu.

Pandu wanted to expand the kingdom and he went on an expedition towards the West. Pandu defeated many kings and made them his subordinates.

Pandu was greeted by Bhisma when he arrived. Pandu gave all the wealth that he had got, to Dhritarashtra.

There was a king called Sudeva who had a beautiful daughter called Parashari, who was known for her beauty. Bhishma got this princess married to Vidura.